Background.

Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) are a successful community initiative proven to reduce sexual offending. A Circle is a group of 3-5 volunteers from a local community who meet regularly, as a group, with an individual who has committed a sexual offence to offer social, practical and emotional support, in addition to monitoring and supervision. The volunteers create the Circle of Support around the individual and hold the individual accountable for their offending, helping them to recognise risky thoughts or behaviours and take responsibility for the on-going management of their risk in the community.

Circles aim to (i) protect society from sexual crime (ii) prevent further victims of sexual abuse and (iii) rehabilitate individuals who have committed sexual crime.

The Role:

We are recruiting Circles’ volunteers across Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire to work with adults and young people convicted of sexual offences. Circles' Volunteers are from all walks of life and all ages. They are emotionally stable and approachable people who have a mature outlook. They combine an empathic approach with the ability to maintain firm boundaries. The Safer Living Foundation has three types of Circle Projects that Volunteers are needed for:
1. Prison Circles of Support and Accountability
The prison model typically starts 3 months prior to an individual’s release from HMP Whatton and continues for approximately 18 months in the community after their release. Volunteers meet each week in the prison for approximately 2 hours. Once the individuals moves into the community the volunteers will meet weekly in the community.
2. Community Circles of Support and Accountability
The community model typically starts once an individual is in the community. Volunteers will again meet weekly with the individual in the community for a couple of hours a week.
3. Young People’s Circles of Support and Accountability
This involves delivering a Circle for a young person with problematic sexual behaviour. Volunteers will be expected to work creatively with these young people to build on their strengths, interests and hobbies. Each Circle will last between 12 to 18 months and the commitment is again about 2 hours per week.