Success for Derby CVS and SOVA

"I'm currently employed as an Employment, Training and Education Co-ordinator with the SOVA Empower Project at HMP Sudbury. Our main aim is to provide serving prisoners with advice and guidance on employment, training and education. This incorporates working with prisoners to help them access practical training and education, or to develop a range of job focused skills that will make them more employable on release.

"A number of our clients are life sentence prisoners who have been transferred to HMP Sudbury as part of a resettlement plan in order to prepare them for release. As part of their sentence plan, before seeking paid work they must first successfully complete a period of voluntary work. It's at this point that Ken McLoughlin at Derby CVS has proved an invaluable help.

"Initially, Ken interviewed one of our clients and suggested that he might be just the person Derbyshire Housing Aid were looking for. They needed someone to assist them in producing press publications and an information system. Our client proved so suitable that after a short time Derbyshire Housing Aid agreed to take a second prisoner. This was just the opportunity these two clients needed to help them adjust back into society. And, because of the skills they were able to offer, Derbyshire Housing Aid offered them salaried positions when they were eligible to look for paid work.

"Another client we took to meet Ken had been working in the gardens during his time at Sudbury and was keen to continue working in this area. Ken suggested he might like to work as a volunteer with the BTCV.

"Again this placement has been a great success. Not only has it helped our client through what could have been a difficult readjustment period in his life but he has played a very useful role within a team of volunteers on several different projects being undertaken by BTCV. They are happy to have someone else from Sudbury as soon as this client finishes his placement with them.

"These are just two of the successful placements we have achieved so far through Derby CVS and hopefully there are many more to come!"

Jean Moses
SOVA Empower Project

.(from Network News, Mar/Apr 2004)