Shannon Trust, the charity supporting people in prison to learn to read and improve their numeracy, is proud to announce a new service providing literacy support to people on probation in Lincolnshire and Leicestershire.
This service uses Shannon Trust’s Turning Pages Digital phonics-based programme to improve reading skills. Learners will be able to complete the programme via self-study or support from a trusted person.
To support the rollout of this service, Shannon Trust has recruited two part-time probation facilitators, which are newly funded roles. These facilitators will lead on raising awareness of Shannon Trust programmes and provide ongoing support to probation staff to ensure referrals are processed effectively.
This initiative builds on the success of a pilot partnership in 2024 with Hertfordshire Probation and Hertfordshire County Council, which also supported people on probation to learn to read using Shannon Trust’s Turning Pages Digital programme.
Aisling Ruff, Regional Manager at Shannon Trust, explained that feedback from the Hertfordshire pilot highlighted the need for dedicated Shannon Trust resource working in closer collaboration with probation offices for future projects. Following this, Shannon Trust has been awarded a contract by East Midlands Probation Service, another high-need area.
“Over two-thirds of people in prison can’t read or struggle to. Providing pathways for people to continue this learning outside of prison is important for long-term positive impact, supporting rehabilitation and reducing reoffending. Our Hertfordshire pilot saw nearly 100 learning sessions completed, and we’re excited to build on this success using our Turning Pages Digital programme with other probation services.”
Shannon Trust will work with pre-release teams in prisons, to ensure those who would benefit from reading support can be identified and offered help on leaving prison. The programme isn’t just for prison leavers though. Anyone on probation can be referred for reading help by speaking with their probation officer.
Matt Peach, Commissioning and Partnership Manager, East Midlands Probation Service said: “Looking at regional data for the East Midlands, we identified a significant level of need around literacy skills. Of note are Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR), and East and West Lincolnshire, with 19% and 17% of the caseload respectively requiring additional support in this area.
“As an intervention, we are pleased to commission Shannon Trust to support people across the East Midlands. We are excited about the implementation of Turning Pages, which has been delivered in prisons across the country using a peer mentoring model focused on a one-to-one relationship, using the building blocks of phonics to assist and improve reading.”
This new service will also utilise Shannon Trust’s existing partnership with Ingeus, delivering Turning Pages Digital within CFO Activity Hubs across the East Midlands to support referrals and learning activity. Existing Shannon Trust mentors on probation in the region will also help to raise awareness and generate referrals.
.avif)