Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 326 | 10th January 2014

In this week's edition....

CLINKS NEWS: Lesley leaves Clinks with an MBE

Clinks is delighted to announce that Lesley Frazer, former Clinks policy manager, has been awarded an MBE. Announced in the New Year’s Honours list, the MBE was awarded for “services to law and order and criminal justice” during her time at Clinks. Lesley was policy manager at Clinks for five years during which time her contribution to Clinks, and its support to the voluntary sector working with offenders was enormous. Lesley left at the end of December to become the Chief Executive Of Wiltshire Care Partnership. We are sure that all Clinks members and supporters will join us in wishing her well in her new post. Clinks Director Clive Martin said: “This is a timely tribute to the fantastic role Lesley has played in Clinks. We will miss her talent, commitment and support, and wish her every success in her new role." Lesley said: “I am thrilled to get this award in recognition of my work at Clinks."

CLINKS NEWS: Clive in Guardian Society

Clinks Director, Clive Martin, spoke to Erwin James recently about his thoughts and concerns on Transforming Rehabilitation. Clive fears that smaller charities could end up being used as 'bid candy' by the prime providers in order to secure contracts, and finds it difficult to see what monitoring of contracts is going to be in place. Clive says: "We are constantly fed the story of failure and of risk – what's really inspiring is the story of people changing for the better and turning their lives around, of which we hear less and less. But that is the story that really makes communities safer." Read the full interview here

CLINKS NEWS: Live online TR discussion for arts organisations

Join us on Twitter on Friday 31st January 2014, 3pm - 4pm, where we will be using the hashtag #ArtsTR to discuss your thoughts on Transforming Rehabilitation and the impact it might have on your arts organisation. The discussion will be hosted by Ellie Cumbo, Clinks' Policy Manager. If you have any questions you would like Ellie to answer, please email them to kate.davey@clinks.org

CLINKS EVENT: Annual General Meeting

We are delighted to be once again staging our 15th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Reception [29th January, London, 3.30pm - 6pm], and are open for bookings from Members. Our AGM is always a lively affair, offering a great opportunity to network and for delegates to comment on Clinks’ work and the priorities for the year ahead. We can confirm that Jeremy Wright, Minister for Prisons and Rehabilitation, will be our keynote speaker. If you're a Clinks Member, book your place here

CLINKS TRAINING: volunteering in prison

Do your staff or volunteers work with offenders in prisons? Clinks popular Volunteering in Prison course [19th February, Birmingham, from £120] is now open for bookings. The course has been designed to support trainers and/or volunteer co-ordinators, managing and supporting volunteers. The training has recently been updated to include the support of mentors. Modules include: Working in prisons and available resources, the role of the volunteer and mentor in supporting offenders in prison and much more. For further information and bookings, click here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: extra funding for mental health support

The Government announced last week that an additional £25 million was being made available to extend the coverage of mental health nurses and other specialists working alongside the police and courts. Dominic Williamson, chief executive of Clinks Member Revolving Doors Agency, said: “Getting the right help to someone who is in crisis because of their mental health or other problems is crucial - especially when they are in contact with the police. We are delighted that government has taken this next step towards delivering on its commitment that anyone who is in police custody or in court will have their mental health, learning disability, substance misuse and other needs assessed and will be helped to access the treatment and support they need. This is a significant step towards ending the revolving door of crisis and crime that fuels so much reoffending and wastes so much public money.” Find out more here

COMMISSIONING: Secure Training Centres

The Youth Justice Board and MoJ wish to re-commission the operation and management of Youth Detention Accommodation in three of the four Secure Training Centres. Claire Pardoe, Prison Procurement Manager at MoJ, explains: "We are actively encouraging the participation of the VCSE as part of the supply chain that will deliver the contracted services. The requirement will be most relevant to VCSE organisations delivering education, resettlement and rehabilitation related services to young people. We plan on publishing a networking log with details of all interested service providers - private and VCSE - to encourage dialogue and relationship building." For more information and to be invovled, email YJB_STC_Project@yjb.gsi.gov.uk

FUNDING: for projects in Wales or North of England

The People's Postcode Trust's Small Grants Programme opened this week to applications from organisations in Wales and North of England. Funding is available for: poverty prevention; advancement of health; community development; public sports; human rights; and environmental protection. Grants range from £500 to £20,000 for organisations in England and up to £5,000 for those in Wales. Funding is available for projects of up to 12 months in length (6 months in Wales) that positively impact their local community. Projects that are creative, far-reaching and will leave a long-term impact once completed stand the best chance of being successful. The deadline for applications is 21st February. Find out more here

FUNDING: supporting the sector

The Ministry of Justice provides a grants programme for national voluntary sector infrastructure organisations. Current grants end on 31st March 2014 and MoJ are now inviting applications from interested applicants for a one year grant from 1st April 2014 – 31st March 2015. The deadline for applications is 31st January 2014. Further details can be found here

FUNDING: for community-led enterprises

Power to Change is a new £150 million Big Lottery initiative to support the development of sustainable community-led enterprises across England. Until the programme opens for formal submissions in Autumn 2014, community groups can contact the Big Lottery Fund to find out more about how to set up their own community enterprise or to share best practice. Find out more here

CLINKS MEMBER'S EVENT: women offenders and their families

'Women Offenders and their Families' is an Action for Prisoners' Families seminar [19th Feburary, Peterborough, £75] looking at the issues around women prisoners and their families. Presentations and discussions will include: the importance of community provision for women offenders; the role of families in helping women to turn their lives around; how prisons can help sustain the relationships of separated families and prepare them for release; an interim report on research into peri-natal provision for mothers and babies in prison; and kinship care for the children of women offenders. Book your place here

NON-MEMBERS' EVENTS AND TRAINING

  • 'Making the Connections with the Police and Crime Commissioner' | 20th February, St Asaph, free | Details
  • 'VCSE Skills and Information Workshops – Victims’ Services' | dates in every PCC area, free | Details
  • '2nd National Social Care Conference and Exhibition' | 25th March, free for Light Lunch readers using code 'CLL6' | Details

PUBLICATION: How well is NOMS managing our prisons?

Russell Webster's latest blog looks at the recent National Audit Office report which examined the value for money of NOMS' prison estate strategy, finding that it contains both strong praise and trenchant criticism. Amyas Morse, the head of the NAO, summarises the report like this: "The strategy for the prison estate is the most coherent and comprehensive for many years, has quickly cut operating costs, and is a significant improvement in value for money on the approaches of the past. However, the Agency urgently needs to improve new prisons and look at ways to close fewer high-performing ones in future. The new larger prisons are bringing economies of scale but the Agency does need to understand the consequences in terms of performance of building very large prisons.” Read more here

PUBLICATION: Getting the best for BAME children and young people

Between November 2011 and October 2013 ROTA delivered the Shaping the Future seminar series, which considered some of the main challenges facing London’s Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) children and young people and their families, following a difficult economic period and wide-spread policy reforms and public spending cuts. The 500 participants agreed some progress had been made in addressing racial inequality but there was overwhelming consensus that this progress was not enough; BAME children and young people still face unequal outcomes in many key areas of life. Of particular concern were inequalities faced in relation to education, training, employment, criminal justice, mental health and well-being and the lack of BAME voice in the development of policy and practice. Download the final report of the seminar series here

RESOURCE: Children of offenders briefings for practitioners

i-HOP have produced three briefings and posters specifically for Local Safeguarding Children Boards, schools and prisons. They introduce some of the challenges associated with parental offending, highlight the importance that each specific sector considers the needs of these children and families, and outline how i-HOP can support practice development. Download them here

RESOURCE: latest TR video

Aviv Katz of the Innovation Unit, gives his views in the latest of Russell Webster's interviews about Transforming Rehabilitation (TR). Aviv thinks that TR will stimulate change and is likely to bring about improvements in service delivery. However, he is very concerned about the lack of staff engagement in TR, and thinks that improvements in probation would be most likely to happen through a process of co-production with staff and service users at the heart of it. Watch the short (5 minute) video here

OPPORTUNITY: for young people in London

Best Foot Forward, a new social enterprise, is offering young people in London the chance to set up, build and run their own business. Participants will learn how to run their own social enterprise, work as a team, conduct market research, identify their target audience, advertising, pricing, customer service, cash flow monitoring and planning ahead. The training runs in London on 24th and 31st January from 16:30 to 18:30 hrs. On 29th and 30th January the participants will gain practical experience of selling their products in Parliament, financial institutions and possibly, a royal palace. To refer a young person contact Rachel or Claire on 07936 543169

OPPORTUNITY: promote your mentoring service

justmentoring aims to improve access to good information about mentoring for everyone in the Criminal Justice System. You can increase your referrals and attract volunteers by listing your mentoring/peer support service on the justmentoring directory here

CLINKS MEMBERS' VACANCIES

Member vacancies this week include: A Trustee at Life Cycle UK [Bristol], a Relationship & Family Interventions Worker at PACT [HMP Wormwood Scrubs], 4 x Senior Programme Managers with User Voice [Various], a Bid Writer at Changing Lives [Gateshead], a Project Worker at Changing Lives [Swansea], a Regional Lead for Women’s Services at Changing Lives [Negotiable location], 2 x Support Workers at Stonham [West Sussex], 2 x Recovery Workers at CRI [Brighton], a Project Manager with Foundation [Yorkshire], a Case Officer at Sova [HMP the Mount/Hertfordshire], a Team Leader and 2 x Project Support Workers with Spurgeons [Negotiable], a Training Worker and a Bid & Contract Compliance Administrator with Pact [Vauxhall], a Policy Officer at Action for Prisoners’ Families [London], a Project Manager with Footprints [HMP Winchester/home based], a Trainer/Assessor/Worker, an Employment Support Worker and a Senior Caseworker with St Giles Trust [Ipswich]. For more information about these vacancies and many more, click here

TIPS OF THE WEEK

  • Tip of the week I: Get 50% off Opera North performing Puccini at Leeds Grand Theatre on 21st or 30th January. Use promo code 'Travelzoo'. Details
  • Tip of the week II: For £99 per room, two people can stay one night at The Royal Oak near Chester. The deal includes breakfast, 2 course meal and prosecco. Details
  • Tip of the week III: Get a three night break in Madrid, with flights from the North for £149 per person. Details

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