Stigma
A new campaign is
tackling stigma head on,
says Asi Panditharatna
‘We believe everyone has
the ability to turn their life
around, if given the chance.’
More than my
More Than My Past is a national campaign, launched by The Forward Trust, to
challenge the stigma that prevents people with difficult pasts reaching their full
potential. It shows that ex-offenders and people in recovery from addiction not
only want to change and succeed – they can and do.
The campaign website and social media share stories of people from all walks
of life who have successfully confronted their problems and moved on to prosper in
their personal and professional lives. Through sharing personal accounts of
overcoming addiction and offending, they are calling on the government,
employers and general public to share a belief in people’s capacity for recovery and
rehabilitation. They want us to celebrate their stories of achievement over adversity
while taking action to support this agenda.
Forward are also supported in the campaign by a number of employers who
believe in giving people another chance as a potential new pool of talent in these
challenging times.
A HIDDEN WORKFORCE
The campaign aims to demonstrate to employers that individuals who have
successfully recovered from addiction or who are rehabilitated ex-offenders are a
worthy investment, if given the opportunity to prove themselves. Among the key
facts it has highlighted:
• Ex-offenders and people in recovery are the two groups that organisations are
least likely to employ; one in four people in recovery have been turned down
for jobs three times or more when disclosing their past (Bridging the gaps, The
Forward Trust, 2017).
• Seventy-five per cent of prisoners have no job on release even though having a
job is the single biggest factor in reducing re-offending; 15 per cent of prisoners
have never worked legally, and 47 per cent of prisoners have no qualifications.
• Those in recovery from addiction who are employed are 22 per cent more
likely to be abstinent than those who are not, and having a job more than
doubles the length of abstinence.
6 | drinkanddrugsnews | October 2019
Meanwhile, with Brexit looming, evidence shows
that employers may need to seek out new pools of
talent to be able to meet their requirements.
According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel
and Development (CIPD), 70 per cent of employers
with vacancies said that at least some of those were
proving hard to fill in autumn 2018, compared to 51
per cent in spring 2017.
Some employers are already embracing the
opportunity to work with this group of people, and
know how rewarding it can be for both the business
and the individuals. Catering company and food
retailer Cook, leading retail service provider Timpson
and transport social enterprise HCT Group are
among those backing this new campaign.
‘HCT Group believes that someone’s history
shouldn’t define them,’ said Dai Powell, HCT Group’s
chief executive. ‘We’re proud to support the More
Than My Past campaign as we believe in the potential
of people whose past may not have been perfect. So
many individuals still face too many barriers to
employment due to a criminal past. But if they are
given a chance they can – and do – turn their lives
around to become valuable members of society.’
Asi Panditharatna is divisional director of
employment services
‘Some
employers
are already
embracing the
opportunity to
work with this
group of
people and
know how
rewarding
it can be...’
See the transformational change that ex-offenders and people in recovery can achieve
at www.morethanmypast.org.uk and by joining the conversation on social media:
MTMPStories
@morethanmypast
morethanmypast_stories
www.drinkanddrugsnews.com