We have begun delivering probation rehabilitation services across four English regions (South East, South West, East of England and North West) aimed at cutting crime in the new probation system.

The recently commissioned education, training and employment, accommodation, and personal wellbeing services provide vital support to some of the 89,000 people supervised by the newly formed Probation Service.

Through these services, we will help people on probation to turn a corner on their criminal past by working to eliminate the motivations that lay behind why they want to commit a crime in the first place, and work to improve their life chances by finding them suitable accommodation after release or secure employment.

Finding more people on probation a safe place to live¹ or a job can help to halve reoffending rates.²

Working alongside two national charities, the Forward Trust and Prison Advice and Care Trust (Pact), we are also helping people on probation to strengthen their family relationships and reduce the influence of peers, who may have encouraged past criminal activity, to prevent them from returning to their former criminal lifestyles.

Suki Binning, the Seetec Group’s Chief Social Worker and our Executive Director of Justice and Social Care, said:

“We are proud to deliver these new vital support services to people on probation. By tackling the drivers of crime and improving the lives of people currently in the criminal justice system, we can help prevent thousands of people from becoming a victim in the future and reduce the £18 billion annual cost of reoffending each year.”

“The focus must be on delivering a holistic approach to reoffending. It is crucial that individuals who leave a formal criminal justice setting are able to access transitional support to help them build a new life or the likelihood that they will choose to reoffend increases. Interventions like these rehabilitation services aim to break the link and help people realise their true potential.”

Mike Trace, The Forward Trust’s Chief Executive, said:

We are delighted to be working with our partners to help our clients to live crime-free lives over the coming years. By addressing the causes of reoffending, we will help thousands more people in England to break the cycle of crime and begin new, positive lives in safe, nurturing communities.

Andy Keen-Downs, The Prison Advice and Care Trust’s Chief Executive Officer, said:

“Pact is excited to form part of this new strategic alliance and we are looking forward to delivering services with our partners that create safer communities through supporting people with convictions to desist from crime and live good lives. Our focus will be on enabling people to change, and to make a fresh start, through building emotional resilience, healthy relationships and a sense of identity and belonging in the communities in which they live.”

Further information

Part of the employee-owned Seetec Group, we are an evidence-led provider of public services, bridging the gap between the justice and social care sectors to build better futures and improve wellbeing. We are delivering the following new probation rehabilitation services:

South East:

• Education, Training and Employment (Kent, Surrey and Sussex);
• Accommodation (Kent, Surrey and Sussex); and
• The Personal Wellbeing (Kent) contract delivered with the Forward Trust and Pact.

South West:

• Accommodation; and
• Education, Training and Employment.

East of England:

• Accommodation; and
• Education, Training and Employment.

North West:

• Accommodation; and
• The Personal Wellbeing contract (Cheshire) delivered with the Forward Trust and Pact.

¹ Ministry of Justice (2019) Freedom of information request, available from: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/aug/12/two-thirds-of-homeless-ex-prisoners-reoffend-within-a-year

² Ministry of Justice (2013), Analysis of the impact of employment on re-offending following release from custody, using Propensity Score Matching, available from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/217412/impact-employment-reoffending.pdf