For the last year, Spark Inside have been proud to partner with Prison Reform Trust (PRT) on its Next Generation Leaders (Next Gen) programme, offering coaching to aspiring prison leaders aiming to push forward reform and improve outcomes for people in custody.
PRT have now published a review of Next Gen, which brings together senior prison staff – primarily deputy governors – into a growing network committed to driving change from inside the system.
We share PRT’s view that ‘prison practitioners are not only subject to reform but uniquely positioned to lead it’ and that alongside national policy change, ‘lasting reform is also shaped by the everyday decisions, relationships, and values of those working inside prisons.’
This is why we began coaching prison staff in 2020, rooted in our belief that meaningful rehabilitation for individuals can only succeed hand in hand with institutional changes in prison culture.
All 19 Next Gen participants were offered one-to-one coaching from a dedicated Spark Inside coach, available throughout the length of the programme, with the majority accessing this support.
These sessions offered space for participants to discuss challenges, develop leadership skills, and feel supported in their personal wellbeing.
PRT’s review highlights that “Leaders indicated that Spark Inside provided a vital bridge for transferring their learning from inspirational leaders outside prison, to specific problems they were encountering inside prison.
Spark Inside’s familiarity with the system aided this transfer, and regular sessions with coaches helped the momentum of Next Gen to carry on into the project phase.
Spark Inside also offered additional content, tools and space for self-reflection that those who took up the coaching appreciated.”
Participants have also shared immensely positive feedback direct to their coaches, with one saying:
“My coach has been amazing. I have found every session to have added value to both my personal and professional development whilst enabling me to create a toolkit of skills to refer to and reflect on regularly.
I have embedded a better work life balance whilst addressing both home life and work life stresses that I’d previously left unresolved. My wellbeing has improved as a result of developing strategies to deal with the complexities and dynamic nature of my current role.
My leadership has improved through developing new techniques to generate a culture of accountability and self-reflection across my team.
I could not speak highly enough of my coach or coaching in general. I will certainly be encouraging fellow Governors to explore opportunities as I progress throughout my career.”
On our partnership, Pia Sinha, CEO of Prison Reform Trust said:
“Many of us have attended leadership programmes featuring inspiring sessions, but where the learning dissipates as soon as we get back to the day job.
The offer of one-to-one coaching through Spark Inside allowed our Next Gen leaders to build, generalise and crucially apply learning inside their prisons.
The feedback from participants speaks for itself. We are incredibly proud to have partnered with Spark Inside and look forward to continuing this for our next cohort too.”
Read the full review from the Prison Reform Trust here.
Find out more about our coaching for prison staff.
