Research and Policies
The survey of prisoners’ experiences of gambling, the first of its kind in England and Wales, was conducted by The Forward Trust and took place in 14 prisons during August and September 2020.
Forward’s advice for those who employ or want to employ ex-offenders or people with lived experience of addiction.
Tips and advice for creating a more diverse, vibrant workforce informed by people with lived experience.
Insights from a roundtable hosted by Forward and Brent Council to explore employer approaches to supporting individuals with a history of offending, those in recovery from addiction, the unemployed and those considered ‘Not in Education, Employment, or Training’ (NEET) into jobs and apprenticeships.
A briefing from The Forward Trust on how companies can address skills gaps by employing ex-offenders and people in recovery from addiction, and how policy makers can make a difference by improving access to vocational training, personal development and employment opportunities.
A summary of Forward’s experiences in dealing with we psychoactive substances in prisons. It explains our strategies for minimising the impact that these new markets and patterns of consumption have both on prison regimes, and the welfare of staff and prisoners.
This research and policy briefing explains why reducing the rates of re-offending amongst those struggling with drug and alcohol dependencies is a crucial factor in any strategy to reduce overall crime rates.
Research conducted by staff at Forward describes the worrying extent of mental health problems amongst prisoners, and the close correlation between mental health conditions such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorders, and substance use.
Successful treatment of drug and alcohol dependence is key to any strategy to reduce crime. This research and policy briefing highlight findings from our research and experience in tackling substance use.
Our latest version: Customer Services and Complaints Policy (v6b) - last updated 27/08/25
Current Publications
Our annual report highlights the significant impact we've made in supporting individuals and families affected by addiction throughout 2023. The report showcases our achievements, challenges overcome, and the stories of transformation that inspire our continued work.
We are proud to report that we supported over 2,000 individuals in their recovery journey, expanded our services to three new regions, and launched innovative programs that have shown remarkable success rates.
Since 2017, organisations with 250 or more employees have been required to publish figures about their gender pay gap. Read our most recent statement about the difference between the average earnings of men and women employed at Forward Trust.
Employee Resource Group Impact Report (2024-2025)
The Forward Trust is committed to making a positive impact through outstanding environmental sustainability performance. We are committed to achieving Net Zero emissions for Scopes 1 & 2 by 2033, and Scope 3 by 2040. This strategy outlines the first 5 years of this process.
Forward’s Social Impact Report 2023-24 showcases a landmark year of growth and innovation. We reached 28,306 people across England and Wales, with services spanning 75 projects. Discover how your support has enabled life-changing work in this report.
Our three-year EDI strategy sets out our key developments to date, our current initiatives and our long-term ambitions to ensure we are delivering against these important objectives. Specifically, the new plan will continue to improve staff awareness and understanding of EDI principles, alongside our commitments towards improving service delivery for all those that require our support.
The Forward Trust’s new three-year business strategy (2024-27) sets out our direction for the coming years, with an overview of how we continue to plan and prosper in a tight financial market.
Read our Modern Slavery Statement (last reviewed 2/9/2025)
Previous Publications
Gender Pay Gap Statement (2023-2024)
Social Impact Report (2022-2023)
Annual report and accounts (2022)
Social Impact Report (2021-2022)
Gender Pay and Ethnicity Report (2020-2021)
Impact Report (2020)
Gender pay report (2019-2020)
Annual report and accounts (2019)
Impact Report (2019)
Annual report and accounts (2018)
Impact Report (2018)
Annual report and accounts (2017)
Annual report and accounts (2016)