When prisons entered lockdown, our incredible life coaches began coaching prison officers, offering dedicated and structured time to reflect, set goals on how to best support the young people in their care, and enable the prison staff to develop personally and professionally.
As a specific response to the impact of Covid-19 on those living and working in prison, this initiative has seen over twenty prison staff receive coaching, totaling over 100 hours.
When asked what was good about the coaching they had received, one person said:
“The way I got to know myself, discovered what I want and what I can do to achieve it. I also like the openness of my life coach, who did not stick to a strict pattern and always allowed me to talk about what bothers me – this aspect was amazing for me during shielding!”
Prison staff are the only human contact the young people in prison will have during lockdown, as their visits from friends and family stopped. We’ve been encouraged that staff have felt the impact of the coaching on how they interact with the young people. One participant said:
“I took a step back to understand how I can be perceived if I listen and discuss instead of dictating.”
Another said:
“I feel that I was able to sit back and take a look at what was happening from an outside view and other people’s views also, I realised that listening and taking in what people say is also a very powerful way of helping people.”
When asked if they would recommend life coaching for people living and working in prison, we received a resounding “yes!”, with one person saying:
“Yes, especially if it could replace potentially damaging ways to relieve the stress of living within or working in a prison.”
We are proud to have helped prison staff – hidden heroes – during this incredibly difficult time, and we recognise the enormous effort made by those working in prisons to continue supporting the people in their care. You can read a blog from life coach Dorottya who wrote about her experience of coaching prison staff here.
