Our philosophy
What unites us is our beliefs in a better world for women with convictions. Here's what we believe.
Our vision, mission and values
Our vision, mission, and values give us focus and determination to make a difference to women with convictions. These are the principles that underpin everything we do.
Our vision
Our vision is of a society where every woman with a conviction has the support and opportunities she needs to flourish.
Our mission
Our mission is to support women to create independent purposeful lives through helping them to build careers, and to educate and inspire employers to embrace inclusive hiring.
Our values
-
- 1 -Commitment
We go above and beyond to support each woman we work with to recognise her strengths and potential, and to help her believe she can have a job or career she loves. We offer honest insights and solutions to policy makers because we know the justice system could and should be better. We are committed to helping transform the employment landscape by inspiring employers to be open-minded and inclusive in their attitudes and practice towards people with convictions.
-
- 2 -Collaboration
We treat every client and colleague, and people we come into contact with outside our organisation, with respect and we value their contributions and experience. We know that working in partnership with others will help us to get the best outcomes for women with convictions, and that we are only one part of the jigsaw puzzle.
-
- 3 -Growth
We see every woman with a conviction for how bright her future can be, and not for her past. As an organisation, we are constantly growing our knowledge and expertise, and as individuals we are always learning.
-
- 4 -Lived experience at our heart
We want to be representative of the people we are here for, so we prioritise lived experience when we recruit for new colleagues, and we ensure it’s well represented on our trustee board. Our lived experience advisory panel guides our work. Our service and our influencing work are continuously reviewed to ensure that they reflect the needs and perspectives of women who have experienced the justice system first-hand.
Our history
Working Chance was founded by Jocelyn Hillman in 2009, inspired by overlooked potential of the women she had met in women's prisons. She saw that many women were unfairly stigmatised after their release from prison and consequently were at high risk of reoffending. Jocelyn set out to change this and started cold-calling businesses to try to persuade them to consider hiring women with convictions. Since then, Working Chance has grown into a unique, award-winning charity. After ten years at the helm, Jocelyn stepped down as chief executive in April 2019 and passed the leadership baton to Natasha Finlayson.
Above and Beyond
In September 2023, we began delivery of our new strategy, which is our most ambitious yet. As an organisation, and as individuals, we are committed to going above and beyond to create a fairer society for women who have been criminalised.
-
- 1 -The need
Having a conviction is likely to affect someone's chances of getting a job. Add to that the struggles with trauma, self-worth and confidence that many women with convictions contend with, and it's easy to see why a charity like Working Chance is vital. Our strategy speaks to our deep commitment to righting inequalities, highlighting systemic failings and challenging outdated attitudes.
-
- 2 -
Our strategic ambitions
Our three strategic ambitions help focus our efforts and resources on the areas where we can make the most difference. These are: running a high-quality employability service; working with employers to shift attitudes and improve hiring practices; and using our influence to create policy and social change.
-
- 3 -
How we'll do it
Our success in delivering this strategy will depend on five key themes which form the foundation of our organisation: our people; equity, diversity and inclusion; insights and evaluation; financial sustainability and environmental sustainability.
We need you
We rely on your donations to support women who need a fresh start. Please give whatever you can, big or small, so that we can help more women turn their lives around.