Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 332 | 21st February 2014

In this week's edition....

CLINKS REQUEST: examples needed of good health sector partnerships

Clinks is seeking examples of good partnership practice between the health and care sector and the voluntary sector. We want to show examples of how partnership with the voluntary sector can facilitate and support better engagement with health and care services by offenders. We are particularly interested in organisations that can give more than one example of this type of work. Clinks will write up and publish the most suitable as case studies, and may ask some to give presentations at conferences. If you are interested, please email Kate Aldous

CLINKS OPPORTUNITY: scholarship to develop frontline innovation

Clinks, the Centre for Justice Innovation and the Young Foundation are offering a limited number of scholarships that will offer bespoke support for practitioners from all sectors to promote new ideas and fresh thinking. StreetCraft Scholarships has been set up to champion the development of innovative frontline criminal justice projects, following research by the Centre for Justice Innovation that shows early-stage criminal justice pioneers can benefit from strategic support in the early stages. The deadline for applications is 19th March; for more details click here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: campaign to stop Secure Colleges

Howard League for Penal Reform have published an online petition calling on the Government to abandon its plans to spend £85 million on 'Secure Colleges'. Howard League say "The very small number of children who truly require custody should be held in very small secure homes, focused on their complex welfare needs. Instead of pursuing this wasteful and dangerous policy, the government must halt their plans, invest instead in alternatives to custody and reduce the number of children held behind bars." Find out more and sign the petition here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: Ministry of Justice policy update

The MoJ have collated a policy update to support the Reducing Reoffending Third Sector Advisory (RR3) group. The update provides information on the policy issues that will be of direct interest to third sector organisations and includes an information on Transforming Rehabilitation, the review of deaths in custody and older prisoners. Please note that the RR3 meeting for February 2014 has been cancelled. To view the document please click here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: changes to declaring low level convictions

Reforms which will cut the amount of time some offenders need to disclose details of any low level convictions will come into effect next month. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: “[These] changes are long overdue. They will mean that people who have turned their backs on crime will be able to move on with their lives. Evidence shows that former offenders who are able to get back into the world of work and contribute to society are less likely to reoffend. Making a mistake and committing a minor crime when you are fifteen shouldn’t mean you are barred from employment for the rest of your life.” Read Clinks member Unlock's views on this announcement here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: TR payment mechanism explained

Blogger Russell Webster has provided a useful summary of how the payment mechanism will work for the new Transforming Rehabilitation probation contracts. He covers 'Fee for Service' and 'Payment by Results', and provides a graph to demonstrate the 'learning curve discount' over the term of a contract. View it here

FUNDING: getting people back to work in the North West

Grants of up to £13,500 are available for voluntary organisations in the North West that help people return to work. The scheme aims to support innovative projects and new ways of working. Organisations with a turnover of less than £300,000 and which employ no more than nine full time paid staff are eligible to apply. Project beneficiaries must be aged 19 years and over, not employed or economically active (work for less than 8 hours per week), live in the most disadvantaged areas or face barriers to learning and work, be legally resident in the UK and have the right to work in the European Union. The deadline for applications is 31st March, details here

COMMISSIONING: evaluator needed for arts charity

Clinks member Koestler Trust is looking to commission a researcher to evaluate its new Gateway Mentoring Pathway. They expect the research to conclude in a 25 - 40 page report including an executive summary and key recommendations for practice and policy in criminal justice, the arts and research. The research needs to begin in April 2014 and is to be completed and published in November 2015. The budget is £25,000 and proposals should be submitted by 18th March. Download the full tender document here

COMMISSIONING: gather victims' views in Essex

Essex Probation is commissioning a research project to ask victims of crime for their views, as service users, on the Criminal Justice System in Essex. A key element of the PCC's Police and Crime Plan is to ensure that victims' voices are heard; this piece of work is an opportunity to give victims the opportunity to help design services that meet their needs. The budget for this work is £25,000 and proposals must be received by 12th March. For more information, click here

CLINKS MEMBER'S EVENT: supporting people with convictions

If you’re providing support to people with convictions, book onto one of Unlock's next Masterclasses [18th March, 7th May, London, £99]. They aim to provide participants with a greater understanding of how the criminal record and disclosure systems operate (and how they have changed) and the implications this has for people with convictions when seeking employment, volunteer work and more broadly in moving on positively in their lives. Find out more here

CLINKS MEMBER'S EVENT: supporting the families of sex offenders

'Supporting the Families of Sex Offenders' is an Action for Prisoners' Families event [26th March, London, £75] for practitioners who are working with the families of sex offenders and is focused on providing an overview and debating the issues affecting these families and seeking solutions, as well as highlighting good practice. For details and bookings, click here

CLINKS MEMBER'S EVENT: pathways to employment for ethnic minority jobseekers

BTEG are hosting an event [3rd April, London, from £58] examining how to improve the labour market outcomes of people from ethnic minority backgrounds. The event will focus on practical ways that providers, charities and government can support ethnic minority jobseekers into work, and overcome the ‘ethnic penalties’ to entering and progressing in work faced by Black, Asian and minority ethnic jobseekers. Discussing this will be a range of speakers from organisations including the Department for Work and Pensions, Jobcentre Plus, Work Programme providers, local government, and local voluntary council sector organisations. Find out more and book your place here

NON-MEMBERS' EVENTS AND TRAINING

  • 'Health and social care - managing the risks' | 5th March, London, free | Details
  • 'Working with Women in Criminal Justice' | 11th March, Reading, free | Details
  • 'Public Health 2014' | 12th March, London | Free places for Light Lunch readers, use code PA3 | Details
  • 'Care and treatment of offenders with learning and/or developmental disabilities' | 10th - 11th April, Newcastle, from £210 | Details

PUBLICATION: people with convictions as trustees

Clinks member Unlock has responded to the Government's consultation on the Charity Commission. They explain: "There is a common theme that runs throughout our response – our aim is to ensure that the processes of the Charity Commission work in a way which allows charities the freedom to recruit people as trustees who have unspent convictions, where the charity believes that the individual can fulfil their obligations as a trustee and the charity can show it has taken reasonable steps to protect the interests of the charity." Download the full response here

PUBLICATION: what's the alternative to custody?

As part of Howard League's U R Boss project, they asked one of their young advisors 'What's the alternative to sending young people to custody?'. Project participant CJ says "It would focus highly on physical activity, being healthy, personal and social development, alcohol and drug awareness, education, and resettlement back into the community, breaking the cycle of prison and stopping the 'I've been to prison' stigma.” Read the full blog post here

PUBLICATION: stories from the frontline of criminal justice innovation

StreetCraft is a new collection of interviews of 29 British criminal justice practitioners as they have set out on a path to innovate within their respective sectors. It relates their stories of obstacles, opportunities, successes and failures as experienced first hand by them. Download the book free here

RESOURCE: children of offenders briefing for criminal justice commissioners

i-HOP has produced a briefing for criminal justice commissioners to assist them in considering children and families of offenders. The briefing discusses the positive impact of family-focused interventions on reducing re-offending and inter-generational offending and recommends recognising families in service specifications and Key Performance Indicators. Download it here

OPPORTUNITY: become a probation inspector

HM Inspectorate of Probation is advertising for Assistant Inspectors – experienced staff (usually first line managers or senior practitioners) to be seconded for 1-2 years to undertake inspections. The closing date for applications is Monday 3rd March at 12 noon. You can download the full job pack here

CONSULTATION: London gangs strategy

The London Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) is holding two consultation events [17th March, Brixton and Enfield] as part of the work to refresh the London Anti-Gangs Strategy. The Brixton event (9am - 11am) is themed around exit from gangs, whilst the Enfield event (6pm - 8pm) will focus on preventing gang involvement. To register and for further information, email LCRBgangsStrategy@mopac.london.gov.uk

CLINKS MEMBERS' VACANCIES

Vacancies this week include: a caseworker with the Well Women Centre [Wakefield], a Senior Criminal Justice Issues Officer with Rethink Mental Illness [London], a Programme Manager with Drugscope/MEAM [London], a Prison Project Coordinator at After Adoption Yorkshire [Leeds], a Support Worker and a Support Assistant [HMP Durham], a Housing Support Assistant [Kirklees] a Time Out Worker [Scarborough] and an Assistant Operations Director [Flexible/Leeds] all with Foundation, a Children’s Counsellor, Recovery Worker and a Night Concierge with Changing Lives [Middlesborough] and a Business Development Manager with Changing Lives [Gateshead], a Volunteer Mentor with Nacro [London], a Temporary Project Worker with Langley House [Lancaster], a Trustee at Khulisa [London] and an Operations Assistant with Switchback [London]. For more information about these vacancies and many more, click here

TIPS OF THE WEEK

  • Tip of the week I: To accompany the BBC One series Paul O'Grady's Working Britain, you can order a free journal of working life that includes topics like: work; homes and housing; leisure; representation; and struggle. Details
  • Tip of the week II: National Express has just released a new batch of UK coach seats priced from £2, each way. Details
  • Tip of the week III: Fly Gatwick to Palma, Mallorca in April and May from just £42 return. Details

EXTRA INFORMATION

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Joe Gardham

Clinks

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