In the midst of a storm of overlapping crises - overcrowded prisons, the growing skills gap in the construction industry, and the UK's persistent housing shortage - the Prisoners Building Homes Programme provides an innovative solution that can achieve a "triple win" scenario.
Upon being appointed as the new Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, Lord James Timpson announced plans to release record numbers of prisoners before the end of their sentences to mitigate the pressing prison overcrowding issue. This plan hinges on the ability to rehabilitate and equip prisoners with the necessary skills and employment opportunities to reintegrate back into society, as individuals with a criminal conviction often struggle to secure a job due to a lack of qualifications and (undeniable) social and economic stigma. On the other hand, the construction industry continues to face a persistent skills gap following the mass-departure of skilled EU workers in the aftermath of Brexit. With a large portion of the skilled workforce approaching retirement age, the 2024 Construction Industry Training Board's annual industry forecast reports that an equivalent of more than 251,500 additional construction workers are needed by 2028 to meet the forecasted demand, which is made worse by the UK's consistent housing crisis.
Offering some light at the end of the tunnel, the Prisoners Building Homes Programme, a national housing delivery programme led by South West Police and Crime Commissioners and funded by One Public Estate (in partnership between the Local Government Association, Office of Government Property within the Cabinet Office and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government), was set up to train and employ prisoners by modular housing providers to build high-quality, low-carbon, modular homes through day release and post-release opportunities. The programme not only provides prisoners and ex-offenders meaningful and productive work that gives back to local communities, but also enables public sector organisations to access under-used land to deliver affordable homes. The programme has won the National Government Property Award in 2023, for its innovative and collaborative solution in bringing together public and private sector partners (such as landowners) towards the delivery of sustainable homes whilst reducing the cycle of reoffending. The programme is currently delivering 82 homes across 14 sites, and is actively seeking new sites to expand their portfolio.
Ex-offender recruitment programmes have long been adopted by companies in the UK outside of the construction industry, such as Tesco, Greggs and Timpson, which have proven that ex-offenders are valuable employees that contribute to a more diverse and inclusive work environment. According to Lord James Timpson, ex-offenders often exhibit valued qualities, such as loyalty, resilience, and determination, that are key to the workforce. For the construction industry, such programmes would allow companies to train up a pool of motivated workers and address the on-going shortage of skilled labour. As these programmes gain traction, the construction industry is growing more aware of the benefits of hiring ex-offenders and training prisoners, to not only bridge the skills gap, but to comply with social value requirements to make more competitive tenders.
There has been increasing focus within the industry to deliver social value and commit to ESG targets, especially following the launch of the Construction Playbook, which now requires central government tenders to dedicate a minimum of 10% of their evaluation criteria to social value initiatives. Construction companies have since adopted various initiatives to make recruitment more accessible for people with a criminal conviction, and in doing so, they are able to reach a wider pool of talent and increase their inclusivity. Notable examples include Wates and One Way's Brighter Pathways programme, which is dedicated to supporting offenders in finding and retaining employment during the last 18 months of their sentence, and the Willmott Dixon Building Lives Drylining Academy, which helps prisoners develop their drylining skills and provides them with Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) training, with hopes of equipping them with the necessary skills to integrate within the construction industry, and crucially society as a whole, upon their release.
For the construction industry, it has never been more important for providers to adopt a best value – rather than a lowest cost – approach to delivery and social value is a key driver for that. The integration of ex-offenders into the construction workforce through programmes such as the Prisoners Building Homes Programme is one of the many impactful ways the industry is demonstrating that. By offering a unique solution that addresses the convergence of the UK's housing, prison and employment crises, the industry opens doors towards the realisation of how social value can intersect with tangible business outcomes, in this case, by reducing reoffending rates and increasing inclusion, whilst addressing critical labour shortages and assisting providers with meeting delivery targets.
