Iceland Foods has been helping ex-offenders across the UK get back into the workforce as part of its ‘Second Chance’ rehabilitation scheme.
More than 330 ex-offenders have been hired as front-line retail workers and delivery drivers at Iceland and The Food Warehouse over the past 18 months, thanks to the appointment of Paul Cowley MBE as Director of Rehabilitation in 2022.
An ex-offender himself, Paul has a deep understanding of the challenges faced when seeking employment after prison and takes a hands-on approach – hosting more than 800 face-to-face interviews in 98 prisons since his appointment. Those eligible for consideration by Iceland Foods include prisoners who are set for release within six months, are not on the sex offenders register, haven’t committed a terrorist offence, arson or taken a life.
The ‘Second Chance’ scheme has been a success for Iceland, supported by HR Director Helen Tindle, with over 680 ex-offenders being offered employment so far. This success has been facilitated by constantly improving processes to make the transition simple for the candidates. The flexibility, trust and warm welcome by our various store managers has also gone a long way in ensuring these new colleagues can thrive at Iceland.
The programme, headed up by Paul, has seen over 300 people start with the business already, with many more ready to join following their release. Paul has a wealth of experience in this field, also being the founder of Caring for Ex-Offenders, a charity that helps integrate men and women back into society following their release from prison.
Paul Cowley MBE, Director of Rehabilitation at Iceland said: “Our newly rehabilitated colleagues have been a brilliant addition to the team, with some already being promoted into new roles and receiving awards for their hard work.
“Not having the security of a paid job following release from prison can have a devastating impact on ex-offenders, as well as their family, friends and society as a whole – with the cost of reoffending currently sitting at £18 billion per year. These individuals deserve the second chance that we are giving them, and more needs to be done to ensure they are given the opportunity to succeed.”
Following the recent appointment of Lord Timpson as Minister of State for Prisons, Parole and Prohibition, Iceland has also issued a letter to the Government with a ‘blueprint’ of its rehabilitation model. The supermarket aims to encourage other businesses to help ex-offenders looking for a second chance rejoin the workforce.
Richard Walker, Executive Chairman at Iceland said: “Helping ex-offenders get back into the workforce is proven to reduce reoffending, and we’re proud to be helping them with their rehabilitation and to offer security following release. Finding meaningful paid employment following release from prison is a significant factor in reducing the chances of individuals reoffending, so it’s not only beneficial to us to have them in the workforce but also to society as a whole.
“We’re incredibly lucky to have Paul with his years of experience working to help rehabilitate ex-offenders running our Second Chance scheme, and the results speak for themselves. The next step for us is to help more people is to share our blueprint for rehabilitation to get ex-offenders into the workforce and help them stay on the right path.”
