Case Study

From despair to ‘best job in the world’ thanks to Ingeus

3 Nov 2025

Less than ten years ago Stevie could see no future for himself after addiction led to imprisonment and the loss of most of the things in life he held dear. 

Today he has a job in which he is valued and that gives him enormous pride by being able to play a part in setting others with similar backgrounds to his own on the road to recovery.  It’s mainly due to the support he has received from Ingeus, he says, both as a participant in one of its rehabilitation programmes and the opportunities he has been given as a subsequent employee. 

“Ingeus is the best thing that ever happened to me – they are willing to give you the benefit of the doubt that you will do the right thing,” says the 50-year-old. 

His potential was first spotted while on a Fit for Work drystone walling course in the Peak District organised by Ingeus. 

He recalls: “The support Ingeus has given me started on the first day. I had just come out of a relapse but the team there told me ‘That was yesterday, today is a new day’. Those were magic words for me.” 

When tutors saw how supportive and encouraging he was to other participants, all of whom had been through the criminal justice system, he was offered the opportunity to train as a volunteer Peer Mentor. 

Quickly he became a key member of the team and when the scheme came to an end he was encouraged to apply for a post as a Community Guide at the CFO Evolution Programme Hub in Nottingham. 

The hubs offer activities from confidence building and anger management to independent living skills such as cooking and budgeting as well as employment support. 

Stevie got the job and found himself in charge of the minibus, locally nicknamed the ‘Ingebus’, he drives to pick up hub participants from prisons and in the community. 

He’s not just a driver, though. His support for participants begins the moment they get on board. 

He says: “I talk to them about where they want to be. Often, I explain that I have been through the system myself and look where I am now. Sometimes they can’t believe it so I say: ‘If I can do it, anyone can do it’.” 

On arrival at the Hub, he enrols his passengers and takes on other transport duties as well as helping with maintenance. 

“I take each day as it comes but I can honestly say every day I leave the hub thinking I’ve got the best job in the world. 

“Ingeus has been massively important in helping me to get this far. They have backed me 100 per cent, they understand where those of us who have been through the system come from, and they support us without judgment.” 

Stevie’s progress has been recognised with an Ingeus Values Star award after being nominated by many of his peers, as well as being put forward for a Butler Trust Award.