Our Approach

In order to do what we do, we live by our values.  

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We are non-judgemental

We commit to giving honest, non-judgemental help to anyone, no matter the nature of the investigation or conviction. We only ever ask about offence type if it is relevant to the support being provided. We strive to ensure that every team member is supported to acknowledge their own internal judgement and support them to work through any challenges they might experience, therefore allowing them to meet people with openness and compassion.

We centre lived experience

We put people’s lived experiences at the heart of everything we do.    In living this value, we observe the principles of equality, diversity and accessibility.  Every voice carries equal weight and we try to hear as broad a range of voices as possible. We take proactive steps to remove barriers, seeking to provide everyone with the support they require to be able to be heard.

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At least half of our Board of Trustees have a criminal record or a close family connection to the justice system.

We seek to inform and be informed

We know that people who have a criminal record or are being investigated for a crime face stigma.  We gather knowledge about what impact the consequences of this have on people, families and communities by listening to people with lived and direct experience. We then share these informed insights about how this causes exclusion and discrimination of people in our society.

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We advocate for effective, balanced and informed change in our criminal justice system in order to create a better and safer society.  We do not seek to rewrite the past but use our understanding of the present to create a better future for everyone.

We are trauma responsive

We understand how difficult experiences can affect people, and actively create a safer, more supportive environment for everyone.  We treat everyone with dignity, recognising that we don't always know what someone has been through.  We strive to create an environment where people can thrive rather than being re-traumatised.  This means being predictable, transparent, and trustworthy

We approach people with understanding, building on their strengths, resilience and capabilities, restoring a sense of power to those who may have felt powerless in the past.

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We keep people safe

Keeping people safe is our first priority.  Safeguarding is what we do to promote the welfare of all people who use our service, and to protect them from harm. Please view our Safeguarding Statement for more information.

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