History

We started with a pilot programme working with people on probation, supporting them towards employment.

The aim was to help them to carve out life-course plans that address instability and barriers to full participation in society, particularly the workplace. This pilot programme was successful and grew into the well-established Linkage programme run by Tosú in probation offices across Ireland, funded by the Probation Service. Career guidance is still core to the Linkage service and we have added other areas of focus such as education, training and personal development as the programme grew. 

Linkage proved a success and we expanded with the Gate Service in 2007. Gate supports people in prison with guidance on education and employment opportunities. 

In 2009 we expanded our services with the Resettlement Service which is unique in Ireland in providing support for people leaving prison, helping them to access essential needs such as housing, social protection, and medical care. By 2012, we were ready to become independent, and the charity formerly known as IASIO came into being. 

Since 2012, IASIO expanded Linkage, Gate and Resettlement services, and added other services such as the Community Support Scheme along with a rehabilitative employment programme for people with severe and enduring mental health difficulties in the Central Mental Hospital. 

In 2025, IASIO became Tosú, an Irish language word that means ‘start’, with a tagline ‘New beginnings for people with convictions in Ireland’. 

We are expanding our range of services and our reach into the future. We are also looking forward to undertaking research projects, running advocacy campaigns and incorporating new technology into our work as we look to the future.