Are you passionate about Criminal Justice, fairness, and reintegration? Circles South East, an award-winning charity, has an incredible opportunity for you! Our mission is to achieve 'No more victims' by supporting individuals who have committed sexual offences and reducing sexually harmful behaviours.
We're currently searching for volunteers in your area to form a 'Circle of Support and Accountability' around an individual who has been convicted of sexual harm. By joining our team, you'll play a vital role in making a lasting impact on society.
What's in it for you?
✅ Extensive Training: Gain valuable knowledge and skills through our 16-hour training program, equipping you to make a real difference in people's lives.
✅ Ongoing Support: You won't be alone on this journey. We provide continuous supervision, ensuring you feel confident and supported every step of the way.
✅ Flexible Commitment: Volunteering typically involves one session at 1-2 hours per week, including travel. We understand that your time is valuable, and we'll work with your schedule to make it convenient for you.
✅ Fulfilment and Impact: By actively contributing to rehabilitation and reintegration, you'll directly reduce the impact of sexually harmful behaviours on potential victims, creating a safer and more compassionate community.
To be a Circles South East volunteer, you need to be 18 or over and committed to a minimum of 1 year to 18 months. We'll cover the cost of a DBS Check for you if you don't have one.
If you have a passion for crime, criminal justice, rehabilitation, or supporting ex-offenders, this is the perfect opportunity to contribute to positive change.
What skills do I need?
You must be 18 or over, due to the environment in which you will be working
You will need to commit to a minimum of 12-18 months, this is to ensure continuation of support within the circle.
Happy to undertake an enhanced DBS check. (A conviction does not necessarily exclude volunteers but it is recommended you discuss this with a coordinator prior to training).
We also have a number of criteria which we would see as desirable for a Circles volunteer:
- The ability to be empathic
- A belief in Restorative Justice
- Able to separate an individual from their behaviour
- Good communication skills
- Reliability
- A degree of analytical thinking and problem-solving
- Able to manage emotions appropriately, behave appropriately and maintain personal boundaries
- Remain non-judgemental where appropriate
- Be respectful and constructive
- Able to work as part of a team and using own initiative
- Happy to accept guidance and support from Circles staff
About Circles South East
The vision of Circles is ‘no more victims’, our aim is to substantially reduce the risk of future sexual abuse by assisting and supporting offenders who are committed to not re-offending.
Our ‘Circles’ help make communities safer by assisting those who engage in harmful sexual behaviour, and are at risk of doing so again, to self-manage thoughts and behaviours, reintegrate safely into the community and lead responsible lives.
The Circles model is a community-based approach which utilises local Volunteers to both support and hold accountable sexual harm causers. Each Circle comprises of professionally trained and supervised Volunteers and a ‘Core Member’ (the perpetrator) whose involvement is voluntary. Traditionally, Circles work with high risk, contact abusers over a period of 12-18 months. More recently the approach has also been adapted for those with intellectual disabilities and young people.
Our goal is to substantially reduce the risk of future sexual abuse by assisting and supporting offenders who are committed to not re-offending.
Our volunteers assist them in the task of integrating with the community and leading responsible, productive and accountable lives.
We train and supervise our volunteers to work in the community working in a group with 3 or 4 other volunteers who form a 'Circle' of support for up to 18 months
Although Circles South East is an independent charity, we work very closely with professionals from the statutory agencies who attend our Circle review sessions
We are looking for empathic, non-judgemental individuals from all walks of life, who have an interest in community safety, and who are reliable, committed, can communicate effectively and who have an awareness of firm personal boundaries
We are dedicated to promoting diversity and welcome application from across the spectrum of our community
In this role you can expect the following:
16 hours FREE initial training on working with those who have committed harmful sexual behaviour, motivational interviewing techniques, understanding offending behaviour, safeguarding and much more
A unique volunteering opportunity which is both challenging and rewarding; serving both the needs of the person who has committed an offence, and community safety
Invaluable experience for those looking for a career in criminal justice and an interesting addition to any CV
DBS Check for all volunteers
Post Training Interview
Paid expenses
Ongoing supervision
When do I need to be available?
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Details
We will need each volunteer to be available for 1-2 hours, one day per week, each week, for roughly 12 to 18 months. This time and day can be agreed between the coordinator and each of the volunteers within the Circle, to make it suitable for all involved.
Where does this role take place?
