Collaboration That Works: Employability, Innovation and Rehabilitation Through Partnership (PID310)

11am – 11.30am GMT, 28 October 2026 ‐ 30 mins

Room: Meeting Room 2B (Level 3)

Parallel Workshops

This workshop, co-delivered with partners from Niacro’s SkillSET Employability Service, will explore how effective collaboration across statutory agencies, the voluntary and community sector, funders, and private industry can improve employability and rehabilitation outcomes for people involved in the criminal justice system. Drawing on the SkillSET initiative, the session highlights partnership working between organisations including Northern Ireland Prison Service, Probabtion Board NI, Niacro, CITB, CGI, and other key stakeholders.

Delegates will gain insight into how collaborative approaches support skills development, employer engagement, confidence building, and progression into employment. The workshop also examines the challenges, lessons learned, and key ingredients of successful partnership working

Speakers

Rachel Long

Director of Operations at Niacro, NIACRO, Northern Ireland

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Jonny Pardoe

NIACRO, Manager, Northern Ireland

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Rachel Long

Director of Operations at Niacro, NIACRO, Northern Ireland

Rachel Long, Director of Operations at Niacro (a charity focused on reducing crime and supporting people with convictions) is a senior leader who oversees Niacros day to day services and programmes. She spent 17 years with Niacro embedding early intervention projects and managing services for children, families and adults with criminal convictions. She also served as Assistant Director at Barnardo’s NI before returning to Niacro as Director of Operations, leading organisational services in line with strategy values. A strategic leader and ambassador for the third sector, Rachel has built strong relationships across government and the voluntary sector.

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Jonny Pardoe

NIACRO, Manager, Northern Ireland

Jonny Pardoe is a Manager and Disclosure Specialist with Niacro, supporting people, employers and organisations to better understand criminal record disclosure, fair recruitment and rehabilitation. He manages Niacro’s Disclosure Helpline, delivers prison and community based workshops and oversees a team of Employment Support Workers on Niacro’s SkillSET service. 

Jonny worked with Ulster University on the first survey of Northern Ireland employers’ attitudes to recruiting people with criminal records, and has guest lectured to the criminology students at both Ulster University and Queen’s University Belfast on the findings. He also developed the first versions of Niacro’s online disclosure calculator. Jonny believes prison should not be the end of someone’s story and is passionate about improving access to opportunity for people in and leaving custody.