Novus

Over the past two days, managers from across Novus, Novus Cambria, Novus Gower and Novus Transforming Lives have come together in Manchester for our Annual Manager Conference.

The conference provided a fantastic opportunity to connect, learn, share best practice and celebrate the incredible impact our teams make every day.

Across the two days, our managers benefited from sessions delivered by senior leaders and subject area specialists from across Novus, alongside keynote speeches and a brilliant interactive session from Odd Arts.

Collaboration was at the heart of the event, with colleagues sharing priorities, exchanging ideas, showcasing good practice and learning from one another across our provision.

The conference also gave us the opportunity to celebrate success. Our evening awards recognised managers whose passion, professionalism and commitment continue to make a positive difference to learners, colleagues and each other.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended, contributed and helped make the conference such a success. We look forward to seeing our managers take their learning, insights and ideas back to their teams and continue building on the great work taking place across our sites.

Learning comes to life through great partnerships, and that's exactly what we've seen through our pilot collaboration between HMP Leeds, Novus, and Leeds Museums & Galleries.

Last month, alongside two fantastic colleagues from the Leeds Discovery Centre, we brought authentic museum artefacts into the classroom, giving Novus learners the opportunity to explore history, science, and culture in a completely different way.

Through discussion, observation, and enquiry-based activities, learners were encouraged to ask questions, share ideas, and reflect on what they discovered. The sessions not only supported curriculum learning but also helped build confidence, communication skills, critical thinking, and cultural awareness.

To help ensure the project has a lasting impact, 20 HMP Leeds colleagues also took part in a dedicated CPD session. They experienced the enquiry-led approach for themselves through object handling, collaborative activities, and an introduction to the Leeds Discovery Centre's "Ready to Go" learning packs, giving them practical tools and ideas to use in their own teaching.

This pilot has created strong foundations for future collaboration, including the use of museum loan boxes linked to curriculum areas. We're excited to continue building on this work and explore opportunities to expand the programme across HMP Leeds and other sites throughout Yorkshire and Humber.

A huge thank you to everyone involved in making this partnership such a success. We can't wait to see where it leads next!

Employment can be one of the strongest foundations for a positive future after release.

This week is ERSA Employability Day 2026 and we’re proud to support the theme We Get Britain Working by highlighting the importance of helping people leaving prison move into meaningful employment.

At Novus, we know that employability starts long before release. Through education, mentoring, careers guidance and employer partnerships, we support learners to build the skills, confidence and experience they need to take positive steps towards work and a new future.

Our latest case study shares the story of one learner who progressed from mentoring in prison to securing employment after release - showing the life-changing impact of opportunity, support and belief in someone’s potential.

Read more here:

From prison education to employment | Novus case study for ERSA Employability Day 2026 To mark ERSA Employability Day 2026, Novus shares a learner case study showing how prison education, mentoring and employer support can lead to sustainable employment after release.

This week, as we celebrate ERSA Employability Day 2026, we’re proud to highlight the impact of employer-led learning in helping learners move into sustainable employment.

At HMP Styal, the first cohort of Hairdressing and Beauty learners have now graduated from a bespoke employability programme delivered by Novus in partnership with The Glamour Garage. The programme was designed to build confidence, strengthen employability skills and create clear pathways into work and self-employment within the hair and beauty industry.

The impact is already being seen. One learner was released on 18 June, the day after the graduation ceremony, and has now secured full-time employment in a salon - a fantastic example of what can be achieved when education, employability support and employer partnerships come together.

A huge thank you to The Glamour Garage for sharing industry expertise with our learners, and to Nadine, Novus Works Account Manager, for the vital support provided to help this learner progress into work.

Employability Day is all about recognising the organisations, partnerships and people helping others take positive steps towards employment. Stories like this show why that work matters.

Read more here:

Novus Hair and Beauty Learners at HMP Styal Graduate from Innovative Employability Programme Hair and Beauty learners at HMP Styal graduate from an employer-led employability programme, gaining skills, confidence and career opportunities.