Episode Overview

Episode Title: Should you hire ex-offenders? Reed's report is here and the verdict is in!
Podcast: James Reed: All About Business
Host: James Reed CBE (Chairman and CEO, Reed Group)
Guest: Alex Head (Founder & CEO, Social Pantry)
Release Date: September 22, 2025

This lively episode dives deep into the question of hiring ex-offenders, examining the findings of Reed's 2025 Prison Leavers Report and drawing on the frontline experiences of Alex Head, whose company, Social Pantry, is recognized as the leading UK hospitality employer of prison leavers. Together, they discuss the societal importance, business impact, practical challenges, and rewards of giving people with convictions a second chance in the workforce.

Main Theme

Should Businesses Hire Ex-Offenders?

James and Alex explore changing employer attitudes toward hiring people with criminal convictions, the benefits of second chances, the barriers to employment, and actionable steps businesses can take to make a difference both socially and commercially.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Reed 2025 Prison Leavers Report — Alarming Trends

• Declining Willingness to Hire: Employer willingness to hire people with convictions has sharply declined since 2013.
  • Driving offences: down from 88% (2013) to 41% (2025).
  • Alcohol-related offences: 62% to 27%.
  • Criminal damage: 40% to 10%.
  • "One in five employers say they would not consider someone with a conviction at all." (James Reed, 01:55)
• Consequences: Not hiring ex-offenders leaves talent untapped and increases the chances of reoffending.

2. Social Pantry: Championing Prison Leaver Employment

• Alex’s Personal Story:
  • Grew up entrepreneurial after being expelled from school, started Social Pantry at 15–16 by delivering sandwiches.
  • "Naively at that point I thought, oh, what can be so hard about, you know, hospitality." (Alex Head, 03:03)
• Company Overview:
  • 85+ staff, multiple business arms including events, office catering, exclusive venues like Tower Bridge, Mansion House, and Old Bailey (judges’ dining room).
  • Social Pantry has been employing prison leavers for a decade, a unique aspect that attracts talent and clients.

3. How and Why Alex Started Hiring Prison Leavers

• Sparked by Charity Work:
  • Volunteered with Key for Life; mentored a young man in ISIS prison (GBH offence).
    • "On meeting Ruben, actually, that kind of dissipated. We chatted, we bonded over giving up smoking and, you know, a few little things..." (Alex Head, 06:51)
  • First hire came via charity connection and open discussion with her small team.
• Consulting the Team:
  • Key to success: "I got them all in a room and I said, hey guys, how do you feel about working alongside a prison leaver? And they were up for it." (Alex Head, 07:16)
  • Team buy-in seen as vital from the outset.

4. Practical Realities: Challenges and Successes

• Barriers for Ex-Offenders:
  • Housing: "If they haven't got anywhere to live, then it's really hard." (Alex Head, 17:14)
  • Logistics: Bank accounts, phones, commuting can be difficult after release.
  • Probation: Curfews and daytime meetings can clash with shifts but can be negotiated.
• Strategies for Employers:
  • Partner with charities (Key for Life, Switchback, Only A Pavement Away) to access support, guides, and a network.
  • Mentoring: "We give them a mentor in a different department so that they've just got a buddy in the business." (16:02)
  • Trial periods and 'charity places': Extra capacity is built in to absorb reliability risks: "At Social Pantry, we have our core rotor. And then, in addition, are the charity places." (Alex Head, 29:53)
  • Support over censure: If an ex-offender misses a shift, it's a "well done for coming back" approach, not blame: "Trying to kind of, you know, really ... give them a chance." (26:21)

5. Impact on Business & Team

• ESG and Winning Tenders:
  • Alex initially downplayed the prison-leaver USP but now foregrounds it. It helps win business, secure B Corp status, and align with sustainability and social values.
  • "It's helped you win business." (James Reed, 33:00)
• Team Culture:
  • All staff visit a prison within a year, deepening their empathy and engagement.
  • "If you join Social Pantry, you'll go and visit a prison within a year of being with us, and they find that really opening." (Alex Head, 33:23)
  • Calm, non-shouty kitchens foster trust and learning.

6. Misconceptions and Myths

• Trustworthiness & Commitment:
  • No notable conduct issues attributable to ex-offenders. Only one reoffender in a decade, for a minor driving offence.
    • "We’ve had a very high success rate stopping reoffending." (James Reed, 18:54)
  • Reed’s research shows ex-offenders are often more loyal and resilient employees.
  • "Giving them that trust rather than having to earn it has definitely worked for us." (Alex Head, 44:41)
• Offence Types & Safeguards:
  • Social Pantry does not employ those with sexual or arson offences due to personal and insurance reasons.
  • DBS checks used sensibly, not as blanket exclusion: "They should not be used as a pass/fail mechanism." (James Reed, 38:10)
• Disclosure:
  • The company only informs those who need to know; ex-offenders can choose whether to share their history with colleagues.

7. The Wider Picture & Sector Collaboration

• Local Focus:
  • Employment is most successful when prison leavers are local, aiding continuity with social services and probation.
  • Employing prison leavers is framed as a societal need, not just a business opportunity.
• Networking and Resources:
  • Alex is launching a networking group for businesses, charities, and HR teams to promote ex-offender employment.
  • "If we're all in it together and all trying, then we genuinely can have more impact." (Alex Head, 48:30)
  • Employment boards in prisons now exist thanks in part to figures like James Timpson (Prisons Minister).

8. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "I genuinely think, like with some of these guys and girls I've met, if we hadn't offered them the opportunity, they genuinely wouldn't have had one."
  — Alex Head (18:57)
• "For them to kind of go back and land themselves back in prison is ... [a huge loss]."
  — James Reed (18:45)
• "If we can do it as a small business, with tight margins and limited HR resource, then the bigger business definitely can."
  — Alex Head (25:43)
• On management style:
  "Rather than kind of 'where on earth were you?' it's like, 'well done for coming back' ... I've learned you've got to... because I've got no understanding of what it's like, what they're battling."
  — Alex Head (26:21)
• On transferable skills:
  "Some of them have been very good salesmen in their, you know, drug careers ... There are definitely transferable skills."
  — Alex Head (40:32)
• On the value to business:
  "It's definitely something that we put front and centre when we do tenders ... It's helped you win business."
  — Alex Head and James Reed (33:00)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:55] – Reed's findings: drop in hiring willingness, one in five employers reject all with convictions.
• [06:17 – 07:41] – Alex's journey: from mentor to employer of prison leavers, first hires and lessons learned.
• [10:53 – 12:08] – How to start: relationship with prisons, charities, support triangles.
• [14:25 – 16:07] – Social Pantry's hiring process and support structures for ex-offenders.
• [17:08 – 17:36] – Housing as the key recurring challenge.
• [26:00 – 26:22] – Supportive management approach: empathy over confrontation.
• [29:53 – 30:55] – 'Charity places' model for integrating ex-offenders on staff.
• [32:24 – 33:23] – Business benefits: tenders, B Corp, pride in workforce diversity.
• [34:21 – 35:41] – Staff prison visits and transformative effects.
• [36:06 – 37:27] – Why have employer attitudes hardened since 2013? Economic and regulatory pressures.
• [38:10 – 39:15] – DBS/disclosure checks: best practice and confidentiality.
• [44:41] – Trust and resilience in prison leaver employees.
• [47:31 – 48:44] – Alex’s call for businesses to explore ex-offender employment and upcoming networking initiative.

Actionable Advice and Takeaways

For Businesses

• Consider partnering with local charities and probation services for support.
• Set up an internal mentoring and buddy system for prison leavers.
• Allow for trial periods and extra capacity ("charity places") to absorb any initial reliability issues.
• Don’t pre-judge based on conviction alone; use discretion and focus on the individual.
• Emphasize support rather than suspicion or censure.
• Engage with the broader employer networks and resources developing in this space.

For Society

• Giving opportunities massively reduces reoffending and builds social good.
• Meeting ex-offenders face-to-face shifts perspectives and reveals genuine talent and resilience.

Final Messages

Alex Head’s Core Advice:
“It's really important that you at least explore it and at least think about it—not only to reduce reoffending rates in society, but also to offer an opportunity to often quite driven and charismatic and hard working people that need the opportunity. It also diversifies your workforce in a brilliant way.” (47:34)

James Reed’s Summary:
"I've really learned a lot in this conversation … giving people a second chance is an obligation, actually." (50:05)

Resources & Organizations Mentioned

• Key for Life
• Switchback
• Only A Pavement Away
• Employment Boards in Prisons
• Social Pantry (socialpantry.co.uk)
• Reed's 2025 Prison Leavers Report (see show notes)

Contact and Networking

• For info or to join Social Pantry’s new networking group:
  • email: inquiries@socialpantry.co.uk
  • web: socialpantry.co.uk
• "It's more accessible than people think and it's definitely worth it." (Alex Head, 49:08)

This episode challenges assumptions, offers practical guidance, and powerfully illustrates how taking a chance on ex-offenders can be a business win—and a deeply human one.