Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 353 | 25th July 2014

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In this week's edition....
 

CLINKS RESPONSE: voluntary sector sustainability funding

The Cabinet Office has recently consulted on a new fund to support the sustainability of voluntary sector organisations, aiming to provide support to medium-sized organisations to plan for the longer term. Clinks has submitted a response, pointing out that voluntary sector organisations working in criminal justice and community safety are having to adapt to a rapidly changing business environment, significant policy changes, changing service user need, and a reduction in available funding, and we know that this can have a negative impact on the valuable and effective services they deliver. We have provided responses to questions in the consultation where we feel our experience has highlighted particularly good practice in the provision of funding and support for the sector. Download the response here

CLINKS EVENT: meet Durham and Darlington PCC

Clinks and VONNE (Voluntary Organisation Network North East) are hosting a 'Voluntary Sector Stakeholder Forum Breakfast Meeting' [19th August, Durham, free] with Ron Hogg, Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Durham and Darlington. Our recently published report 'A snapshot from the North East: The voluntary sector working in criminal justice' recommends that the PCCs in the North East need a clear strategy for engaging with the voluntary sector, and this breakfast meeting is the first step to improving engagement between the PCC and the voluntary sector in the North East. This event will be an opportunity to meet the PCC; gain an overview of the police and crime plan; and be part of a discussion on what future engagement with the sector should include. For more information, and bookings, click here

CLINKS SURVEY: do you use volunteers?

Clinks' Justice Involving Volunteers in Europe (JIVE) project is keen to identify the level and nature of volunteering within the Criminal Justice System across Europe. Our online survey will help gather evidence and give us a better understanding of how and why European organisations working with prisoners and ex-offenders use volunteers, highlighting what works and beginning a dialogue on best practice. The survey focuses on areas including selection and engagement with volunteers, how they are trained and motivated, and how organisations structure the work carried out by volunteers. If you use volunteers in your organisation, have your say here

CLINKS REQUEST: help us to develop guidance on young adults

Do you work with young adults aged 18-25 on probation licence? On behalf of the Transition to Adulthood Alliance, we're developing guidance for probation practitioners on working with young adults. We'de like to meet service users and frontline workers in services that exemplify good practice and creative, effective approaches to working with this group. We are inviting statutory, voluntary and private sector services to submit an expression of interest form by 15th August. To get involved, download the form here

CLINKS BLOG: run services that help people into employment?

The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Co-Financing Organisation (CFO)'s third round of funding has featured in Light Lunch a number of times recently, and Nathan Dick, Head of Policy and Communications at Clinks, has written a blog to provide more information. The programme is intended 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". The fund is moving at a pace now, with a formal Invitation To Tender (ITT) stage due to commence in August, so if you run services that help people into employment, we would recommend that you look into this opportunity. Click here to read the blog

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: employment programme rolled out in Europe

Rideout's Talent4 employment programme is to be adopted by the Romanian Prison Service in all of its 34 prisons. The programme was devised for UK prisoners seeking a new vocation away from crime, and involves 3 days using games, puzzles, films and discussion, to help participants understand their acquired skills and talents. Chris Johnston, Co-Director at Rideout says: "This is really excellent news and we are very grateful to our Romanian partner, Association for an Active Future, for working hard on the adaptations to make this possible. The next step is to support Active Future in the dissemination of training for relevant staff in each of the prisons.” To find out more about the announcement, click here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: celebrating youth participation

IARS' 'Research and Youth Leadership awards 2014' are open for nominations. The awards are open to children, young people, adults and organisations and will be judged according to the criteria of positive impact, youth activism and leadership potential. The awards include catagories for: Youth Digital Award; The Peacemaker of the Year Award; and The Community Leader Award. The submission deadline is 10th August 2014. For more information, click here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: well-being and resilience for homeless people

Lemos&Crane have launched their new 'SupportActionNet' website to provide guidance and resources for professionals working with homeless and vulnerable people. The website is based upon findings from a study of homeless people’s attitude to faith and spirituality that found that many people experiencing homelessness felt that spirituality and faith were a significant part of their lives, but that some services struggled to engage with the spiritual aspirations of service users. It includes guidance and information, spirituality toolkits, and 100 good practice examples of organisations engaging in innovative projects for homeless and vulnerable people. To visit the website, click here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: adult offending work inspected in Wales

HM Inspectorate of Probation have published a report for their inspection into adult offending work in Wales. The purpose of the inspections is to assess whether the sentence of the court is delivered effectively, and whether work with the individual offender protects the public, reduces the likelihood of reoffending, and provides a high quality service to courts and victims. Download the report here

FUNDING: raise awareness of funding

The 'Building Better Opportunities' programme from the Big Lottery Fund will fund voluntary sector organisations in England to raise awareness of the funding opportunities available through the European Social Fund (ESF). One lead voluntary sector organisation in each Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) in England will be given between £10,000 and £50,000 to prepare potential applicants for the main funding by: ensuring there is widespread awareness of the ESF funding with potential applicants fully informed of the requirements, risks and responsibilities involved; providing administrative support to develop positive working relationships between organisations; and providing a publicly advertised contact for local organisations to find out more. The deadline for applications is 4th September 2014. Find out more here

FUNDING: innovative ideas to improve health

The Health Foundation's 'Innovating for Improvement' fund is offering up to £75,000 to support those with innovative ideas to improve the quality of health care. Funding is available for projects that equip people to manage their conditions and health care more effectively; and equip health care providers to improve the quality of care provided to their patients on a daily basis by making improvements in direct services for people with health care needs in any health care setting. Any health or health and social care provider organisation in the UK, where health care services are delivered free at the point of delivery, are eligable to apply. The deadline for applications is 5th August. For more information click here

FUNDING: financial hardship support

Grants of up to £30,000 per year for up to 3 years are available to charitable organisations in the UK that can deliver projects to support people who are in severe financial hardship, who are financially excluded and/or who are hard to reach. Applications to the Money Advice Trust are welcome from projects that can demonstrate innovative practice to support people to: increase their financial literacy; save money; reduce their debt; maximise their income; and access affordable credit and financial services. Expressions of interest are being accepted until 17th August 2014. For more information, and to apply, click here

FUNDING: for young people in the North

The Fernhurst Trust is offering grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 to registered charities in North Yorkshire (including York). The aims of the Trust are to help young people to develop their skills, capacities and capabilities; to advance education, training and re-training among unemployed people; and to provide training and employment opportunities to unemployed people through help in setting up their own business, or through help to existing small businesses. The deadline for applications is 17th October. For more information click here

COMMISSIONING: NOMS CFO supply chain opportunity

Ingeus is planning to tender for Round 3 of the NOMS CFO/ESF 2014-2020 Operational Programme in East Midlands (Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland) and East of England (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk). The focus of the NOMS Round 3 provision is to prepare offenders for employment and mainstream provision. Ingeus is ‘looking to build local, high performing supply chains to make a real difference to the lives of those offenders who are furthest from mainstream provision’. They are looking for organisations that have a track record in: engaging hard to reach groups in custody and the community; peer mentoring; developing social enterprise models; providing accommodation; supporting offenders with health and substance misuse needs; supporting women and young offenders; and providing training. If you are interested in working with Ingeus to deliver NOMS ESF, contact partnerships@ingeus.co.uk

COMMISSIONING: partners required for NOMS CFO contract

Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland Community Rehabilitation Company (DLNR CRC) is also seeking supply chain partners for their bid for Round 3 of the NOMS CFO/ESF contract for the East Midlands and potentially East of England. They are particularly interested to hear from local voluntary sector organisations that have experience in working with offenders and can offer services that provide: access to employment; vocational training and education; housing, finance, benefit and debt advice; access to housing; mentoring support; drug and alcohol services; healthy living support; family support; and specialist support for priority groups including women, BAME, and young people. The deadline for expressions of interest is 11th August for core partners, and 22nd August for associate partners. Request an expression of interest form by contacting REACH.HQ@leicestershire.probation.gsi.gov.uk

CLINKS MEMBER'S TRAINING: drama workshop leading course for ex-prisoners

Synergy Theatre Project will be offering a ten week introductory course for ex-prisoners in leading drama workshops [starting 13th August, central London, free]. Participants will have the opportunity to lead drama workshops for young people, learn some of the theatre and faciliation skills involved, and then try out the skills learned in a real workshop setting. No experience is required, just commitment and a willingness to give it a go. Participants must be available Wednesdays 6:30pm - 9pm, and the deadline for applications is 1st August. For more information email info@synergytheatreproject.co.uk or phone 020 3668 6730

CLINKS MEMBER'S CAMPAIGN: making a difference to children's services

The 'Missing Millions' appeal from Barnardo's aims to encourage people to sign up to Gift Aid in order to allow the charity to receive an extra estimated sum of £6.5m from Gift Aided donations of pre-loved clothes, accessories and goods to Barnardo's stores each year. Gerard Cousins, Director of Trading says: “I don’t think people really understand just how simple it is to sign up to Gift Aid and what an important difference it could make to Barnardo’s children’s services, without costing them a penny." Fill out a Gift Aid declaration form, here

CLINKS MEMBER'S CAMPAIGN: skills for employment in Bristol

Re:work is a social enterprise and registered charity which provides work experience placements to unemployed and young people in the Knowle West area of south Bristol. They currently have a crowdsourcing campaign with the aim of raising £10,000 towards their running costs, and to pay for their volunteer training coordinator, so they can work with young people to "help them make the transition back into education, challenge preconceptions, deal with self-harm, suicidal thoughts, loss of family members, and breakdown of home life". Four out of five of the young people they work with go on to education or work. Find out more about the charity, and make a donation, here

NON-MEMBERS' EVENTS

  • 'Next steps for prisons policy - modernisation, sentencing and rehabilitation' | 3rd December 2014, London, from £80 | Details
  • 'What are the alternatives to policing?' | 22nd October 2014, London, optional donation | Details
  • 'Putting and End to Domestic Violence' | 2nd September, London, from £245 | Details

OFFENDER HEALTH: giving individuals control over their health

NHS England is to offer local authorities a new Integrated Personal Commissioning (IPC) option in which individuals can control their combined health and social care support. This will build on the work on the Better Care Fund and extend the work done on personal health budgets. Included in the first wave affected from April 2015 will be people with long term conditions, including frail elderly people at risk of care home admission; children with complex needs; people with learning disabilities; and people with severe and enduring mental health problems. These high-need individuals will be offered the ability to control their own blended NHS and community care, in partnership with voluntary sector. Read more about the announcement, here. To receive more information on offender health, join Clinks and subscribe to our offender health briefing – one of many Clinks member benefits!

PUBLICATION: report on troubled families

'Understanding Troubled Families' is a Department for Communities and Local Government report that sets out the range and level of problems that families who are part of the Troubled Families programme are experiencing. Families taking part in the programme were targeted for help due to having being involved in youth crime or anti-social behaviour; having children who are regularly truanting or not in school; and having an adult on out of work benefits. The programme aims to address problems such as domestic violence, dysfunctional relationships, and mental and physical health problems. The report also discusses the implications of the findings and how local authorities are changing the way they work with families. Download the report here

CLINKS MEMBERS' VACANCIES

Vacancies this week include: an Operations Manager with User Voice [London], a Project Manager with Foundation [Scarborough], a Resettlement Hub Volunteer with Hibiscus Initiatives [HMP Holloway], a Community Intervention Worker with Community Links (Northern) [Halifax], 2 x Family Support Group Volunteers with Prisoners Abroad [York & Birmingham], a Prison Recovery Coordination Team Leader (Maternity cover) and a Prison Recovery Senior Practitioner with Lifeline Projects [HMP Styal], and an Admin and Communications Officer, a Project Support Worker and a Team Leader with Spurgeons [Birmingham]. For further information about these vacancies, and many more, click here

TIPS OF THE WEEK

  • Tip of the week I: Stay for 2 nights in a riad in Marrakesh including breakfast and flights from London from £99. Details
  • Tip of the week II: Save £49 on Virgin balloon flights with champagne with a choice of over 100 locations nationwide. Details
  • Tip of the week III: A tour of The Great Yorkshire Brewery in North Yorkshire with lunch, beer tasting, and gift pack is only £29 for 2. Details
     

EXTRA INFORMATION

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