Fresh Start

Fresh Start are a service that specifically support individuals who have been through the criminal justice system, we work with prisoners on release from custody, who are in open prisons and people who have been given community orders. We are ultimately a mentoring and advocacy service, so we will assess, and create a bespoke care plan based on the areas that could be potential triggers to re-offending, so we will carry out the link work, support with appointments. We have direct referral routes for further training, we offer a range of workshops aimed at changing of mindsets, being more self-aware. We offer employability workshops.

We currently are running a Housing advocacy project, with Independent living skills workshops.

All of our staff have lived experience of the criminal justice system, whilst also having lived experience of the issues many of our client’s face. For example, poor mental health, homelessness, drug and alcohol issues and living in the care system. We feel that this lived experience enables us to create a truly empathetic service and drives us to support our clients.

This lived experience comes from our trustees, the senior staff members and also volunteers. We are a service that is built on lived experience and we always encourage our clients to work towards becoming peer mentors once they have gone through our support.

This ‘lived experience’ shapes our service and the way we deliver services to the individuals we support.

It is this that enables us to truly understand the barriers individuals face on release from custody.