HMPPS Case Study: Bridging the Gap Between Prison and Employment
THE CHALLENGE
His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) is responsible for the operation and management of prison and the probation system in England and Wales. It covers a total:
To reduce reoffending rates HMPPS provides Education, Training and Employment (ETE) support to the people in prisons. For many years they faced a problem where learning records were lost when offenders moved from prison to prison. This led to frustration for both operational staff and offender-learners.
HMPPS needed a comprehensive digital platform to help:
Prison staff: manage the learning plans, progress and employment support of people in prisons before and after release.
People in prisons: access employment-focused learning material, connect with external employment providers, receive help with CV building, and get one-to-one rehabilitation support.
External support providers: To signpost and manage their services securely.
THE SOLUTION
HMPPS collaborated with Meganexus to redesign the Virtual Campus. We enhanced and expanded the existing platform using our secure intervention management software.
We consulted professionals and individuals in prisons to identify the root causes and barriers that hinder engagement in ETE programme. Our focus was on safely facilitating interactions between those inside prisons, employers and support staff outside the prison walls. To address these challenges, we developed flexible learning plans, created new content and integrated this into our software. Additionally, we established a secure connection to external support workers, enhanced CV building resources, and introduced new tracking functions to manage outcomes. We also implemented intelligent job searching tools to improve employability.
“Virtual Campus is a real team player at our prison. It is essential in offering fast, reliable methods of learning and assessment… It’s a resource worth its weight in rehabilitative impact.”
Virtual Campus Champion
HMPPS
THE IMPACT AND RESULTS
Virtual campus is now implemented with highest data standards in all prisons across England and Wales. Streamlined of flow of information has reduced the retaking of identical assessments conducted by multiple ETE providers. This has a positive impact on reducing costs as well as on offender-learners’ engagement with education, training and employment support.
Over 150,000 service users have benefited since Virtual Campus was first implemented. Service users can send information directly to support workers outside the prison which means a much faster, more efficient processes and better rehabilitation outcomes on release; and records are easily transferred when prisoners move between prisons.