A values-led partnership St Giles Wise (SGW) will provide support and services to prison leavers, under the Ministry of Justice Dynamic Framework contracts announced today (Friday 21 May).

SGW, formed of charities St Giles and Wise Group will work in close partnership with local communities, statutory services and other providers to support the wellbeing of prison leavers through the use of Personal Wellbeing Coaches offering advocacy, advice and guidance.

The aim is to work collaboratively with other agencies and contribute towards ensuring prison leavers have the best chance of successfully reintegrating into the community.

It will put the use of lived experience at the heart of the services provided, enhancing credibility and the ability to bring about positive change in the often complex lives of people leaving prison. At least 50% of the teams will employ people with lived experience.

Prison leavers will be supported around a range of areas including positive relationships, social inclusion, lifestyle and emotional wellbeing.

SGW have been working together for two years to develop this service.  During this time, focus groups and consultations using people with relevant lived experience have taken place to shape and define it.

Andy Cross, St Giles Wise Board Member and Director of Services at St Giles, said: said: “Through working with other agencies in partnership with The Wise Group, our aim is to add value to core services and enable prison leavers – some of whom are amongst the most socially excluded people in our society – to turn a corner.”  

He continued: “Our approach of using trained professionals who have been in the same situations as the people they are supporting means we can bring credibility and empathy to services.  We know from our years of experience helping prison leavers resettle that this peer-led approach increases engagement, quality and results.”

Hamish Robertson, St Giles Wise Board Member and Strategic Development Lead at Wise Groups said: “We are proud to announce the first St Giles Wise contracts; a third sector/social enterprise partnership which has been recognised as having the capability of having a lasting impact for innovation in public sector services and positive results for the people we support. At The Wise Group we are committed to fostering mentoring, and recognise that mentoring is a fundamental approach to reduce reoffending. Our partnerships underpin our ambition to transform lives and through them we tackle the civic issues we identify through our customers, colleagues and wider stakeholders”.

SGW will be delivering Personal Wellbeing services across all of Wales, Durham and Cleveland in the North East. We will also be delivering women’s resettlement services in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Northants, North Yorkshire and Durham.

ENDS

Notes to editors

About St Giles Wise   

We are values-led Third Sector partnership that delivers high-calibre services for offenders, empowering them to overcome barriers and take positive steps forward in their lives. Working together, we draw on our combined strengths to create safe, effective and accessible services that help reduce re-offending.  We share a commitment to employing trained individuals who have been there themselves, bringing added credibility, first-hand knowledge and professionalism to our services.

Contact St Giles for information on services in Northamptonshire, Wales, Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Contact Wise Group for information on services in the North East.

The Wise Group

The Wise Group is a leading social enterprise. We build bridges to opportunity for people through energy advice and advocacy, give people skills and confidence to start and stay in work and are there for people as they leave prison behind them.

The breadth of our work means we can build bridges for the most vulnerable people in our society: mentoring support, employment, skills, energy advice, confidence, jobs.

To find out more about the Wise Group, visit www.thewisegroup.co.uk