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SIG Safe Ground: The space to do things differently

Building Trust, Inspiring Change: A New Approach to Justice

SIG Safe Ground are experts in designing training, bespoke interventions, and building co-production models.

SIG Safe Ground has been at the forefront of designing and delivering innovative arts-based, therapeutically informed interventions within the criminal justice system and in communities across the UK. We remain dedicated to challenging systemic injustice through the programmes we run and the partnerships we build.

Our teams utilise theatre, arts, and culture to design initiatives to support those impacted by the criminal justice system, allowing our participants to gain deeper insights into themselves, their relationships and their behaviours.

We pave the way for participants to navigate life’s journey with confidence.

People taking part in a Safe Ground creative programme

Safe Ground Locations

HMP Altcourse, Liverpool

HMP Forest Bank, Manchester

SIG Safe Ground Vision

To create a society where creativity and connection are the driving forces of rehabilitation, empowering communities affected by the criminal justice system to recover, rebuild, and shape a culture of positive change.

SIG Safe Ground Mission

To create spaces within the criminal justice system for growth, reflection, and community-building through the arts and therapeutic practices. Being champions of innovative approaches in prison systems that not only reduce recidivism but also support sustainable, long-term change, guided by those with first-hand experience of the system.

“I cannot imagine under any other circumstances in which my husband would have willingly engaged in ‘group therapy’, whether he realised that this is what he was doing or not, the positive impact of Fathers Inside has been huge for us all.”

“The sessions are clearly structured, so the participants feel safe, valued and heard.”

“The course has given us some great insights, and I am grateful that my husband has had the opportunity to be a part of this, and to come away with some tools to communicate more effectively.”

Our Programmes

Man Up?

Man Up? is about identity and what’s shaped our participants.

It’s a space to look at experiences and explore the things we’ve learned or inherited about being a man, and decide what still fits and what doesn’t.

No judgement.

A space to think, speak, and figure things out.

Find out more here

Safe Ground Man Up programme session

Fathers Inside

Fathers Inside is a full-time programme for fathers who want to learn about themselves and their families.

It’s a 4 week course where the men work as a group to look at their roles as a dad, how they were parented, their relationships with their families, and what kind of parent they want to be.

Find out more here

Safe Ground Fathers Inside programme session

Flagship Services

HMP Altcourse

Our SIG Safe Ground Family Service at HMP Altcourse, Liverpool is transforming the way families and men in custody experience connection and support, facilitating over 40,000 family visits annually.

The team at Altcourse not only facilitate family visits, but they are also at the heart of creating safe spaces for change within the prison, delivering arts-based group programmes to support rehabilitation and rebuild relationships.

They combine creative interventions for men in the prison, tailored family counselling, and practical support for families visiting their loved ones in our visitors centre.

Roles within HMP Altcourse include:

  • Family Service Manager
  • Family Deputy Service Manager
  • Creative Programmes Manager
  • Family Liaison Worker
  • Programme Co-Ordinators
  • Family Counsellor

We are driving a cultural shift at HMP Altcourse with the ambition to influence broader reform within the prison system.

HMP Forest Bank

Our newest service is based within HMP Forest Bank, Manchester. We aspire to continue the success we have achieved in HMP Altcourse, creating a new approach to justice through building trust and inspiring change for men and their families within the custodial environment.

The team at HMP Forest Bank will create safe spaces for change, and deliver arts-based group programmes to support rehabilitation and rebuild relationships.

Roles within HMP Forest Bank include:

  • Programmes Manager
  • Programme Co-Ordinators
  • Family Counsellor

What does working in the Safe Ground team really look like?

Working with Safe Ground means working differently.

It’s about meeting people without judgement, holding space for accountability, and using creativity to disrupt cycles of harm. We believe real change happens when people are seen, challenged, and supported, even and especially inside prison walls.

What we look for

  • Ability to remain calm under pressure
  • Ability to build trust and rapport professionally
  • Ability to engage with men in prison and their families
  • Ability to create a safe and consistent space
  • Comfortable working within a prison environment
  • A real desire to support change within a prison environment

Change starts with Safe Ground.