AN award-winning service working with offenders within the community has pledged to save millions for partner agencies.

The One Swindon: 5 wards project, which helps rehabilitate offenders by working with them on projects in the community, has been granted more than £50,000 as part of the Transformation Challenge Award, with an unaudited prediction of savings as a result of the scheme expected to be in the region of £6.5 million.

The project, which operates out of Broadgreen Community Centre, Swindon, has been running since March and was recognised as the national Team Of The Year by probation trusts.

A collaboration between Wiltshire Probation Trust, Swindon Council and Wiltshire Police, it looks to bring probation into the community, better catering to the individual needs of users and bringing agencies together to cut admin and logistics costs.

By cutting down on repeat offending, the project also hopes to save costs for the courts and alleviate some of the pressure on the system.

Paul Aviss, chairman of Wiltshire Probation Trust, said: “In preparing for this we did a study with our offenders around how they would feel about partners working closely with them in their communities. More than 80 per cent said it was a good idea.

“It also benefits the community because they are seeing the impact of agencies working with offenders.

“Instead of seeing them in magistrates' court, it is about getting justice delivered locally.

“The community can then see the results.”

Angie Kennedy, the manager of the service, said: “Traditionally we have taken offenders to our offices, but working alongside them we have a better chance.

“In the longer term we are wanting to teach life skills.

“We have got about 116 service users across the five wards, and one third of those are on voluntary programmes.

“We take a carrot-and-stick approach. Work with us and we will help them; work against us and they will feel the stick.”

Andy Tatam, the assistant chief constable for Wiltshire Police, said: “The fact this is based in a community centre rather than a probation office changes the relationship and makes it more supportive.

“If you go to a police station then that is already setting the tone for that relationship.

“If this provides an answer for people to move on then it can only be positive.”

Local Government Minister Kris Hopkins said the chosen schemes for the grant had demonstrated substantial savings.

“By joining forces with neighbouring councils and other organisations they are not only cutting costs but also making sure their residents get the very best service,” he said.

“Councils and their partners predict they will be able to save more than £100 million over the next 5 to 10 years, a significant return for the government’s £9 million contribution.”