The Professionals

Two thirds of prisoners enter prison without a job and 14% have never held one down before. This presents a huge barrier towards ex-offenders getting successfully employed after custody.  Having paid employment reduces the likelihood of someone re-offending by one third and research has shown that mentoring or coaching in conjunction with employment can have a further benefit.

St Giles Trust aimed to address this through its Professional Skills Coaching Project.  As an organisation where over one third of our staff are ex-offenders, we found that many of our staff demonstrated ability and commitment but as they had been removed from the world of work they often lacked the “soft skills” associated with being a professional worker.

One to one coaching from volunteer professionals provided informal training and role modelling that built confidence, increase motivation, developed positive social relationships and broadened the horizons of our ex-offender employees.  Meanwhile the volunteer professional coaches developed skills through the coaching relationship as well as gaining the satisfaction of knowing they are making a positive contribution to society.

The project has been underway since last October and 20 coaching partnerships have developed between St Giles Trust staff and professionals from private sector organisations
plus individuals with valuable professional experience.  The project overall was a huge success, with all but one of the partnerships remaining intact and valuable experience shared between the professional coach and their coachee.

It united two very difference sections of society and helped break down some of preconceptions attached to ex-offenders and broaden the horizons of St Giles Trust staff. 

Below are the experiences of one of the professional coaches who participated in the project.  She coached Alan*, a staff member working on a project working with young offenders and she has expressed an interest in continuing the project.

“Alan has been giving 100% during our sessions.  In the beginning, he was apprehensive about the coaching relationship but once we discussed the contract terms and conditions, set some boundaries and started building rapport, change and trust began to take place.

“He has been applying knowledge gained in our sessions.  I have personally seen changes taking place in his attitude, time management and organisational skills.

“I believe the project has valuable and it has definitely helped me to have a better understanding regarding the battle fields of the mind ex-offenders encounter.  I would encourage others to support this project in the future.”

*name has been changed.