Creating Future Opportunities
HMPPS Creating Future Opportunities (CFO) commissioned programmes help participants through their rehabilitation journey, reducing reoffending as a result.
CFO have been supporting participants for over 20 years, with activities and services tailored to each individual in order to address key barriers they are facing.
Achieve runs the contract in custody and the community in the North West.
About the programme:
CFO Evolution builds on the success of the CFO3 and CFO Activity Hub programmes. The learnings taken from these programmes have fed into the delivery model for CFO Evolution, including through-the-gate delivery.
CFO Evolution offers tailored support for participants – particularly those who are considered disadvantaged, are ill-equipped to effectively engage with the mainstream, face barriers preventing them from successfully reintegrating into their local community, lack the hard and softer life/functional skills required by employers and are not fully supported by existing programmes.
Custody Delivery
CFO custodial delivery is available across the North West. This includes dedicated CFO Wings, feeder prisons and outlier prisons.
The CFO Evolution programme is designed to ensure maintained motivation and confidence throughout, whilst preparing for community resettlement. Engagements include peer mentoring training, classroom learning, community contribution and much more. Specific participant needs are taken into account throughout.
CFO Wings in particular are welcoming spaces where individuals feel supported, understood, cared for and valued whilst working towards release.
Community Delivery -Map link: North West PDUs – Google My Maps
Participants can engage with CFO across the North West area at a pace which suits their rehabilitation journey, with tailored support to help overcome personal barriers. Activities and interventions available include housing, financial support and education and employment.
This practical support aims to build personal resilience, upskill participants and strengthen support networks, amongst others. All of which aims to help participants to reach a mainstream destination.
CFO Activity Hubs are available in six North West locations and represent a safe, non-authoritarian space where participants can, and importantly want to engage in a range of activities.
CFO delivery in the community can take place in a CFO Activity Hub or through Provider peripatetic delivery. This may include (but is not limited to):
- Addressing wider barriers to accessing mainstream opportunities (addictions, low levels of literacy/numeracy, motivation and confidence levels etc.)
- Overcoming practical obstacles (obtaining ID, registration with GP/dentist, support to retain or secure a tenancy)
- Access to partner delivery sites, including funded transport/travel to pop-up Hubs or community delivery sites
- Practical courses (vocational, basic skills, financial literacy etc.)
- Improving likelihood of securing employment (disclosure, CV creation, interview techniques, job applications, communication skills etc.)
- 1-2-1 support and group activities to allow participants to tackle barriers at their own pace and in a comfortable manner
- Additional skills (healthy living, money management, safeguarding, wellbeing etc.)
- Working through recorded sessions or workbooks with a Support Worker
- Collaborative appointments with professionals in the community
To learn more about the work of HMPPS CFO, please visit CreatingFutureOpportunities.gov.uk.
Careers Information, Advice and Guidance in prisons
We work in custody to support offenders and ex-offenders to access employability services and prepare to move back into the community. We deliver impactful Careers Information Advice and Guidance (CIAG).
Our work in Lancashire and Cumbria is award-winning, with one of our team being named Partner of the Year at the annual HMPPS awards in 2023 for their work in helping increase the number of prison leavers in our Lancashire and Cumbria prisons entering into employment by an impressive 300 per cent.
Greater Manchester Education, Training and Employment (GM ETE)
Achieve delivers GM ETE on behalf of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), as part of Greater Manchester Integrated Rehabilitative Services (GMIRS).
We operate in probation offices across the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester.
Our Key Worker supports the individual to create an action plan designed to help them achieve their learning and employment goals.
We provide preparation for interviews, CV support, 1-2-1 and group sessions, job search, support with applications for work or education and access to training and job opportunities. We also deliver job clubs. The individual’s Key Worker will support that person throughout the process.
We have strong community links and work in partnership with a range of training and employment providers to help people on probation overcome barriers and build skills and experience, enhancing their life chances after custody.
We work closely with the other GMIRS providers. We collaborate with them to achieve positive outcomes, innovate and co-deliver to ensure that people on probation receive a seamless path to specialist support, helping to reduce re-offending and creating a successful pathway beyond their time on Probation.
