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Thinking differently about rehabilitation Psychological Services

Delivering tailored interventions that make a difference for the last 30 years

No other private prison operator self-delivers psychological services at the breadth and scale Serco does. Our in-house psychologists provide unique, evidence-based interventions tailored to each prisoner’s needs, helping them positively change their behaviour. By training staff to do the same, we work together every day to reduce the risk of reoffending. 

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drop in reoffending rates of Therapeutic Community completers at HMP Dovegate*
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fully-qualified psychologists dedicated to care
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prisoners under their care

How we make rehabilitation happen

Personalising to make a difference

Every prisoner receives the right level of support, from those with learning disabilities to those with neurodivergence.

We adapt services and treatments to meet changing needs, ensuring personalised care at all times.

Working together for better outcomes

Our transdisciplinary approach allows psychologists to train and support prison staff, so psychological interventions can continue outside therapy sessions.

As a trusted government partner, we collaborate with key justice departments to achieve shared objectives, improving outcomes for everyone involved.

Leading the industry through research and innovation

Our psychologists are always exploring new ways to deliver care, including individual therapy, group sessions, equine therapy, compassion focussed therapy and paro seal robotic animal assisted therapy

We collaborate with the wider psychology community, agencies, and government partners, sharing our findings to help shape future policies.

A male prison officer with their arms crossed staring into the distance outside HMP Dovegate

Research informed approach

One of the ways we are empowering prison officers to support the rehabilitation process is through our RE-ACT workshop. Based on research published by our psychologists, the workshop helps prison officers to respond more effectively to serious incidents. 

Serco operates the UK’s only privately run, purpose-built therapeutic facility at HMP Dovegate, with another soon opening at HMP Ashfield. Here, therapy is a 24/7 intervention aimed at breaking the cycle of offending. The majority of prisoners in these communities serve long sentences, and the therapy is designed to help them stop reoffending.
 

It’s important that we have a real focus on a Rehabilitative Culture in our prisons and we work very hard to support the staff who are working in really challenging areas through staff training, supervision and working together in a multi-disciplinary way to have a really positive impact on prison culture.

Natalie Parrett
Director of Psychological Services

Headshot of Natalie Parrett

The prisons we run and the services we deliver

Sign on the brick wall of a building say Therapeutic Activities

HMP Dovegate

A large Category B prison, where we deliver psychological intervention to remanded, convicted, high-risk and long-term prisoners, as well as the UK’s first privately-run prison-based Therapeutic Community.

Sign on the side of brick wall saying welcome to HMP Doncaster

HMP Doncaster

A resettlement prison focused on individuals serving sentences of less than 12 months. 

Sign on the brick wall of a building saying Visits and Video Link

HMP Ashfield

We provide a wide range of treatment and support options specialised for people convicted of sexual offences, including Serco’s second prison-based Therapeutic Community.

Sign on side of brick wall of building say Serco HMP Prison Thameside

HMP Thameside

A London-based prison, managed by Serco since its opening in 2012. 

External shot of HMP Fosse Way prison building and security fence

HMP Fosse Way

One of the UK’s newest resettlement prisons, designed to prioritise education, training, and employment opportunities for prisoners through a psychologically informed model. 

Female Serco colleague sat offering advice to another female

Join our team and make a difference

Join a close-knit team that’s proud to drive meaningful change in the lives of prisoners. With Psychological Services, you’ll have the opportunity to work on a wide variety of innovative treatment approaches, with opportunities to grow professionally and make a tangible difference. 

Learn more


*2021 (Swift & Tonkin, unpublished) looked at ‘Reconviction rates of Therapeutic Community Completers, Non-Completers and Non-Starters from 2008 to 2014’. This found that 78.9% of those that did not complete therapy were reconvicted compared to 36.4% of those that completed therapy; suggesting that those who completed the TC were far less likely to re-offend.