Delivering circles of support and accountability to protect communities from sexual harm and sexual reoffending
In the digital age, the internet offers vast resources and opportunities for learning, entertainment, and communication. However, it also harbours dark corners where illicit activities, such as the creation, distribution […]
The speech, rich with personal reflections and professional insights, painted a vivid picture of the evolving role of VCS organizations in supporting and rehabilitating offenders. A Journey Through Time: From […]
The programme aims to help explore offending behaviour in a structured, supportive environment. Find more information about Inform Plus here. Circles South West (CSW) were commissioned by the Office of […]
Reducing high harm and ending violence against women and girls are priorities of my Police and Crime Plan. While sexual offences are committed against both genders, it is largely a […]
Since their inception, Circles have played a crucial role in supporting the risk management of people convicted of sexual offences, thereby helping to make communities safer. From these small beginnings, […]
Inform Young People (IYP) The Inform Young People (IYP) programme targets young people aged 13-21 who have encountered trouble with school or the police due to technology-assisted harmful sexual behaviour (TA-HSB). Owned […]
Commissioned by Plymouth City Council and the University of the West of England (UWE), Circles South West undertook a Feasibility Study with the aim of understanding if Plymouth has the […]
This marked a significant step forward on the part of the MoJ; HMPPS had not funded Circles in South West England for more than 5 years and it followed the […]
The conference kicked off with a warm welcome from the organisers, setting a positive tone for the day. We started with an introduction by Michael Sheath followed by a powerful […]
The new volunteers come from diverse backgrounds, bringing a wealth of experience and a shared commitment to making a positive impact. They will be involved in various projects, including Community […]
As a Circles Coordinator Barbara’s main role is coordinating Circles of Support and Accountability, working together with volunteers and people convicted of sexual offences to prevent further victims. She will […]
Regular Supervision Meetings: A Pillar of Support Supervision meetings are a cornerstone of the volunteer experience at Circles South West. These meetings provide a structured environment where volunteers can discuss […]
Our Vision… No More Victims of sexual abuse Driven by an aspiration to prevent sexual abuse, Circles South West is a professional, forward-thinking independent charity, led by capable and committed […]
In 2021, there were over 850 arrests across the UK for accessing child sexual abuse material every single month. Many of those arrested will have children of their own or […]
Recently the Centre for Expertise in Child Sexual Abuse reported that victims of child sexual abuse were waiting months to get support, highlighting the under-investment in victim and sexual abuse […]
Tim Johnson and Jackie Citron have provided training for 30 professionals in ‘Working with young people with harmful sexual behaviour’, arranged by Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (BCP) Council Community Safety […]
Sexual Abuse & Sexual Violence Awareness Week is the UK’s national week to raise awareness of sexual abuse and violence. It provides an opportunity for anyone who wants to use […]
‘No church, no friends – how can I reintegrate?’ Life after prison can be tough, especially for people convicted of sexual offences. Here, the humanitarian Sir Terry Waite calls for […]
Professor McCartan discusses communities, integration and the value of pro-social engagement on desistance. He believes volunteers understand the concerns of the community but also understand the concerns of the core […]
The Core Member (CM) is an adult male who was convicted of serious sexual offences together with his stepfather, including 4 counts of rape and 3 counts of indecent assault, […]
Why we were involved: In response to discussions with police officers in Devon and Cornwall who are responsible for the management of those with convictions of a sexual nature (MOSOVOs), […]
In 2008, a remarkable venture commenced under the NSPCC. Jamie Stephenson, now Circles South West’s Circles Coordinator, acted as the NSPCC’s Coordinator for their new project working with people who […]
WHY DO WE NEED SHORE? Research shows that under-18s are responsible for one-third of sexual offences against young people in the UK. Shore’s mission is to address this pressing public […]
The Annual General Meeting took place, as always, in Taunton – the mid point of our region and we were delighted to welcome so many people, despite the terrible weather […]
Circles Providers are reviewed bi-annually to by Circles UK to ensure compliance with the Code of Practice for CoSA. Circles South West has recently undergone a compliance review and we […]
In Gloucestershire as at March 2022 (most recent figures available) there were 623 people on the Sex Offenders Register. Research confirms that in 2021 over 850 people were arrested every […]
Sam talked about how a large part of the focus was on understanding exactly what it is we, as Circles providers, actually ask of our volunteers. “There was a strong […]
The event, supported by Dorset Criminal Justice Board, was arranged as an open day at the court so members of the public could find out more about how local justice […]
Circles South West are currently running a series of information sessions via Zoom, giving people curious about what we do and how they can help a chance to say hi […]
Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) are a community-based approach aimed at preventing sexual offences against children, young people and vulnerable adults. A ‘circle’ is formed of a person who […]
We know that many men who have sexually offended return to live with their families or establish a new relationship where children are living. Partners of these men play a […]
The theme of the conference was Online Sexual Abuse and Circles Europe welcomes staff and volunteers from across several countries; including the UK, the Netherlands, Latvia and even as far […]
How many Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) did you provide? We coordinated 49 CoSA for 49 individual adults and young people, 26 of which were newly established in year […]
In discussion with Sara Radford, Circle Coordinator, you will hear first-hand about their motivation to volunteer with us, their learning and thoughts about how this volunteering role has impacted both […]
The award was presented on 22nd March 2023 in Exeter to four of our long serving volunteers who collected it on behalf of the entirety of the Devon volunteer team. […]
Community risk management is always a difficult balancing act, and we are grateful to the supervising agents and clinicians who make it happen! On one level it involves preventing someone […]
A five year study into Circles, under take by Research in Practice, found that ‘Circles volunteers were overwhelmingly positive about their experience with CSW’ with a fantastic 88% agreeing with […]
Breaking the Cycle is a group-work programme designed to inform, empower and offer support for the non-offending partner or ‘significant other’ of a man who has been accused or convicted […]
Podcasts have surged in popularity in recent years with everyone from newscasters, entertainers and bloggers becoming involved. Subjects range from movies to politics to true crime – it is an […]
Restorative Justice creates opportunities for people who have been harmed, or otherwise impacted by the actions of others, to communicate, directly or indirectly, with those who are responsible for that […]
Maren Riis and Lisa Gartner, probation officers from Norway, flew in from Oslo to attend the Circles South West training weekend and meet our new volunteers. They followed this up […]
We are delighted to introduce you to our two newest staff members who take up incredibly important positions in the team: Sam Wolf joins us as our Young People’s Coordinator […]
Circles South West benefited from their ‘Improving Lives’ grant programme, with particular focus on their ‘Positive Choices’ priority area. The ‘Positive Choices’ area looks at “Helping people, whose actions or […]
Circles ReBoot is a Circle of Support and Accountability devised by the Circles UK Team in 2021 specifically for Individuals who access Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM). We all […]
ODE TO A CIRCLE Every Thursday, I just can’t wait, to get to my circle, I won’t be late. Now what’s that topic, I was given last week, Ah yes, […]
Four countries were involved in the meeting, which took place on 18th July 2022: Latvia, Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK, with both coordinators and volunteers attending. The meeting was […]
This year we have been fortunate to access support from Lloyds Bank Foundation ‘Enhance Programme’ to further our equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) learning and planning for the future. We […]
It was during our recent involvement with Plymouth’s Together for Childhood (read the story here) that Devon and Cornwall’s Shekinah project Make Amends approached us to support their staff around […]
With now almost 200 volunteers with us, it’s important to recognise each and every one of them – our volunteers give up their free time, deal with difficult situations, have […]
When an online sexual offence relating to children has been committed or suspected of having been committed, where there are children living in the household, a referral is made to […]
Due to our increasing reach across the south west and our diversifying projects we find ourselves once again recruiting. This has become an often enough occurrence that we have decided […]
Our Vision… No More Victims of sexual abuse Driven by an aspiration to prevent sexual abuse, Circles South West is a professional, forward-thinking independent charity, led by capable and committed […]
Working with people who have committed acts of sexual harm is a controversial issue. It understandably triggers strong reactions in most people, and particularly for victims and survivors of sexual […]
Circles South West is now live on Facebook! The page will keep you up to date on all the important news from Circles and feature interesting and relevant links to […]
Ernesettle in Plymouth is piloting a ground breaking new approach to prevent child sexual abuse. ‘Together for Childhood’ brings together the local community and partner agencies to prevent harmful sexual […]
In their 2021 threat assessment, the National Crime Agency estimated between 550,000 and 850,000 people in the UK pose a sexual risk to children, both online and offline, with evidence […]
Improving society’s attitudes and involving communities in rehabilitation programmes is key to preventing repeat sexual offences, say UWE Bristol researchers. Professor of Criminology Kieran McCartan worked with statutory and […]
In May 2021, a South West School contacted Circles South West requesting delivery of a series of educational workshops in relation to sex and the law for all boys in […]
Due to the escalation in Covid cases across the UK in January, most of the new Young People’s (YP) circles planned for the start of the year had to be […]
In January 2019 Circles South West received funding to establish the first Prison/Through the Gate Circles of Support and Accountability, to lead the development and delivery of a new pilot […]
I am hoping that it will not have escaped your notice that Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) has been highlighted in the latest report from Her Majesty’s Inspector of […]
Being a Circles coordinator is a multi-layered role that requires a specialist approach and a lot of experience in criminal justice. It is a careful balancing act between choosing the […]
Have you worked with young people with harmful sexual behaviour? Are you social work, youth justice, probation or similarly qualified? Do you want to work for an innovative, award winning […]
We are often asked about the connection between Circles of Support and Accountability and Restorative Justice. Circles do not practice a specifically restorative model. However, the reason that this is […]
The core member had grown up in challenging circumstances – from a very young age, he had struggled with a disability, with emotional and learning difficulties. Cut off from any […]
Circles South West is an award winning charity that prevents sexual abuse by reducing the risk of sexual re-offending. Circles enable volunteers to positively impact on the safe integration of […]
Over 50 delegates attended either the ‘Working with People Who Have Sexually Harmed’ training or ‘Living & Working In a Pornified World’ training. The courses were delivered by our experienced […]
Circles South West’ popular and successful summer training courses are coming to a close, with only one event left to run. ‘Working With People Who Have Sexually Harmed: A Theoretical […]
Our New Trustees: Our three new trustees bring a range of different experience and will be fantastic additions to our Board. Leonie Cole: Leonie is a lifelong resident of the […]
The Compliance Review included submission of a substantial evidence file, 3 x 1 day site visits (separate sites) and interviews with 22 individuals including service users, staff, volunteers, trustees, and […]
The RiP research highlights the statistically significant impact of Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) in reducing dynamic risk factors associated with sexual recidivism over the life of a CoSA, […]
Ernesettle in Plymouth is piloting a ground breaking new approach to prevent child sexual abuse. ‘Together for Childhood’ brings together the local community and partner agencies to prevent harmful sexual […]
Amazon have announced that their charity giving programme, Amazon Smile, is finally available when you make purchases through their app. Previously you could only take advantage of the scheme if […]
Today marks the beginning of the annual national Volunteers’ Week, celebrated across the country to highlight the wonderful and selfless work volunteers do and what they contribute to society. Circles […]
These 1 day training courses are being held face to face across the region to be as accessible to as many delegates as possible – with two interesting and highly […]
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) states, “what was already a recognised phenomenon has now cemented into a grave and widespread threat to our children”. The IWF processed a record number […]
As 2021 gets underway properly we are so pleased to be in a position to add new staff members to our team. We are recruiting the following: Circles Coordinator, Dorset. […]
Last month Peter Yates and I joined the CSA Centre team to host a virtual roundtable for policy makers and professionals, reflecting on our latest publication: Sibling Sexual Abuse: a […]
This is a testing time for Circles, when many of the things we and our core members want to do are not possible. My current Young Adult Circle had its […]
George Streatfeild, the High Sheriff of Dorset said: At my High Sheriff Declaration on 27th March 2020, I summarised my ambition for the year as being to “seek out and […]
Our trustees play a vital role in making sure that Circles South West achieves its core purpose. They strategically oversee the management and administration of the charity, as well as […]
A recent paper from the Lloyds Bank Foundation The Value of Small in a Big Crisis: the distinctive contribution, value and experiences of smaller charities in England and Wales during […]
Tony was one of the first volunteers to be recruited into Circles in Devon back in 2008 when it was still a pilot project delivered by the NSPCC. However, prior […]
Jamie Stephenson, our Devon & Cornwall coordinator, sat down with Kate to discuss the projects taking place in Cornwall and how Circles South West came into being in the county. […]
Findings from the bulletin uses data from the 10 to 15-year-old’s Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW). Main points Almost 9 in 10 children (89%) aged 10 to 15 […]
Last week [22nd January 2021] the Home Office released its new strategy to protect children from sexual abuse. The new strategy is a comprehensive look at the policies and practices […]
Let me start by asking you a question. Just bring your gut reaction to mind. It’s about the behaviour of people who have committed serious sexual offences, and ended up […]
Breaking the Cycle is a group-work programme designed to inform, empower and offer support for the non-offending partner or ‘significant other’ of a man who has been accused or convicted […]
Commissioning services for victims of crime in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly is a big part of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s job and often this is the […]
Freedom of Information responses from 38 police forces in England and Wales show that 1,220 offences of sexual communication with a child were recorded in the first 3 months of […]
BBC Radio Devon covered the subject of sexual offending on 19th November on their breakfast show in response to a recent report showing that there are more people convicted of […]
Circles of Support and Accountability [CoSA] are groups of trained community volunteers who support people convicted of a sexual offence (usually contact offences against children) to integrate back into the […]
Setting up a charity and obtaining funds is a good start but in order to actually deliver a service you need to make sure it is well run, sustainable organisation. […]
Diane Wills, trustee of Circles South West, talks to us about what made her write her latest book on working with sex offenders. Published this month we asked her to […]
Successful schemes that reduce crime and transform lives for the better received national recognition on 20 October as the winners of the 2020 Howard League Community Awards were announced. The […]
Here at Circles South West we were keen to read the report published by The Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse in July 2020: Key messages from research on […]
10 years ago, we established the charity, extending Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) across the South West, building on the successful projects already running in Devon and Dorset. Since […]
Back in 2016 we adapted the traditional Circles model to meet the needs of young people 14 years plus, and last year secured funding to work with children from the […]
It’s not systems, processes or procedures that change people. It is not even programmes or courses. In my view it is people that change people and this is done by […]
Subsequent action plans set out our response to the lockdown restrictions, including furloughing 7 of our 9 staff, alongside alternative, creative service provision. This ensured the best possible chance of […]
