NO GOING BACK FOUNDATION
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Mission Statement
No Going Back (NGB) exists to empower prison leavers to transform their lives by improving their employability and helping them secure meaningful employment. Through comprehensive support and tailored programmes, we assist individuals in building positive futures, contributing to safer communities and reduced re-offending rates. Our work is driven by the belief that everyone deserves a second chance and that a person’s past should not limit their potential for a positive and successful future.
About This Cause
No Going Back are three words that can change a life for the better. No Going Back Foundation (NGB) are architects of change. We change attitudes, transform lives, and create second chances. We unleash untapped potential and steer people to a better future. Our objective is to support marginalised people with convictions to successfully resettle, find meaningful employment, and ensure there is No Going Back to prison. Crucially, we also work to change employer perceptions of those with criminal records, which can often stop them from finding jobs and making a positive contribution to society. We work throughout Greater London with those who are nearing the end of a custodial sentence, or with those who have recently been released. The Need For Our Work Our work is greatly needed to reduce re-offending. Our services continually evolve through continuous dialogue with participants, and we value partnership working highly whilst being emphatic that our work should not duplicate the outstanding work that other organisations are delivering. We consult regularly with current, past, and potential participants - including our seventeen peer NGB Ambassadors - to ensure we are providing effective support, and we therefore know that NGB is not only highly valued but desperately needed. There is a continual need throughout England and Wales to provide effective interventions to help people avoid further crime, play a positive role in society, and achieve employment. NGB’s work remains hugely important despite the number of organisations operating in this arena. The Government’s plans for early release are already impacting us, with increased demand for our services particularly as large numbers are leaving prison on the same days nationwide. They are not only leaving prison less prepared for reintegration into the community, but they are also being re-called within very short periods as Probation cannot cope with the additional burden. This is similar to the Covid pandemic when NGB started, so our experienced team know how to adapt fast to the fact that those leaving prison are much further away from being ‘employable’ and have wellbeing and other issues which need to be addressed before they can achieve employment. Official statistics show the number of people in prison in England and Wales as of 2 August 2024 is 87,362. This figure is projected to rise closer to 100,000 with the new prisons currently under construction. Reoffending rates remain high, although hard to define accurately owing to variations. At a macro level the need for our work is widely acknowledged. The Government spends millions trying to effect change, but an ongoing staffing crisis and ‘one size fits all’ approach means initiatives have constraints. We know that our focus on holistic support which is individual to each participant is crucial and that an essential part of our success is providing trusted employment support. Employment is a huge factor in desistence - which is why it remains our focus and why we have a connected Social Enterprise that can actually employ people. We know that having a job facilitates reintegration into wider society, helping individuals to move away from criminal connections, develop positive social relationships and become economically independent. This is why we work so hard to change societal and employer attitudes towards those with criminal convictions. For many, having a criminal conviction is a barrier to leading a law-abiding life on release. Despite massive recent media coverage encouraging employers to take on people leaving prison – pointing out their potential loyalty and talent - most employers continue to discriminate against those with a criminal record during the recruitment process. Forty-two different employers gave our participants jobs last year - which shows how we are effectively breaking down bias. Bromley Briefings Factfile, February 2024 shows that only 17% of prison leavers are in employment six weeks after leaving prison, with that figure rising to only 25%. Since achieving meaningful employment cuts the likelihood of reoffending down by over 50%, programmes such as NGB which support this are vital. Our Activities We provide holistic, individualised support to individuals to aid their reintegration into society and improve their employability. The NGB programme currently comprises the following elements: - • Screening incorporating Kangaroo, our digitally badged assessment and pre-employability sessions created in partnership with City and Guilds. This provides an opportunity to explore transferable skills and includes an introduction to their future and the world of work incorporating wellbeing, peer mentoring, skills for life, nutritional guidance and signposting as well as neurodiversity assessment. • Supporting individuals into a wide range of skills training in response to their career choices which include cleaning, FM, green skills, recycling, construction, and other areas with high labour market demand. • Through-the-gate support including assessments, a personalised resettlement plan, CV writing, employability skills provision and careers advice. • Employment opportunities offered by a wide range of partner companies. We match participants with jobs and provide ongoing support to both participants and employers. • Support and advocacy in finding accommodation where lack of accommodation means participants are unable to take up a job offer. Outcomes Achieved to Date NGB was developed using learning from other models and we use annual external evaluations to continue learning, drive success and deliver the most efficient package of support possible. Through continued internal and external evaluation, we have demonstrated that our work makes a dramatic difference to the lives of the people we support. Impact is assessed using both qualitative and quantitative measuring tools. Internally, we use Salesforce to monitor and evaluate the programme and we also have professional external evaluators, Bean Research who produce an annual impact report. To date we have achieved the following outcomes: - • We have supported over 2,000 people along their rehabilitation journey. • We have supported over 300 people into employment • We have achieved a reoffending rate of less than 5% for all participants to date. • We have created a large and successful volunteer network allowing NGB to operate at a lower cost than would otherwise be possible. • We have created a network of 17 NGB ambassadors who collaborate with us to co-create activity and play an active role in the organisation. • We have worked with a number of sector organisations to drive success including the Metropolitan Police DIVERT programme, where we have supported some of their young men into employment which has kept them out of prison. • We have created an interactive and synergistic relationship between NGB’s charity and CIC which not only enhances our employment opportunities, but also offers sustainability at its’ core and drives additional income generation. Wider Impact As well as helping people to create bright futures, our work impacts several critical areas: • Social Change: Our project drives social change through innovative engagement, improving life chances and enhancing employability. By supporting individuals into paid employment, we address poverty and social exclusion while achieving our primary objective of reducing reoffending. • Saving Public Money: Reoffending costs the public purse £18 billion annually. By helping individuals secure employment, we lower reoffending rates and save public money. To date, NGB’s efforts have supported over 300 people into work, saving the Government over £18 million. • Safer Communities: Reducing reoffending not only decreases crime rates and the number of victims but also contributes to community cohesion, making neighbourhoods safer and more secure. • Reduced Generational Offending: With 11% of children affected by parental incarceration and boys with imprisoned fathers being three times more likely to offend, our support for parents to remain out of prison helps to mitigate generational offending. • Addressing Skill Shortages: We provide a valuable response to industry skill shortages, benefiting a wide range of employers and contributing to a more skilled workforce. Funding We receive no statutory funding and need to fundraise continually to be able to continue our work. We would be very grateful if you would considering donating to us on a one-off or regular basis via Benevity. If, within the company you work for, there are also opportunities to nominate charities for grants or support, we would love it if you would also consider doing that for us too! If you volunteer as a trustee for a grant giving trust or foundation whcih does not accept unsolicited approaches, you may also want to consider recommending NGB's work to them. We also have an associated social enterprise which will fund our work in the long term. You can also help this to happen by supporting our social enterprise and giving them cleaning contracts at your workplace for example. Profits made by the social enterprise will be reinvested into the charity to enable us to support more people to achieve their potential and make our communities safer. No Going Back are three words that are changing lives across London, but we cannot do it alone!