Scott Sinclair carves out a career in hospitality

Five years ago, Scott Sinclair was ordered to carry out 250 hours of community service after he was caught stealing from his employer.

Scott's punishment involved refurbishing a skate park, gardening at an old people's home and completing a skills based course at Forth Valley College.

Says Scott, now 25, "The conviction completely destroyed my life at the time. I was in a bad place and thought community service was a waste of time. Manual labour seemed pointless and the course was pretty basic. But, I knew that stealing wasn't something I wanted to keep doing."

Fresh Start, the course specifically designed for offenders, includes three, ten week modules in problem solving, literacy and numeracy. Falkirk's community service team recognised the need to help offenders increase their confidence and employability, and encourage positive links from a life beyond offending.

Full article here: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Justice/public-safety/offender-management/projects/stories/scott-sinclair