A team who help offenders move away from a life of crime through improving their skills and employment prospects have gained a major national award!
A partnership of education providers, bringing together Nottinghamshire Probation, Dyslexia Action, Castle College and New College Nottingham, have been granted a prestigious Butler Trust Certificate Award, in recognition of their vital work in reducing reoffending. Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Patron of the Butler Trust, will presented them with their award at a ceremony held at St James’ Palace, London on Friday 5 March.
The education providers are based in Nottinghamshire Probation offices around the city and county, and take referrals from Probation staff to provide offenders who may have left school with low academic achievements with tuition to improve literacy and numeracy skills. They assess and work with dyslexia as well as providing tuition for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).
This specialist provision plays an important part in improving offenders employment prospects and helps develop self esteem - resulting in a decreased likelihood to reoffend.
Nottinghamshire Probation Area’s Chief Executive Designate, Jane Geraghty said: ‘I am very proud that this work has been given national recognition. Education work with offenders in the community in Nottinghamshire has been a highly successful partnership for over ten years and brought tremendous benefits. Evidence shows that education and employment are key factors in reducing reoffending, and the exemplary work carried out by the team in motivating and engaging offenders to learn plays a vital role in helping us to attain our objectives of rehabilitation, crime reduction and public protection, therefore making our community a safer place’.
ENDS
NOTES FOR EDITORS
The education providers receive over 1000 referrals to their specialist provision per year.
In the period April 2009 – February 2010
- A total of 364 qualifications were achieved by offender learners, some of whom achieved 2, 3 or 4 qualifications in Adult Literacy and Numeracy at levels 1 and 2. (Level 1 is at the same level of skills and knowledge as GCSE foundation level, grades D-G, within the National Qualifications Framework. Level 2 is at the same level as GCSE grades A-C.)
THE BUTLER TRUST
The Butler Trust is an independent charity which rewards and spreads good practice in the correctional services across the UK through our annual awards scheme for staff and volunteers and our work in supporting and disseminating their work.
The Trust was set up in 1985 and is named after the reforming Home Secretary, RAB Butler.
HRH The Princess Royal has been the Trust’s Patron since its inception and remains highly active and supportive of the Trust’s work, presenting our awards at an annual ceremony in Buckingham Palace and visiting award winners in their places of work.
The Butler Trust awards scheme recognises exceptionally dedicated, and often creative and innovative work performed in a highly demanding and often misunderstood sector.
Each year we receive more than 300 nominations from staff, volunteers and offenders and our awards are recognised and valued throughout the correctional services.
www.thebutlertrust.org.uk
Media contact: Lindsay Narey, Communications Officer, Nottinghamshire Probation Area
Tel: 0115 8406497
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