Second chances after a conviction
Dainya ended up with a criminal conviction and a 3.5 year custodial sentence when she was only 19 years old. Today, she says she can see that, like so many other young people, she ended up in that position through peer pressure and being loyal to people she thought were her friends.
She was released early, but years later, , as a mother of young children, her criminal record was preventing her from finding work until a friend suggested she check out Working Chance, an employment charity for women with convictions.
New beginnings with Thames Water
She’s now working for Thames Water – a member of the London Anchor Institutions’ Network – after her Working Chance employment adviser Alex got in touch with Employment and Skills Partner, Leigh Maxfield at Thames Water.
“The moment I met her, I knew she was a Thames Water person” says Leigh. “We’ve got a certain mindset and can-do attitude that we’re looking for.”
Leigh was determined to find a role for Dainya at Thames Water, taking all of her requirements into consideration including the hours she could work and her location. In line with the commitment in Thames Water’s Skills Strategy to work with their supply chain on the development of skills, he reached out and spoke to one of Thames Water’s supply chain partners, based in the town where Dainya lives.
Dainya felt a bit overwhelmed that her new employer “went up and above and beyond and round the corner round the roundabouts down the tunnel and back up for me”. But she also says she felt proud of herself and continues, “sometimes maybe it’s just how you are as an individual, not necessarily the skills they require, for people to like something about you - it could be your characteristics, your persona. I felt…loved. I felt appreciated and I felt the drive…maybe that’s what they saw in me, the determination”.
Her new employers know that as Dainya’s kids get older and her circumstances change she’ll be able to take on more hours and responsibilities, laying out a whole career path ahead of her and giving her the time and space to grow into the role.
It’s a win-win for everyone – Thames Water get a fantastic new team member who is dedicated, driven and there for the long haul, and Dainya gets a job with prospects that fits in with her schedule and gives her a real opportunity to transform life for herself and her kids.
Thames Water’s way of thinking
Leigh is a passionate advocate for recruiting people with convictions. He says that although he personally believes people with convictions deserve the chance to rebuild their lives, the reasons to embrace inclusive recruitment at Thames Water aren’t for corporate social responsibility or ‘fluffy feel-good reasons’.
“Thames Water knows it needs different skills to fill gaps in its workforce and there’s a lot of people in our community with convictions. People with convictions have got a lot to offer and we know they’ll stay with us for a lot longer than others might. As a business, we can’t afford to ignore that talent pool.
We need to become more inclusive employers so that people with convictions can access great opportunities at Thames Water, and Thames Water can access amazing people with diverse skillsets.”
Thames Water also expects its supply chain to lead by example and adopt the same inclusive recruitment practices when it comes to recruitment and training, offering employment opportunities to the formerly disadvantaged.