Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 404 | 28th August 2015

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In this week's edition....

LIGHT LUNCH NOTICE: no Light Lunch next week

There'll be no Light Lunch next week, Friday 4th September. The next edition will be Friday 11th September, so please submit your content by 12pm Wednesday 9th September.

CLINKS VACANCY: membership & marketing officer

Clinks have a fantastic opportunity for an experienced candidate to join our respected communications team as our Membership and Marketing Officer. You will take a lead role in marketing Clinks' products and services; administering, promoting and developing our membership scheme; maintaining and improving our database and website functionality; and assist in writing, designing and proof-reading materials for publication. The closing date for applications is 9am on Monday 21st September. Find out more here

CLINKS EVENT: professional mentoring scheme

The National Alliance for Arts in Criminal Justice (NAACJ) are now looking for the next intake of mentors with knowledge and experience of working in the arts and criminal justice sector to join the scheme and attend a mentor training day [11th September, London, free]. Following two successful intakes of mentors and mentees from 2013-2015, NAACJ is now rolling out its professional mentoring scheme for a third year. The scheme aims to expand opportunities for its members to develop professional skills and knowledge through a one-to-one mentoring relationship with a more experienced NAACJ member. Find out more and apply here

CLINKS EVENT: service user involvement managers network

Are you responsible for service user involvement in your organisation? Join us for this afternoon networking event for Clinks members [14th September, London, free] which will bring together service user involvement managers to share experiences, expertise, challenges and successes, and learn from one another. Through the session we will aim to celebrate best practice in service user involvement, identify challenges and support needs in your work, and consider what resources are needed to promote and build effective service user involvement across the Criminal Justice System. Places are limited, for more information and bookings click here

CLINKS EVENT: effective approaches to working with young adults

We are running an event [7th October, Nottingham, free] to raise awareness among probation practitioners and others working with young adults about how best to engage and work with them. The event is co-hosted by the Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland Community Rehabilitation Company to launch their new Young Adults Strategy and will include a keynote address from Dr Nathan Hughes, Marie Curie Research Fellow at the Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia. The events are for probation and other practitioners working with young adults in the Criminal Justice System and for managers with responsibility for ensuring appropriate interventions and services for this group. Find out more and book your place here

CLINKS BLOG: supporting organisations in the North East

Natalie Maidment, our Local Development Officer in the North East, recently undertook a survey to measure the impact of our North East-based support for the voluntary sector working in criminal justice. We were pleased to see the results, which showed us just how much the work is valued by local organisations. 90% of respondents value the information we disseminate, 86% of respondents feel more informed about the CJS and feel we provide the opportunity to influence policy, and all respondents felt that the services we provide meet their needs ‘very well’. The biggest concerns for the sector in the North East include funding, contracting, TR, and housing services. Read Natalie's blog post here

CLINKS BLOG: visiting an offender employment project

Joe Gardham, our Communications Manager, recently visited a project in West Yorkshire that offers employment opportunities for people leaving HMP Leeds. Joe said: "I was really impressed by the dedication, innovation and tenacity of Steve and Val who have set this scheme up with their own money and receive no income from it. I was inspired by the attitude and pragmatic approach of the factory manager, Reshad. I found myself rooting for Peter and Thomas and all the other guys that ‘graduate’ through TempusNovo." Read Joe's blog post here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: young care leavers project scoops major award

1625 Independent People's 'Future 4 Me' has been crowned the UK’s Best Charity Project by the National Lottery. Pilar Garcia, Funding and Communication Manager, said: "We are absolutely delighted that Future 4 Me service users and staff have received this recognition and national acclaim. You have been unwavering in your support over the last few weeks, we cannot thank you enough. This award will be hugely influential in helping us to keep the challenges faced by young care/custody leavers high on the public agenda. Once again  - thank you so much for your support and help in getting the 7333 votes we needed to win. We did it! Britain’s Got Talent’s Ashley Banjo paid us a surprise visit today to give us the award in person!" You can see pictures and read more on the 1625ip website

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: multiple needs research network

Revolving Doors and LankellyChase Foundation are launching a new research network, aiming to develop the evidence-base on multiple and complex needs, or severe and multiple disadvantage. The network brings together researchers from different disciplines and sectors, such as homelessness, criminology, psychology and health. It encourages collaboration across professional boundaries to study different aspects of the issue, and will also seek to bridge the gap between research and practice by promoting ways of improving service delivery and by involving people with direct experience. Find out more and get involved here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: research into young people and resettlement

Beyond Youth Custody’s most recent review outlines the latest lessons from research, policy and practice in the resettlement of young people since the last update in March 2015. The review summarises recent trends in youth imprisonment, comments on the current focus on safety in custodial institutions, and draws out implications for resettlement services and practitioners. The review also considers findings from new international research, illuminating innovative approaches to working with young people in custody and on release, including a study on the psychological impact of exposure to suicide or attempted suicide among prisoners aged 16-21 and an American study into sexual abuse as a criminogenic factor for girls entering custody. Read the review here

COMMISSIONING: implementing the Social Value Act

The Social Value (Public Services) Act 2012 was reviewed by Lord Young, who identified three key barriers that need to be overcome in order for the Act to be utilised to its full potential: awareness and take-up, practical understanding, and measurement. The Cabinet Office have £30,000 available for an organisation that will in turn provide a financial contribution to between 5-10 organisations to work with public contracting authorities to embed social value in their processes, with a particular focus on enhancing the effective and proportionate measurement of social value.  The deadline for expressions of interest is 17th September. Download the expression of interest form and further information here

COMMISSIONING: supporting women and girl's organisations

The Big Lottery Fund is inviting tenders for a service provider to deliver support and advice to the Fund’s grant applicants from the Women and Girls Initiative on their learning and evaluation priorities. They will require the service provider to work with approximately 100 grant applicants before they submit a full application, to ensure they are clear on their learning priorities and the associated costs they should budget for this work. The service provider will be expected to help applicants to understand the audiences that they wish to influence, what the focus of their research questions should be, and to provide advice on the research methodologies and tools that they might wish to use. The total budget for the tender is £63,600, with work commencing 28th September. The deadline for applications is 9th September. Find out more and apply here

CLINKS MEMBER'S EVENT: alternatives to custody

'Alternatives to custody' is a Centre for Crime and Justice Studies workshop [23rd September, London, free] that will bring together practitioners and experts in probation and other fields of criminal justice, to understand: how to improve the support of those with learning or communication difficulties; and the risks and challenges presented by the push for universally available restorative justice. Find out more and book your place here

CLINKS MEMBER'S EVENT: prisoner art exhibition

'Re:Form' is the official opening [1st October, London] of the 2015 Koestler Awards, the national showcase of arts by prisoners, offenders on community sentences, secure psychiatric patients and immigration detainees. Working alongside Southbank Centre exhibition hosts, to welcome visitors and invigilate the exhibition, are ex-offenders, specially recruited, trained and employed by the Koestler Trust. As well as gaining unique work experience and new skills, the hosts deepen visitors’ engagement with the exhibition, enabling audiences to hear first-hand how the arts reflect and enrich the lives of people in
secure and criminal justice settings. Download the flyer here

CLINKS MEMBER'S EVENT: for criminal justice practitioners in the West Midlands

YSS are running an event [19th October, Worcester, free] aimed at anyone working in the adult Criminal Justice System in Warwickshire and West Mercia. The event will provide an opportunity to hear from key players about the work going on in their specific criminal justice areas and explore how delegates can work together to reduce re-offending. Find out more and book your place here

CLINKS MEMBER'S EVENT: Transforming Rehabilitation so far

'Transforming Rehabilitation: Making it Work' is a NoOffence! event [20th October, Derby, from £75] that will give attendees the opportunity to take stock of progress made and to share lessons learned as TR develops. The speakers, including Yvonne Thomas from Purple Futures, Nathan Dick from Clinks, and Neil Moloney from Sodexo, will discuss what is working, and how, and what needs to improve with suggestions as to how such required developments might be achieved. Find out more and book your place here

CLINKS PARTNER'S EVENT: homelessness, drugs, alcohol and offending

'Hard Edges, Lives behind the numbers' is a LankellyChase Foundation, User Voice and Innovation Unit event [7th September, Manchester, free] that provides an opportunity for you to listen to the stories of twelve people who have experienced homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction and offending. You will have the opportunity to explore the stories in depth, and to connect with other service providers, frontline workers, commissioners and people with lived experience, to share insights about how services can be designed in a way that better supports people facing severe and multiple disadvantage. Find out more and book your place here

NON-MEMBERS' EVENTS & TRAINING

  • 'Health and well-being in prison populations' | 11th September, London, free | Details

RESOURCE: diverting young people away from the CJS

The Centre for Justice Innovation has developed a toolkit for practitioners diverting young people away from the Criminal Justice System. There is considerable evidence indicating that if young people are formally involved in the justice system too early, it can actually increase their offending and lengthen their criminal careers. Smart use of diversion – that is, addressing low-level behaviour without escalating into use of the justice system – can generate better outcomes for young people and their communities. But current provision is piecemeal and often precariously funded. The toolkit outlines the research case for youth diversion, offers messaging support for approaching new and existing commissioners, and provides guidance on a method of demonstrating the cost effectiveness of diversion. Download the guide here

OPPORTUNITY: spend a day working in government

'A Day In The Life' is a work-shadowing initiative that provides a unique opportunity for staff from government and voluntary organisations to step into each other's shoes for a day and learn about how the other sector operates. As well as improving cross-sector understanding, the programme helps participants find out about the roles and responsibilities of staff within another organisation, and the operational environments and wider contexts in which they work. Government departments taking part this year are: Cabinet Office, Department for Communities and Local Government, Department for Education, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Department for Work and Pensions, Home Office, and National Audit Office. The closing date for applications is 30th September. Find out more here

CLINKS MEMBERS' VACANCIES

Vacancies this week include: Vacancies this week include: An Involvement Manager with Revolving Doors Agency [London], an Improving Prospects Delivery Manager and Project Worker with Leap Confronting Conflict [London], Volunteer Mentors with Nacro [Kent, Surrey and Sussex], a Young Person Drug & Alcohol Worker [Middlesborough] and Project Workers [Kirklees] with DISC, an Administrator/Trainee Caseworker with St Giles Trust [Shropshire/HMP Stoke Heath], Trustees with The Griffins Society [London], a Hostel Support Assistant [Tameside] and a Senior Support Worker [Ashton-Under-Lyne] with Foundation, 4 x Case Managers with CRI [HMPs in Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk], a Through the Gate Worker, Support Worker and Project Manager with Housing for Women [London]. For more information about these vacancies, and many more, click here.

TIPS OF THE WEEK

  • Tip of the week I: For £139 per person, stay three nights in Valencia, with flights from London and daily breakfast. Details
  • Tip of the week II: Register with Frankie & Benny's to get £10 off your food bill when you buy two or more mains on bank holiday Monday. Details 
  • Tip of the week III: Save 33% on musical 'Priscilla' at Sunderland Empire. Details

EXTRA INFORMATION

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

 

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Designed, composed and circulated every Friday by...

Joe Gardham and Ben Watson

Clinks