WORKING CHANCE LTD

About This Cause

"I am who I am today because of Working Chance. It helped me to develop my self-esteem and to believe in myself once more. It was a second lifeline. Genuine women with all the good intentions to support women in their darkest hour.” Working Chance client. Working Chance is the UK's only employment charity solely for women with convictions. We are an award-winning charity helping women to develop the confidence, skills and self-belief they need to overcome any barriers to their employment, find jobs and build careers, despite their conviction. Since 2009, we have supported thousands of women into employment and many more on their journeys towards financial independence. We partner with employers of all sizes across all sectors to find opportunities for women that align with their skills and aspirations. We see women in our service who have been let down by society. Three-quarters of women surveyed in prison reported that they had mental health issues with rates of self-harm at a record high (Prison Reform Trust, 2023), 60 percent of women in contact with the criminal justice system have experienced domestic violence at the hands of their partners and one-third of women in prison have been in care (NHS England and HMPPS, 2023). For many women the consequences of criminal convictions continue once they try to resettle back into the community. 96% of women are unemployed six weeks after leaving prison, and 63% say that employment is the biggest problem they face (Unlock, 2021). Women are almost twice as likely as men to have their criminal records disclosed on a criminal records check (Unlock, 2021), as women are overrepresented in professions that require enhanced checks (e.g. social work, care work). “Working Chance was supportive, empathetic, understood my anxiety in relation to my conviction and applications for jobs. They turned every negative thought of mine into a positive and encouraged me to apply for the jobs I was interested in.” To women with convictions, a job is more than an income - it means a future where she and her family can flourish. It helps her to feel accomplished, useful, appreciated, and hopeful. This mindset, research shows, makes people far less likely to engage in criminal behaviour. Nationally, the reoffending rate for women in the UK is 21%, and for women who have been in prison on a short sentence, that leaps to 58%. Among the 262 women that we supported into employment this year, there were no recorded incidents of reoffending, demonstrating how life-changing fulfilling employment can be. Ultimately, Working Chance’s work unlocks the potential of women with convictions - helping them to develop skills, tools, inner resources and a mindset that will increase their chances of flourishing independently. Will you support more women to have the encouragement and opportunities she needs to thrive?