As we mark two years of delivering the Education, Training and Employment (ETE) programme, on behalf of the Ministry of Justice, we’ve seen significant achievements. More than 10,000 people have entered the programme in the West Midlands, North West, London and Wales, and of these participants, more than 3,800 have progressed into training, and more than 1,800 have entered work.
At the heart of our delivery is our commitment to work in partnership to deliver positive outcomes, enabling us to improve lives, reduce reoffending and protect the public. In doing so, we can limit the burden of offending on local communities, whilst helping to boost the economy by equipping participants with skills highly sought after by employers.
Craig Walker, Contract Director for the ETE programme, explained: “Our work is significant, as research tells us that engaging with education, training and employment significantly reduces the likelihood of reoffending.
“Working in partnership means that we have a diverse network of people and agencies to help ensure that participants remain engaged and supported. This also enables us to share new ideas, and develop new approaches, which is beneficial when working with difficult and often challenging individuals.”
In order to truly enhance the lives of those we support, our teams collaborate closely with His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, as well as training providers and leading employers to combine resource, exchange knowledge and foster innovation. This holistic approach addresses various concerns, maximising the impact on participants to ensure they receive personalised and tailored support that is unique to their individual circumstances.
Rhiann Lovell, Deputy Head of Reducing Reoffending for the Wales Probation Service, has been working with Maximus since 2021 to support those on probation: “Without stakeholders and partners across Wales and developing a system wide approach, it would be significantly more challenging to help to reduce re-offending.
“The Reducing Reoffending team has a really positive working relationship with Maximus. From a strategic perspective, working with Maximus allows us to support offenders into education, training and employment opportunities.”
Effectively building long-standing relationships with partner organisations across the country plays a pivotal role in assisting individuals, particularly when it comes to providing early interventions for prison leavers at the time of their release.
In Wales, we’ve been developing innovative solutions to engage with prison leavers at HMP Berwyn and have witnessed positive early successes.
Norah Keller, Head of Reducing Reoffending for HMP Berwyn, said: “I would not be able to achieve my goals and aims for the prisoner population without the support of our partner organisations. The work that we’ve done with Maximus has been leading edge in terms of overcoming barriers and projects which support prison leavers’ employment outcomes.
“We look forward to working further with Maximus, who will be supporting us in our work with a more challenging cohort, who may not yet have the confidence to believe that they can be job-ready.”
The success of our delivery ultimately lies in the power of partnership working, and with our package of comprehensive support, our teams can address the complex challenges faced by those on probation – empowering individuals to break away from the cycle of reoffending, leading to safer communities and brighter futures.
