Ex-Cell Solutions seeks to develop "Welfare to cooperative Work" services with long term workless people who would otherwise be faced on their own with the insecurity of an increasingly casualised labour market. For ex-prisoners this means the opportunity to work together to get themselves out of crime and into work.

This follows in the traditions of the founders of the modern cooperative movement:-

Robert Owen's New Lanark experiment was explicitly designed to promote an alternative to the conventional system of law and punishment and to eradicate the causes of crime by promoting cooperation and education. In the same way Rev. William King in the first edition of his periodical "The Co-operator", May 1st 1828 explained that...

"The evils which co-operation is intended to combat, are some of the greatest to which men are liable, viz. the great and increasing difficulties of providing for our families, and the proportionate danger of our falling into pauperism and crime"

Ex-Cell Solutions seeks to develop a 21st century interpretation of that alternative to pauperism and crime.

Ex-Cell Solutions continues to deliver the Ex-Cell Programme of support and direct employment services for ex-prisoners. Each beneficiary in this Programme is allocated a volunteer Support Worker at pre-release stage who works with the prisoner to draw up an initial six month action plan. This comprises 3 elements:

1. Suitable employment and training
2. Sustainable accommodation
3. Support with overcoming barriers i.e. drug, alcohol or mental health issues

Paid work placements, leading to permanent employment, are provided with a range of employers including Manchester City Council.

Ex-Cell Solutions also provides these services for refugees and asylum seekers, recovering drug and alcohol users, homeless people, and people with mental health issues.

EX-CELL"COOPERATING INTO WORK" PROGRAMME

Building on this experience, the new Ex-Cell Solutions programme also offers a 'Co-operating Out Of Crime' Programme - securing jobs for ex-prisoners through "group" self employment (cooperative consortia) and "Cooperating into Work" with refugees and asylum seekers, recovering drug and alcohol users, homeless people and people with mental health issues.

Ex-Cell Solutions, partners and beneficiaries are developing cooperative consortia initially in the following sectors

. Same Day Courier Services
. General and specialist cleaning services
. House Clearances for Social Landlords:
. On-line sales, with ADI Solutions
. Building and construction work
. Security
. Office Services
. Employment Agency
. Craft Food Production

EX-CELL RESEARCH AND CONSULTANCY

Ex-Cell Solutions also offers Research, Consultancy and Development in "Cooperating out of Crime" and "Cooperative Corrections" - cooperative solutions to reducing reoffending.