Key metrics
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social value delivered per month
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prisoners supported
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purposeful hours per month
Overview
At HMP Ranby, Amey’s Clean, Rehabilitative, Enabling and Decent programme demonstrates how purposeful prisoner employment can deliver operational value while supporting rehabilitation.
Working alongside the prison leadership team, the programme helps meet key Ministry of Justice and His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service priorities, including purposeful activity, reducing reoffending, maintaining safe and decent prisons, and delivering value for money.
Prisoners are embedded into supervised operational roles alongside Amey teams, gaining hands-on, practical and transferable skills while making a visible contribution to the day-to-day running of the prison. This includes refurbishment and repairs, painting and decorating, stores operations and grounds maintenance.
Through close collaboration with the prison leadership team, the programme improves the prison environment, supports rehabilitation outcomes and provides a more efficient, cost-effective solution for the Ministry of Justice by reducing the need for external contractors.
At a glance
- The CRED programme at HMP Ranby demonstrates how purposeful prisoner employment can advance rehabilitation outcomes, improve estate conditions and strengthen operational delivery.
- The programme helps meet key Governor priorities, including purposeful activity, decent living conditions and safer day-to-day operations.
- By embedding prisoners into supervised operational roles, CRED creates a scalable model for skills development that also delivers visible estate improvements.
Balancing rehabilitation, prison decency and operational pressures
Prison governance is a complex responsibility, with Governors overseeing all aspects of prison life, from security and safety to rehabilitation and prisoner welfare. Purposeful activity, reducing reoffending, maintaining decent living conditions and efficient use of resources are all key performance indicators that prison Governors need to factor into the day-to-day running of the prison.
The need to maintain safety and security can sometimes restrict opportunities for prisoners to engage in meaningful work or training, while operational demands and unexpected incidents can disrupt carefully planned routines. Balancing decent conditions, rehabilitation activity and efficient operations means Governors are constantly seeking innovative ways to meet their targets and improve prison life.
At HMP Ranby, there was a clear need to expand the hours dedicated to purposeful activity while creating employment opportunities focused on skills development. These priorities had to be delivered within budget and without compromising safety, security or day-to-day prison operations.
Delivering CRED through partnership and operational leadership
Through our facilities management contract, we are well placed to deliver meaningful work experience that improves employability skills. Working in partnership with the Ministry of Justice, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service and Governors, we developed the Clean, Rehabilitative, Enabling and Decent programme to take a proactive approach to supporting rehabilitation through prisoner engagement.
At HMP Ranby, delivery has been strengthened by strong operational coordination and daily engagement with the prison leadership team. Morning briefings and regular operational meetings give the site team real-time visibility of incidents, operational changes and wider prison priorities. This allows resources to be deployed quickly where they are most needed, supporting both short-term operational pressures and longer-term strategic objectives.
Prisoners are embedded into essential activities alongside Amey teams, allowing them to develop hands-on, practical and transferable skills while making a visible contribution to the day-to-day running of the prison. The team has developed structured roles across:
- Refurbishment and repairs
- Painting and decorating
- Stores operations
- Grounds maintenance
The grounds function supports up to ten prisoners across two Amey-led gardening teams, alongside a dedicated painter and refurbishment parties led by experienced supervisors, including former prison officers. The programme provides:
- Up to 10 prisoners across two gardening teams
- Dedicated painting roles
- Refurbishment parties led by experienced supervisors
- Around 20 to 22 purposeful activity spaces per session
Opportunities are promoted clearly on the wings, with staff aware of prisoner interest and upcoming vacancies. The team operates with a service-led mindset, providing flexible capacity that can be adapted to operational need while maintaining consistent supervision and standards.
Close working with the Education department supports effective onboarding and risk assessment for prisoners working across the site. Time is taken to build trust and understanding before individuals move into roles, with regular dialogue between supervisors, education staff and prison leads helping to ensure placements remain safe, appropriate and beneficial.
Delivering operational, financial and rehabilitative outcomes
The CRED programme has created a sustainable model that combines skills development, rehabilitation and operational delivery. By integrating prisoners into supervised work activities, HMP Ranby has increased opportunities for purposeful activity while generating visible improvements across the prison estate. The approach supports personal development, strengthens positive behaviours and creates a greater sense of ownership and pride in the prison environment.
Key outcomes include:
- £188,053.84 social value generated every month.
- 22 prisoners supported through structured work opportunities.
- 2,640 purposeful activity hours delivered each month.
- Around 20–22 purposeful activity spaces available during each session.
- Improvements to the prison estate through refurbishment work, decorating, repairs and grounds maintenance.
- Reduced reliance on external contractors, helping deliver better value for money for the Ministry of Justice.
The THRIVE social value figure demonstrates the financial benefit created through the model by measuring the costs that would otherwise be incurred if external contractors were required to undertake the work being delivered through supervised prisoner-supported teams. In addition to financial benefits, the programme contributes to cleaner, safer and more decent prison conditions while helping prisoners develop practical workplace skills that support their future prospects.
The success of the model is built on strong relationships, open communication and a shared commitment to delivering positive outcomes for prisoners, the prison and the wider justice system. HMP Ranby now provides a blueprint for how CRED can be delivered at scale while supporting both operational resilience and long-term rehabilitative outcomes.
Testimonial
“Purposeful activity spaces are always vital for us, and across the different CRED functions it gives us around 20 spaces each session which is fantastic. There are lots of examples of their work around the prison where they have managed to improve the environment, from the huge task of lawnmowing the site, to updating the painting in various areas, to the repairs and refurb work that the prisoners do. It makes a real difference to the environment whilst at the same time teaching prisoners’ new skills.”