CHIP and Bounce Back started working together in early 2023, when CHIP was looking for organisations which we could sponsor to support disadvantaged individuals back into work.  After seeing the successes that Bounce Back achieves with their participants, we were really keen to partner up with them to help to improve the lives of individuals leaving prison, creating better and sustainable opportunities to help rebuild their lives. 

Bounce Back started their work by setting up a social enterprise that focused on painting and decorating. This has expanded over the years where training is offered in a wide range of additional areas. One of the main causes of reoffending is a limitation to paid employment; Bounce Back works with offenders in prison and then upon release to close this gap, offering employers skilled trades people with an ambition to succeed.

With funding from CHIP, Bounce Back’s training team developed and introduced bespoke courses utilising the City & Guilds assured recognition programme. Assured accreditations offer learners digital credentials upon completion of their courses, giving them a way to affirm the skills they’ve acquired to employers.

They have successfully delivered the following courses across HMP’s Brixton, Isis and Pentonville to 38 people:

• Decorating a room by sequence – a one week course focused on teaching participants how to paint a room efficiently and professionally.
• Colour theory – a week long course which teaches colour theory and how it can be applied to helping clients choose colour schemes.
• Entry to the self-employment market – a two day course giving participants skills they will need to be self-employed, such as market research and developing a business plan.
• Power-Up – a one-day course (subject to prison regime) designed to help participants due for release to understand their responsibilities, expectations whilst on probation and how write a disclosure plan so they can move forward. This course is designed to help learners to handle some of the challenges they will face upon leaving prison.

“I thoroughly enjoyed being able to express my individuality on this course. I expect all of this knowledge to be helpful in the future. I am delighted to be gaining a City & Guilds digital badge in this”

“I liked the tutors. They were very helpful, and their teaching style made it very easy to learn and understand what to do. I liked learning about how colours work and how certain colours go together to give a room a certain mood that I want to feel”

Testimonials from learners at HMPs Brixton and Pentonville.