Co-creating value: Through the gate and beyond

Under the government’s “Transforming Rehabilitation – A Strategy for Reform” the work of the probation service moves into private organisational hands with the aim of providing more scope for innovation. This project asks not what service can be provided; rather, what value and services can ex-offenders offer and create themselves? The project draws on the salutogenic model of the relationship between humans and coping to examine how ex-offenders achieve better outcomes through use of their own resource. Work informs value co-creation and business model theory in the context of ex-offenders and support organisations. Research seeks to extend beyond the government’s stated goals and identify organisations that support ex-offenders and self-funding services operated primarily by ex-offenders. Work captured detail of organisations including: Delancey Street Foundation (USA); EMMAUS (Bristol); Greggs the Baker; Timpson’s; and Network Rail. Case studies provide detail of how organisations support, develop and value ex-offender capabilities. Work linking offender assets and viable business models indicate potential areas for innovative service offers that can be adopted by many firms. We hope that this work may encourage organisations to work with ex-offenders and perhaps inspire and support the establishment of a Delancey Street organisation within the UK.