StandOut at HMP Wormwood Scrubs: energy, enthusiasm, and the "best week ever".
November saw an exciting next step in StandOut’s journey as we launched a pilot programme at HMP Wormwood Scrubs.
StandOut’s approach is to view ourselves as a key partner for the prison and to embed ourselves in prison life. Launching the pilot therefore began with important preparation to ensure we built connections and collaborations that we know are key to working successfully in a prison.
We take recruiting participants for our programmes seriously as we want to work with men who are thinking about how they want to prepare for life after prison. Our coaches walk the wings opening up conversations and asking questions to elicit interest.
From day one, the group at Wormwood Scrubs brought energy and enthusiasm to the room. Erin, our pilot project lead, commented on how everyone embraced the opportunities and conversations from the start - which made for a rich and interesting classroom. The men quickly bonded and showed a great sense of togetherness and mutual respect for one another, recognising that the StandOut space is a safe one, away from the pressures of the landings, where they could express themselves, their hopes and fears, and plans for the future.
“The StandOut space is a safe one, away from the pressures of the landings, were they could express themselves, their hope and fears, and plans for the future.”
StandOut is framed around preparation for the world of work as having a job is an important factor in someone transitioning to life outside prison. However, the pilot programme also introduced some of our wider work on mindset and life skills that can be just as important as people navigate the challenging journey of leaving prison.
We were delighted that we were able to work with some of our volunteers and employer partners and bring them into the course, which is a vital part of our approach. Volunteers supported CV and mock interview sessions and we hosted a lively session with Fullers, Only a Pavement Away and The Right Course who unpacked the range of roles in the hospitality sector and the great opportunities available for progression.
StandOut expects a commitment to the course as it’s a great indication of how serious people are about their own journey to prepare for release from prison. There was no greater test of that than to be running the pilot during the World Cup - and one session had 100% attendance despite it coinciding with an England game!
Starting a new project in prison means that there is very little awareness of StandOut’s work. It was really encouraging to see that even while the pilot was running, word was spreading and the coaches were being stopped and asked about how people could get involved. There was a real buzz from the men on the landings, and from prison staff.
“There was a real buzz from the men on the landings, and from prison staff”
Some on the course had only a short time remaining in prison, however the coaches encourage people to take the positive mindset they develop and use it for any remaining time to engage with other courses, pick up educational opportunities, and be proactive in their planning. One Trainee commented that he had enjoyed the first and second week of the course so much he wanted to explore other opportunities after the StandOut course finished. Erin reminded him there was a week of the course left and he said it would be “the best week ever”.
The course had many highlights for the coaching team but mock interviews and the graduation afternoon are golden moments, and during these sessions it was clear how much the men had grown in confidence during the course.
Distinctive to StandOut’s work is how we bridge life inside prison and life outside. One of the group has already been released and has continued to work with coaches to put some key stability factors in place. He has been navigating housing challenges while he holds on to this determination to settle and move into employment.
Meanwhile, the coaches are looking forward to continuing support for those who remain in the prison and to plan for our next steps as we build on a great start in our work with the team at HMP Wormwood Scrubs.