In 2014, every prison in England delivered either an OCR academic or vocational programme.  Building on this tradition, OCR is now working in partnership with digital healthcare provider Breaking Free Group, to develop qualifications for people in criminal justice and community settings who are using the Breaking Free treatment and recovery programmes for drug and alcohol substance misuse. 

OCR has accredited two Breaking Free programmes; ‘Breaking Free Online’ and ‘Pillars of Recovery’, as part the OCR Life and Living Skills suite of qualifications.

Robert Mills, OCR’s Sector Specialist for offender learning, said: “OCR is thrilled to partner with Breaking Free Group, who are innovators in online drug and alcohol interventions. This is a major issue in the rehabilitation of offenders, and the accredited programmes will support individuals to desist from substance abuse and move them towards employment or further education and training.”

Glyn Davies, Service Development Director at the Breaking Free Group, commented: “People who are actively addressing their drug and alcohol difficulties put a huge amount of effort into their recovery. OCR’s accreditation of these programmes means this effort will be validated and rewarded through a qualification and certificate in Life and Living Skills. As well as providing an additional incentive for people to achieve their recovery goals, for many our programmes will now also serve as a vital springboard to future learning and self-improvement.”  

The OCR Life and Living Skills suite is a comprehensive range of versatile qualifications, with no minimum entry requirements. Learners can choose from over 150 units across a wide range of skill areas; including pre-employability, personal and social skills. The accredited Breaking Free programmes have been available to OCR-approved centres in criminal justice and community drug and alcohol settings from April 2015. 

Another new OCR initiative, the TiME platform (Training in Maths and English), is already attracting interest from prisons and secure settings. Amber Shotton, Justice Development Manager from A4E (Action for Employment) commented: "Many of our prisons already successfully deliver OCR qualifications and we were enthused by the new TiME platform and how it can engage learners from entry level to GCSE".  

Robert continued: “Many learners in adult secure settings struggle with the digital world when they leave through the gate – for some,  even mobile phones are unfamiliar. Introducing people to learning through these accessible digital platforms serves the dual purpose of supporting them into the digital world while they learn.”

OCR Life and Living Skills