Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 352 | 18th July 2014

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In this week's edition....

CLINKS REQUEST: share your best practice on volunteering

As part of Clinks' ‘Justice Involving Volunteers in Europe’ (JIVE) project we will be producing a best practice guide on volunteering within the Criminal Justice System, and a range of training and support materials that organisations across the EU can use in their day to day work with volunteers. We are currently seeking UK-based examples of good practice which will feed into the development of these tools, so if your organisation currently works with volunteers and would like to contribute to this process please email Robert Price, JIVE project co-ordinator.

CLINKS PUBLICATION: a snapshot from Wales

Clinks, in partnership with the University of South Wales and the Welsh Centre for Crime & Social Justice, have undertaken a needs assessment of the voluntary sector working in criminal justice, to inform the future development and delivery of Clinks’ services in Wales. Key findings included: access to funding, advice & guidance, developing partnerships and collaborating were identified as main areas of support; private sector partners were felt to be most effective in terms of planning and developing services; and respondents indicated that they enjoyed practical working relationships with the Prison Service and Local Authorities. You can access the full report here

THE ARTS ALLIANCE NEWS: mentoring programme

Following a pilot scheme which ran from 2013 to early 2014, The Arts Alliance is rolling out its professional mentoring programme to expand opportunities for its members to develop professional skills and knowledge in the field of arts and criminal justice through a one-to-one mentoring relationship. Expert mentors working in the arts and criminal justice sector will provide a minimum of four meetings or telephone conversations over a six month period to their mentee. The mentors will provide a range of support about using arts within the Criminal Justice System, such as professional guidance, networking opportunities, ideas for direction of travel, or information on relevant events and advice on training and professional development. If you would like to receive professional mentoring from an expert member of The Arts Alliance, please click here for more information 

THE ARTS ALLIANCE NEWS: The Arts Alliance in Arts Professional

The latest edition of Arts Professional, an online magazine aimed at arts professionals, focuses on arts in the Criminal Justice System. Jess Plant, The Arts Alliance Manager, wrote about the tri-annual Arts Forum meetings that bring together the Ministry of Justice, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Arts Council England (ACE). The article focuses on the determination of The Arts Alliance to keep the arts in criminal justice settings on the political agenda. The Arts Alliance members including Geese Theatre Company, Clean Break and Prisoners Education Trust also authored pieces for the issue. Read it here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: meeting space to hire in London

DiversityInCare Ltd is a small charity that provides support to adults and families battling a wide range of issues associated with addictions and complex needs. Founder & CEO Angela Edmondson explains: "Fortunately we have acquired an office building with space for training, workshops and meetings. We aim to hire this space to large and small organisations looking for space. We are in an amazing location in Canary Wharf with great surroundings and scenery." Get rates, view the rooms and book here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: the impact of imprisonment on family members

Pact service users Cassie and Doris are featuring on BBC Radio 4's One to One programme. This week Cassie talked about her experience when she stepped in to take care of her nieces to avoid them being split up and taken into care when her sister was imprisoned for killing her partner. Next Tuesday Doris will talk about the affect her son's imprisonment for being complicit in a series of burglaries had on her work as a social worker and life as a whole. Listen to Cassie's story and find out more here 

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: bank accounts for people in prison

Unlock has now come to the end of a landmark 9-year project in developing access to basic bank accounts for people in prison before release. Publishing the project's impact report, Director of Services Christopher Stacey explains: "(The report) reflects on the progress that we have made, and sets out a number of recommendations to the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), prisons and the banking industry, so that the progress is sustained and developed even further." Download the impact report here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: mental health liaison and diversion from custody

Home Secretary Theresa May spoke last week at a Care not Custody Coalition, of which Clinks is a member, outlining how the Government is ensuring that people with mental health problems, learning disabilities and other support needs caught up in the Criminal Justice System are identified and diverted into appropriate healthcare and support services. Juliet Lyon, Director of the Prison Reform Trust, said: "Locking someone who is mentally ill in a bleak police and prison cell, with little or no support and supervision, will make things worse not better. The leadership that the Home Secretary is providing is vital to ensure that the government delivers on its promise to establish support for vulnerable and mentally ill people caught up in the justice system." View the press release and speech here 

FUNDING: getting young people into training and employment

Jointly funded between the Cabinet Office, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Ministry of Justice, the £16m Youth Engagement Fund will help disadvantaged young people aged 14 to 17 to participate and succeed in education or training, improving their employability, reducing their long-term dependency on benefits, and reducing their likelihood of offending. The fund is now open and the deadline for applications is 18th August 2014. Find out more and apply here

FUNDING: reducing reoffending on the South Coast

Community groups and voluntary organisations in Hampshire and Isle of Wight can apply now for funding to support projects which help to reduce offending, reoffending or support victims and witnesses in the two counties. The maximum grant available is £3,000. Projects should help to achieve the four priority areas of the Hampshire Police and Crime Plan. The PCC is particularly interested in applications relating to substance misuse, restorative justice and older people. The deadline for applications is 15th August. Find out more here

FUNDING: empowering communities in West Yorkshire

Grants of between £1,000 and £10,000 are available for local community projects in Calderdale that empower local people and enable them to create lasting change in their communities. Projects should be run by people directly affected by the issues they are dealing with and priority will be given to small, locally based groups or organisations in areas of disadvantage that have a clear understanding of the needs of their community. The deadline for applications is 19th September. Find out more here 

COMMISSIONING: supply chain being developed for NOMS CFO

Capita is actively participating in the NOMS CFO European Social Fund programme and is seeking expressions of interest from organisations wanting to get involved in their diverse supply chain. The focus of NOMS CFO is to help offenders move towards mainstream provision or into employment by addressing their barriers to work through facilitating access to comprehensive support mechanisms appropriate to their individual circumstance and assessed need. Emphasis will be on those furthest from mainstream activity, with an additional focus on a number of specific hard-to-reach/help groups within each ESF Contract Area (ECA). Capita is considering submitting bids in every ECA. Find out more about their bid and submit your expression of interest here 

COMMISSIONING: providers required for youth justice

The Youth Justice Board and Ministry of Justice are re-commissioning three Secure Training Centres (STCs): Hassockfield in County Durham, Rainsbrook in Rugby and Medway in Rochester. Following on from a previous Light Lunch notice, Inspiring Futures have received a good number of expressions from providers as part of their bid for these STCs. With the deadline for expressing your interest approaching on 24th July, you only have a week left to respond. If you provide, or are interested in providing employment and skills; information, advice and guidance (IAG); housing, restorative justice, or mentoring services to young people in custody you can express an interest here

CLINKS MEMBER'S  EVENT: prisoners' families in Wales

Pact Cymru are hosting an event [9th September, Builth Wells, Wales, free] on the families of prisoners. It is aimed at practitioners who are working with families affected by imprisonment in Wales and has a mix of speakers and workshops on issues facing women in prison, attachment, children's rights and the use of the Student Assistance Programme (SAP) in prisons. To attend, email your name, organisation, contact details and dietry requirements to Joanne Mulcahy

PUBLICATION: successful liaison and diversion services

'Keys to Diversion' is a Centre for Mental Health publication that identifies the key elements of successful liaison and diversion services in Lewisham, Manchester, Portsmouth and in Plymouth, Bodmin and Truro. It finds that the most successful teams offer support for a wide range of a person’s needs, they build packages of support from a range of local agencies, and they stay in touch with people after they have been referred to other services. The report makes recommendations for commissioners to ensure they offer the most effective support for people with multiple needs. Download the report here 

PUBLICATION: recommendations for the TR reforms

'Probation: Landscape review' is a House of Commons Public Accounts Committee report that examines the Transforming Rehabilitation (TR) reforms. It concludes that although the reform programme is still developing, there are evident risks arising from both the scale and pace of the reforms; the new arrangements and structures have not been fully piloted; and the Ministry of Justice has a poor track record of procuring services. The report gives a series of recommendations, including the Ministry of Justice applying best practice to all aspects of contract design, bid evaluation and contract management; the Ministry establishing a clear mechanism for identifying suppliers at risk of failing or withdrawing from their contracts that includes setting out what action it will take in these circumstances; and the Ministry should set out how it intends to satisfy itself that the proposed payment mechanism is workable. Download it here

PUBLICATION: re-engineering voluntary services

'The Rise and Influence of Social Enterprise, Social Investment and Public Service Mutuals' is a National Coalition for Independent Action report that documents how New Labour and Coalition governments, within a framework of neo-liberal thinking, have introduced business concepts and quasi markets as a way of re-engineering voluntary services. The report shows how, using 'capacity building' and with the support of sector leadership bodies, the voluntary services industry has been reined in as 'governable terrrain' and led to adopt private sector assumptions and ways of working. Download the report here 

SURVEY: mapping restorative justice services

The Restorative Justice Council (RJC) has commissioned researchers at the Hallam Centre for Community Justice at Sheffield Hallam University to undertake a mapping exercise of restorative justice (RJ) provision within the criminal justice sector across England and Wales. This is the first time a national mapping exercise of restorative justice provision has been undertaken, and the project aims to provide a snapshot of the current availability of restorative justice throughout the country and provide a resource to inform future commissioning of services. If you provide, commission or refer to RJ services in the Criminal Justice System across England and Wales, take part in the survey here 

CLINKS MEMBERS' VACANCIES

A Volunteer Coordinator and 2 x IAG Officers with Apex Charitable Trust [Merseyside], a Team Administrator with Foundation [Scarbourough], a Family Engagement Manager [HMP Holloway] and a Family Engagement Worker [HMP Swansea] with Pact, a Golden Key Service Coordinator with Second Step [Bristol], a Trustee with Foundation [flexible], a Regional Manager with Shannon Trust [home based], a Programme Manager with Sova [Kent], a Choices Caseworker [London] an Ex-Offender ETE Caseworker [Cardiff] with St Giles Trust, and a Playworker with Spurgeons [HMP Feltham]. For more information about these vacancies, and many more, click here

TIPS OF THE WEEK

  • Tip of the week I: Get half price tickets to the award-winning slapstick comedy "One Man, Two Guvnors" next week at Alhambra Theatre, Bradford. Details 
  • Tip of the week II: Return flights from Gatwick to Reykjavik to see the Northern Lights between September and March have been reduced to £98. Details
  • Tip of the week III: Get a free 10 Minute Shake Up pack for 5-11 year olds, containing a stopwatch, activity cards, and Disney themed wall chart. Details 

EXTRA INFORMATION

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Contact Us www.clinks.org | info@clinks.org | 0207 248 3538

 

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Joe Gardham

Clinks

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