Circles of Support and Accountability - CoSA

Circles South-East recruits volunteers from all different walks of life to build a support network (or Circle), around that individual. The Core Member can contact the volunteers using a secure platform we monitor to access additional support. This platform has safeguarding restrictions in built to prevent it being used as social media or misused for networking means.

Circles meet weekly for an hour in a safe place to discuss the challenges the Core Member is facing, the risk issues that brought them to the Circle in the first place, and the goals they are working towards so they are not putting themselves in positions of causing further sexual harm .

While the volunteers’ role is to support the Core Member, the group are thoroughly briefed on the Core Member’s previous behaviour, and how to spot if there is an increasing risk of reoffending. There are many occasions where Core Members have been taken into custody or recalled because of disclosures from their Circle volunteers.  Often when this happens the Core Members request the continued support of the Circle Volunteers once released, understanding the accountability throughout the process.   

The role of volunteers is crucial to this success. Essentially ordinary members of the public prepared to take time out of busy lives to demonstrate trust, humanity and care to individuals who have sometimes never experienced such treatment, with the result that they learn to treat others in the same way.

In this way Circles have made a constructive, humane and ultimately effective contribution towards public safety, our main concern.