A new training academy at HM Prison Wealstun (HMP Wealstun) in Yorkshire aims to rehabilitate offenders by offering a route to sustainable employment in the cleaning sector.
Commissioned for the UK Ministry of Justice’s HMP Academies Programme—a network of spaces within prisons where employers provide specialist or vocational training to prisoners, aiming to improve their employment prospects upon release—the academy is being managed by UK soft services provider SBFM, which tendered successfully for the three-year contract with an option to extend by a further two years in in 2023.
Following a comprehensive onboarding process, SBFM will train nine cohorts annually through the academy.
This workshop represents a significant milestone in our commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for those in need of a second chance.
The company was responsible for designing and fitting out an interactive workshop at the Category C prison which accommodates male prisoners. Features include a mock-up of multiple specialised spaces including a bathroom facility, hotel room, warehouse, corporate environment, retail area and a cinema space. Each environment is decorated to replicate real in-work locations with flooring that includes carpets and hard and shiny surfaces, designed to support hands-on learning.
Working closely with HMP Wealstun and The British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc), SBFM developed a two-week training programme for prisoners who are within three months of their release. As an accredited BICSc provider, SBFM ensures all participants can earn industry-recognised qualifications before release.
Beyond technical cleaning skills, the programme supports recruits with literacy, numeracy and developing communication skills which are tailored to their individual starting levels. The academy also incorporates practical job-seeking elements, including CV writing sessions and interview technique building.
After each course, SBFM will open up employment opportunities and the recruitment team will conduct formal interviews, all successful candidates will be offered employment opportunities. SBFM has an agreed-upon target to employ 30 per cent of trainees over the next three years.
SBFM founder Colin Shute tells FM Magazine: “This workshop represents a significant milestone in our commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for those in need of a second chance. By expanding our Evolve scheme through this partnership with HMP Wealstun, we’re not just teaching cleaning skills – we’re rebuilding lives and contributing to safer communities through reduced reoffending rates.”
The facility services provider and Wealstun have previously offered ex-offenders employment under SBFM’s ‘Evolve’ programme which offers sustainable employment to disadvantaged members of society.
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