Our impact

Since 2009, we have supported thousands of women to find employment and get their lives on track. We have a proven positive impact on those women and their families, on the economy and on society through reducing reoffending.

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We work with over 100 employers around the country, offering the women we support a broad range of opportunities across every sector.

September 2022 - August 2023

Highlights

  • 89%

    of women said the support made them feel more hopeful about their future

  • 5,000

    vacancies available for our clients to apply for at any time

  • 262

    women supported with their employability

Preventing reoffending

Employment works

Nationally, the reoffending rate for women in the UK is 21%, and for women who have been in prison on a short sentence, that leaps to 58%. The women that we support into employment almost never reoffend - we had no reports of reoffending in the last year

Employment and hope for the future really do make all the difference, which is why what we do is absolutely vital.

Confidence and career goals

Careers, not just jobs

At its best, work is about more than just paying the bills. We're here to support women to develop find meaningful work that they're interested in, where there's scope for progression and development, and that will be fulfilling and purposeful.

And if a woman who finds work with our support is ready to take the next step in her career? She can come back any time and we'll support her to find the next opportunity too.

My employment advisor's unwavering confidence in me was instrumental to me believing I could — and should — aspire to roles I could have only dreamt of.

Minnie Client
Dismantling the barriers to employment

Creating change

We understand that to affect change, we can’t just focus on the individual, we also need to consider the systems in place that can help or hinder women as they seek to rebuild their lives.

Our policy and research projects create a direct channel of communication from women with convictions, to the policy-makers that make decisions about their lives.

We place great value on lived experience and offer women a platform to have their voices heard through our Advisory Panel, a group of women with lived experience who scrutinise and shape our service.

Our work with employers demonstrates the benefits of hiring people with convictions, and helps create an employment landscape where people aren't held back by their past.

More on Working Chance

Our annual reports and accounts

I really enjoyed the workshop on making a disclosure to a potential employer. I was so nervous at the beginning - what happened to me isn't a nice thing to discuss. But the session was fun and full of information. I now feel a little more confident and a little less ashamed

Jasmine Client

Thank you

We are extremely grateful to all the individuals, trusts, foundations, and corporate donors who generously support Working Chance and make our transformational work possible.

Case study

A shared interest: restarting lives through employment at Social Interest Group

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