Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 394 | 12th June 2015

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In this week's edition....

CLINKS BRIEFING: healthcare commissioning

Make the most of your relationship with health and care commissioners with our new briefing paper, ‘Health commissioning: An engagement approach’. This briefing offers a summary of how healthcare services for offenders are commissioned, the potential opportunities for the voluntary sector to be more closely involved in their delivery, and guidance on how to build effective partnerships with commissioners. This is the latest in our series of briefings co-written by ACEVO to help the sector understand and engage with the current commissioning landscape. Download the briefing here

CLINKS OPPORTUNITY: professional photography for your charity

To help us portray the work of the voluntary sector working in criminal justice we have commissioned some local photographers to come and visit our smaller member organisations, in order to capture the excellent work you do, and provide you with professional level images of your work that you can use in your promotional literature and websites. We currently have photographers in Yorkshire & Humber, West Midlands, and Greater London. If you're a small charity in one of these areas, please email joe.gardham@clinks.org

CLINKS REQUEST: feedback on health & care services

Are your service users getting the health & care services they deserve? Have they been treated well, or poorly? If you work with offenders and their families in Greater London or Yorkshire and Humber, we want to hear from you. As part of developing a new approach to their inspections of health and adult social care services – including in prisons, Young Offender Institutions and in the community – the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have asked Clinks to capture offenders and their families’ experiences of using health and care services. So if you or your service users have stories to share, don’t miss this chance to shout about them. Find out more and share your feedback here

CLINKS RESOURCE: stay on top of commissioning processes

As the funding landscape for voluntary sector organisations continues to evolve, it's vital to stay on top of the commissioning process. Clinks has produced a wide range of resources that can help inform and support your organisation. These include tools to assess your organisation's strengths and weaknesses, a directory for identifying bid partners, case studies on good commissioning practice, and much more. Find all these resources here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: accolade for offender mentoring service

Sefton CVS's 'Merseyside Offender Mentoring Project' has been awarded the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. Vicky Olsen, Project Manager, said: "Adam and I were guests at the Queen's Garden Party last Thursday in recognition of the award. We are due to be presented with the prestigious award by Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside Dame Lorna Muirhead over the coming months." Find out more here 

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: restorative justice quality mark grant scheme

The Restorative Justice Council (RJC) is launching a new Restorative Service Quality Mark (RSQM) grant scheme, funded by the Ministry of Justice. The grant scheme will enable a limited number of organisations delivering restorative justice in the criminal justice sector, who might not otherwise be able to afford the RSQM, to receive a grant to cover the cost of the RSQM application. The RSQM is the quality mark for services providing restorative processes. It demonstrates to commissioners and the public that organisations are committed to safe, quality restorative practice. The deadline is 27th July. Find out more and apply here 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: the experience of staff transferring to a CRC

'Criminal Justice Identities in Transition: The Case of Devolved Probation Services in England and Wales' is an article in the British Journal of Criminology that presents the findings of a study of staff during the formation of one of the new Community Rehabilitation Companies, with a specific focus on the construction and negotiation of identities. How workers experience and manage such transitions, the authors contend, tells us a great deal about the prospects for retaining (formerly) public sector staff within fields that are increasingly being subject to private sector influence. Read the article (free of charge) here 

FUNDING: growth and expansion loan finance

The Asda Foundation and Social Investment Business (SIB) are providing a £300,000 pilot fund for community enterprises in the North West or South West of England looking to take on their first loan to help move forward from the start-up stage. A loan-grant package of between £20,000 and £30,000 (10% will be a grant) is available. Proposals must be able to explain how their project addresses the needs of the community and how it will tackle underlying issues to deliver benefits to the community. Eligible locations are, in the North West: Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside. And in the South West: Gloucestershire, Bristol, Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall. The deadline for applications is 26th June. Find out more here 

FUNDING: improving London's high streets

The Mayor of London's High Street Fund offers a total grant pot of £285,000, available to any organisation wishing to make a difference to their high street. Funding is being directed to places that have potential for growth and where there is the commitment and capacity for real long-term change. Successful projects will create vibrant, attractive places that underpin good growth and that will address the interrelated challenges of accommodating new homes on London’s high streets, while nurturing businesses and enhancing civic life. The deadline for applications is 29th June. Find out more, apply, and see what past projects have done here 

FUNDING: improving ex-offenders' skills

The Big Lottery Fund has launched 'Building Better Opportunities', a large grants programme for projects that provide opportunities for people to improve numeracy, literacy and digital skills, build confidence and self-esteem, and better understand and manage their finances. Extra support will be given to hard to reach and socially-excluded groups, including people with disabilities, mental health or addiction issues, those who are homeless, ex-offenders and people living in isolated rural areas. Grants are between £300,000 and £10m. The deadline for applications is 3rd August. Find out more here 

FUNDING: supporting the Essex PCC

The Essex Police and Crime Commissioner's Community Safety Development Fund has a total fund of £300,000, with no minimum or maximum award, for organisations covering any geographical area within Essex, Southend and Thurrock. Projects must clearly demonstrate how they are supporting the police and crime commissioner’s priorities, which include: Ensuring local solutions tackle local problems; Reducing domestic abuse and all other hidden harms; Reducing youth offending and all types of re-offending; and Tackling the consequences of alcohol and drugs abuse and mental health issues. Applications can be made at any time. Find out more here

CLINKS MEMBER'S EVENT: forgiveness and compassion

'Forgiveness and Compassion: Is there a difference?', The Forgiveness Project's Annual Lecture [23rd June, London, £15], will feature a keynote speech by Karen Armstrong, one of the world’s most thought-provoking and original public thinkers on the role of religion in historical and contemporary life. This will be followed by a panel discussion with Yasmin Yar Mulbocus, formerly a member of a radical Islamist organisation; Bjørn Magnus Jacobsen Ihler, a survivor of the July 2011 right-wing extremist attacks in Norway; and chaired by Sarfraz Manzoor, journalist, broadcaster and author. Find out more and book here

CLINKS MEMBER'S EVENT: play performed in a prison van

Performed in a prison van in the Faraway Forest, SWEATBOX is a new Clean Break play by Chloë Moss, directed by Imogen Ashby [17th - 19th July, Latitude Festival]. A small audience enters the back of a prison van – the ‘sweatbox’. Three women inside share stories of arrival and anticipation as they are transported from court to prison, from prison to prison, and from prison to court. The production features a cast of actors who studied at Clean Break before taking on professional roles for the company and elsewhere. Find out more here 

CLINKS MEMBER'S EVENT: examining post-election criminal justice

The Howard League for Penal Reform's 'Community Programmes' conference [21st July, London, from £140] aims to provide an opportunity to examine where policing, crime and penal policy sit following the general election, and will explore new challenges to diversion and desistance policy and practice. Speakers confirmed so far include: Diane Abbott MP; Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner; Baroness Helena Kennedy QC; and Baroness Doreen Lawrence of Clarendon OBE. Find out more and book your place here 

CLINKS PARTNER'S EVENT: the voluntary sector’s experience of commissioning

Nathan Dick, Head of Policy and Communications at Clinks will be speaking at 'More than a provider - the voluntary sector’s experience of commissioning' [16th June, Bristol, free]. Nathan will discuss feedback Clinks’ has gathered from a range of charities engaged in both national and local commissioning to deliver support services for people in the Criminal Justice System. He will give an insight into what is working, as well as what could be improved and also offer some early evidence of the impact that Transforming Rehabilitation is having on the voluntary sector’s role in the resettlement and rehabilitation of offenders.  Find out more here

OPPORTUNITY: mentoring ex-offenders

LiNKS is a newly introduced mentoring programme at PLIAS Resettlement [London, NW10] that is looking for mentors to support to ex-offenders and people who are at risk of offending to integrate successfully back into society and the community. PLIAS said: "All you need to do is commit one to two hours a week for a minimum of six months. Mentors should be willing to give their time, experience and knowledge to empower ex-offenders to turn their lives around." Find out more here

AWARDS: for collaborative organisations in Suffolk

The Working Together Fund is an awards programme open to Suffolk’s voluntary, community and social enterprise sector. Financial awards of either £5,000 or £10,000 will be made in recognition of outstanding service delivery or community activity as a result of increased collaborative working throughout the county. Applicants who feel that their organisation or group has delivered a project that is worthy of an award should, in the first instance, telephone Andrea Pittock on 01473 786912 to discuss their proposed application. The deadline for applications is 30th June. Find out more here

AWARDS: for charities in North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire County Council have launched a new community awards scheme to recognise and celebrate voluntary work carried out by people and organisations countywide. Categories include Best community project award, Best community group award, Volunteer of the year, and Young people volunteering award. The winners will receive £1,000 towards their project, group or nominated local charity with nominations closing on 10th July. Find out more here 

CLINKS MEMBERS' VACANCIES

Vacancies this week include: A Resettlement Administrative Assistant with Changing Lives [Gateshead], a Mental Health Services Manager with Lancashire Women's Centres [Nelson], a Complex Needs Services Manager with Community Links [Batley], a Sex Working Women Service Development Co-ordinator with The Nelson Trust [Gloucester & Swindon], a Head of Development and Head of Operations with Safeground [London]. For further information about these vacancies and many more, click here. 

TIPS OF THE WEEK

  • Tip of the week I: Book your child (ages 5-7 or 8-11) on to free, two hour cooking courses. Details 
  • Tip of the week II: Download free colouring pages for adults. Details
  • Tip of the week III: For £75 per night, two people can stay overnight at the boutique Bell in Ticehurst, Sussex. Deal includes breakfast and prosecco. Details 

EXTRA INFORMATION

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Contact Us www.clinks.org | info@clinks.org | 020 7383 0966

 

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