Opportunities for prison leavers with Corporate Services and Starting Fresh

Sodexo UK and Ireland has launched Starting Fresh to not only advocate for recruiting ex-offenders, but to provide practical guidance for organisations on how to do so proactively. Tracy Stanton, an Account Manager in Sodexo’s Corporate Services business, exemplifies the transformative impact of the Starting Fresh programme through her engagement with HMP Bronzefield. 

This case study explores how a prison visit is paving the way for potential employment opportunities for prison leavers, including a role as head chef.

Tracy, who works across numerous contracts in the UK for Sodexo’s Corporate Services business, became aware of Starting Fresh following a presentation at a Corporate Services Townhall meeting. It was then discussed further in one of her team meetings. 

Intrigued to find out more, Chris Cleaver, a GSM in Tracy’s business arranged for the HMP Bronzefield Prison Employment Lead, Katie Legge, to present to the management team with a view to working collaboratively on the opportunities for employing people with criminal convictions. 

This presentation sparked the interest of the Corporate Services team and 12 people managers from different Sodexo sites visited HMP Bronzefield during November 2023. 

Following the visit, Tracy said: “The prison wasn’t at all what we expected. The training facilities were far better than we’d imagined, with great learning programmes and fantastic opportunities for prisoners. It was a great opportunity to engage with the prisoners and understand how the Starting Fresh programme can change lives" 

This newfound awareness initiated ongoing discussions within the Sodexo Corporate Services business regarding potential employment opportunities. The team has also been in contact with their clients to discuss Starting Fresh and, where the client is on board, they are looking to employ people from the prison into their vacancies. 

Notably, a former HMP Bronzefield prisoner currently works as a head chef within Sodexo’s Corporate Services business. She came on the visit to the prison and gave an inspirational talk to potential women who could also be employed by Sodexo. 

Whether you want to visit a prison to see the skills training in action, organise an employer day to recruit a number of people, or just have questions - find out more on the Starting Fresh page.