Working as part of the Manchester Integrated Offender Management Team since 2013, CLI have proudly evidenced how effective mentoring can sit alongside and complement enforcement led partners. Manchester Integrated Offender Management is delivered in partnership with Greater Manchester Police, National Probation Service, Cheshire and Greater Manchester Community Rehabilitation Company and the Manchester City Council Community Safety Partnership. Those individuals we mentor need intensive supervision by Police and Probation and have complex needs.  Together we can provide the support to those people who have reached a point of change in their life whilst making sure our communities remain safe.

Long term, quality, collaborative relationships coupled with a belief in people’s ability to change, when given the opportunity and support to do so, is the key to success of this IOM project.  An independent evaluation by the Manchester Metropolitan University demonstrates how the CLI approach works in action:

As part of the Big Lottery Fulfilling Lives Project, this is an 8 year project to develop innovative ways of working with people with multiple complex needs.  CLI provide the peer mentoring part of this service. We train volunteers with lived experience and support them to use their experience to effectively help others and gain experience to move into paid employment.  Co-production is key to Inspiring Change Manchester and CLI are fully involved in lived experience informing innovative change to services. This project is led by Shelter and CLI work alongside Back on Track and Self Help Services.

CLI runs the SAMAS (Support, Advice, Mentoring and Advocacy Service) in Bedford and Central Bedfordshire and this has been expanded and extended due to its effectiveness and potential.  CLI are building a recovery community to sustain long term change for individuals and enable these individuals to influence systems change in the way addiction is understood, treated and recovery support by wider services.  It is everything we value; one to one relationships, group support, community building, co-production and systems change.

CLI provide one to one mentoring to people being supervised by the National Probation Service who want to make changes and would benefit from practical and emotional support to achieve this.  This is complex work, as those supervised by the NPS have committed serious violent or sexual offences. Our considerable experience enables us to work closely with Probation Officers to provide support in the community, helping people practically and emotionally reintegrate into society and feel part of their community.