Where We Are
In 11 prisons across England and Wales
HMP & YOI Bronzefield
HMP & YOI Bronzefield is a dynamic and forward-thinking women’s prison which accommodates a diverse and complex population of women from courts across the South of England.
Bronzefield’s whole purpose is to ‘change lives for the better’ and our contact centre exemplifies that exact ethos, by providing real life work experience that prepares residents for employment upon release.
The contact centre team are reliable, self-motivated and have a professional attitude to their work. Katie, our Team Manager, is very experienced and knowledgeable, and provides intensive support to enable the team to really excel in their roles.
As soon as you walk into the contact centre there is a different atmosphere, it no longer feels or looks like you are in a prison. The most common comment is that ‘it just feels like a call centre’, which has always been our aim. We have a kitchen area to make hot drinks, a break area with sofas and a TV and a digital wallboard to give live updates showcasing team progress. Motivation is key.
There is healthy competition among the residents to see who can get the most transfers or get the most productive hours with incentives running all the time.
HMP Lowdham Grange
HMP Lowdham Grange is a privately contracted prison operated and managed by Serco since it opened in 1988 on behalf of Her Majesty’s Prison Service. It is a category B training prison accommodating adult male offenders aged 21 and over with sentences over four years and with at least 12 months to serve. It has a maximum capacity of 920.
HMP Lowdham Grange has not been identified as a Resettlement Prison, but remains focussed on ensuring that it is a place of work, where real employability skills are learned and education is available for all. The call centre performs well and is firmly embedded, where there is a real priority to provide meaningful employment whilst in custody. This is coupled with a longer-term goal to give team members the opportunity to learn and develop new skills that will enhance their prospects for release.
“What pleases me when you walk into the call centres at Lowdham or Dovegate is that you see people behaving professionally. Should that be a surprise? No not really, but when you go back to that environmental piece where you’ve got competing gangs, drugs issues, mental health issues and suddenly you’ve got this oasis of calmness, this oasis of professionalism where guys are interfacing and interacting with members of the public, speaking in a very eloquent and professional way.”
Wyn Jones, Operations Director, Serco Custodial Services
HMP Berwyn
Berwyn is the largest prison in England and Wales and is the second largest prison in Europe. Built on a very clear rehabilitative vision, people here are not called prisoners, they are men (or residents now), they live in rooms, on communities, rather than in cells on wings. The concept of Berwyn is based on the ‘principles of normality’ – a theory first raised by Nelson Mandela after his treatment in prison.
Berwyn is still in its infancy and developing but our contact centre is firmly established as a beacon of hope and good practice. The contact centre looks exactly as it would outside and the work expectations are the same. If the team work hard and achieve targets they are rewarded like any other job.
For some, they have never worked before and this is a first. It is a disciplined, high-pressure environment with high expectations, where the men are expected to attend on time, follow instructions and work to challenging targets. The agents are developing skills and a work ethic that will serve them well on release from prison.
HMP High Down
High Down is an adult male Local Category B men’s prison, with a capacity of 1,112.
High Down is an adult male Local Category B men’s prison, with a capacity of 1,112.
Unlike other workshops in the prison, the contact centre operates throughout the day, replicating that of a real working environment. The skills the team learn are extensive and transferrable, not only for employment on release but to help them during their current sentence. The nature of the work challenges their mindset and encourages them to rethink how they behave and react to others around them.
Relationships have been key to the success at High Down, especially with the support of the Head of Reducing Reoffending, which has enabled us to keep a consistent and stable workforce. Agents in the contact centre are given the chance to undertake a level 2 NVQ Customer Service course. This gives them the opportunity to increase their knowledge and put that into practice in a real-life working environment, building their confidence engaging with members of the public.
Opportunities for progression are provided at High Down, with the chance to become a peer-to-peer trainer. This increases their responsibility and enables them to provide quality training to new starters.
