We have launched an exciting new social value initiative that we are delivering here at O’Neill & Brennan called Constructing Futures.
We will be working in partnership with the New Futures Network to provide work placements for offenders in the last 36 months of their prison sentence. Our goal is to work with individuals as early as possible, helping them secure training and qualifications to get them ready for work. We will then help them secure a work placement on Construction sites with like-minded contractors, which in turn helps support them to reintegrate back into society, while taking an outside the box approach to navigate through the current labour shortage.
Around 70,000 people are released from prison each year.
63% of these will go to re-offend in the first year.
Studies show that the best hope of preventing this is to support the offenders to find employment.
We are currently engaging with several of the leading Main Contractors and Developers and this initiative has proved to be a massive success so far. At a time when labour availability is at its lowest number in years this is proving to be a valuable new resource stream to counter the industry problem we all seem to be facing currently.
Sasha Bayly Simmonds (Head of Social Value at O’Neill & Brennan) is heading up this initiative for us. Sasha has years of experience doing this and works very closely with the individuals over this period. She gets to know them on a personal level – helping manage them back into the community and supporting any anxieties they may have.
Sasha was invited to The House of Commons to discuss Constructing Futures in more detail - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/o%27neill-and-brennan_sasha-simmonds-invited-to-the-house-of-commons-activity-6876502893109886976-nDIV
Quote from our Head of Social Value Sasha Simmonds
“I consider myself lucky to be able to work with these individuals every day and this project is something that I am extremely passionate about.
1 in 7 people in the UK, have or have had a criminal conviction. I will never understand how anyone can simply turn their backs on these people that just need a helping hand to get back on their feet.
I have amazing relationships with these individuals and with that comes a mutual respect for one another. It’s a great feeling to come to work and know that what you’re doing can change someone’s life.”
What our Managers think of ROTL- Constructing Futures.
“I can tell you I was initially dubious about how this process could work. And yes, they do need mentoring, but all I can say is the experience has been amazing and it has been great to have the ROTL’s join the team. I truly believe this project should be more widely known to the construction industry. The benefits that come from this are like no other.
It gives the lads an opportunity to not go back into the cycle of re-offending.”
Andrew Walker, Logistics Manager, Kier HMP Wellingborough
The satisfaction of working with these people, there is nothing quite like it, it’s like taking guys on an apprenticeship. They have a deterrent to behave, or they would go back to prison. I advise them all they don’t need to worry about that there, we look after our own. They’ve never let me down.
Bruce Veitch, Logistics Manager
WANT TO FIND OUT MORE?
Sasha Simmonds
Head of Social Value
07917 920 340
s.simmonds@oandb.co.uk
www.oneillandbrennan.com
