Prison restaurant charity launches ex-offender job mentoring scheme with Springboard

Prisoners qualified as chefs and waiters, complete with practical kitchen and restaurant experience, will now receive dedicated, professional support and guidance as they look for prospective employers who could benefit from their workplace-ready skills. The new mentoring scheme will include: Three to four visits during the last month by an assigned mentor prior to release, including an interview meeting with the prospective employer. During these visits they will check what assistance the Clink graduate will require, such as accommodation and setting up a bank account. The mentor to meet them at the gate on the day of release. The mentor will accompany the graduate to his accommodation, if required. The mentor will take the graduate to work on his first day and arrange a travel card as required. The mentor will meet the graduate each week in their work place for three to six months. The mentor will be the link between the Clink Graduate and The Clink Charity, to provide progress feedback. Speaking of the benefits this mentoring partnership with Springboard will have on prisoner re-integration into society, Chris Moore, chief executive of The Clink Charity, said: "The Clink has successfully trained 84 prisoners to date and this graduate mentoring scheme, launched in partnership with Springboard, will implement crucial employment mentoring in the months before and after a prisoner's release. "The Clink Charity presents a strategic means to employing rehabilitation tactics to remedy the degenerative effect of prison sentences on those convicted. It is actively looking to develop The Clink concept in other prisons throughout Britain, as well as in external public locations, but in order to achieve all of this The Clink must maximise all routes to engagement with progressive businesses within the hospitality industry to secure offers of employment to ex-offenders." Dee Smith, Springboard's head of programmes, added: "The Springboard Charity is pleased to be working with The Clink and supporting the individuals who have successfully completed the Hospitality Programme at High Down Prison in Sutton. "Through a dedicated mentoring process, Springboard will be ensuring everyday barriers are overcome, work experience and employment is gained, thus reducing the risk of re-offending in the future. We are excited to be supporting the programme as it sits clearly within The Springboard Charity's aims and continues to support innovative ways to address the industry's skills shortages."