Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 416 | 27th November 2015

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In this week's edition....

CLINKS OPPORTUNITY: Impact assessment

Clinks are looking for an organisation to carry out an impact assessment of our work. The work will assess the full range of activities and services that Clinks offers. The purpose of the evaluation is to check we are providing the right services and that they are of a good standard, to help us develop our work and to enable us to give more informed feedback about the difference that Clinks makes to the sector and our other stakeholders. The closing date for applications will be Friday 11th December. Interviews will take place on Friday 18th December at Clinks' office in London. If you are interested in undertaking the work, please contact richard.nicholls@clinks.org for an evaluation brief.

CLINKS REQUEST: support Light Lunch

Clinks have been providing our flagship weekly newsletter, Light Lunch, to professionals working with offenders since 2006. In ten years readership has continued to grow from 100 to almost 10,000 subscribers, making it one of the most popular reads for those with an interest in the voluntary sector and criminal justice. Each issue of Light Lunch is packed full of essential information, resources, funding and events; saving you time and making sure you never miss out on what you need to know. To ensure we can continue to help you make a difference, we’d like to ask readers to make a small donation of £20, or whatever you can afford. Donate online here

CLINKS RESPONSE: reviewing education in prisons

We have submitted a response to Dame Sally Coates' review into prison education. Included in our submission is: what needs to change, incentivising prisoners to engage in education, assessing and measuring the effectiveness of prisoner learning, teaching and delivery models, technology, and commissioning of services. Download the response here

CLINKS BRIEFING: better outcomes for women in the CJS

Our latest briefing focusses on initiatives being taken forward by government and the voluntary sector to improve outcomes for women in contact with the Criminal Justice System (CJS). The briefing summarises what opportunities there are for you to get involved in these initiatives and includes details of recent policy changes likely to have an impact on voluntary sector organisations working to support women in contact with the CJS and their beneficiaries, as well as things to look out for in the future. Download the briefing here

CLINKS GUEST BLOG: the impact of chaplaincy mentoring on desistance

NPC has been working with Community Chaplaincy Association since 2014 to support voluntary sector organisations to improve their capacity to identify, produce and use good quality evidence and evaluation. In our latest guest blog 'Measuring the impact of chaplaincy mentoring on desistance', James Noble from NPC and Matt Wall from Community Chaplaincy Association share what they’ve been up to, and how the process could be followed by other organisations in the sector. Read the blog post here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: stopping people with a criminal record holding senior charity positions

We support Unlock's concerns around the direct threat posed to the voluntary sector by proposed revisions to the Charities Bill, which may see people with a criminal record unable to hold a senior management or trustee position within a charity. Clinks CEO, Anne Fox, said: "Many voluntary sector organisations have benefited from offering opportunities to former offenders, either as trustees or in senior management positions. Some are even set up initially as self-help groups by service users themselves. The extension of the disqualification framework as proposed by the charities bill could represent a direct threat to the core mission of our sector, its future sustainability, diversity and vibrancy". Read the article on Third Sector here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: research and evidence on children of offenders

i-HOP and the University of Huddersfield have developed a Quality Assessment Tool (QAT) for research and evidence around children of offenders. Anyone can use it to review items for their quality and usefulness in four key areas: methodology, child-centredness, relevance to policy & strategy and relevance to practice. Find out more here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: alarming increase in legal highs in prison

New figures released this week by addiction charity RAPt (Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust) show an alarming seven fold increase in the number of people in prison asking for help with new psychoactive substances (NPS), also known as ‘legal highs’ or ‘spice’, compared to one year ago. Mike Trace, Chief Executive Officer at RAPt said: "This is a fast changing new challenge and the prison service and drug treatment services are committed to working together to tackle it quickly and effectively. Increased security and testing are important, but to undermine the prison drug market in the long term, every prison should have a drug recovery wing. These wings maintain an anti-drug culture and provide intensive rehabilitation treatment to get prisoners free from drugs, and ultimately free from crime.” Read the full story here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: restorative services on the South Coast

Restorative Solutions CIC has been selected by the PCC for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Simon Hayes, for the delivery of restorative justice services in the County. Gary Stephenson, Chief Executive of Restorative Solutions CIC declared: "We are delighted for this opportunity to work with PCC Hayes to put victims first in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight." Restorative Solutions CIC will be in charge of setting up and delivering innovative, high-quality restorative justice services covering Portsmouth, South East Hampshire, Southampton and South West Hampshire. Find out more here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: first RR3 meeting

The first meeting of the Ministry of Justice's Reducing Reoffending Third Sector Advisory Group (RR3) Leadership Board took place on the 16th November 2015. We have now published a report which includes details about: the aims and objectives of the meeting, key policy issues the Leadership Board felt would be important to consider, and a policy update from Ministry of Justice officials. Download the report here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: inspecting probation services

HM Inspectorate of Probation will be undertaking an inspection of early work undertaken by the National Probation Service and Community Rehabilitation Companies in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire during the week commencing 18th January 2016. If you have any queries about this, please contact HMI Probation (Enquiries) mailbox at Enquiries.HMIProb@hmiprobation.gsi.gov.uk

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: the experiences of those in contact with the police

The police and crime commissioner for North Yorkshire has published an independent review into the experiences of service users of the police. This in-depth study focuses particularly on the use of the 101 non-emergency number, finding that fewer than one in three people would dial 101 to call the police for a non-emergency. Part of the research looks at the specific needs and requirements of some service users and offers insight to improvements for accessibility. It also features findings from research into hate crime, showing clear parallels between the underreporting of hate crime and the real and perceived barriers to contacting North Yorkshire Police. Find out more here

COMMISSIONING: supporting offenders' families

The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has now launched the tender opportunity, supporting relationships people in prison have with their families. You'll need to register on their portal to find out more here

FUNDING: supporting vulnerable men

The Movember Foundation’s Social Innovators Challenge Fund is offering grants for innovative ‘out of the box’ ideas that address the hidden issues of male social connectedness, which is an issue that has a significant impact on the health of men, including increased risk of suicide, depression and anxiety. The fund refers to men who are 'at risk' including new fathers, unemployed men, divorced men and men of low socio-economic status. The deadline for applications is 9th December. Find out more here

FUNDING: supporting victims of crime

Grants of between £10,000 and £30,000 are available to organisations providing support to victims of crime in London, to help them cope and recover from their experience. The deadline for applications is 15th January. Find out more and apply here

CLINKS MEMBER'S EVENT: using art to rebuild life after prison

'Breakthrough' is a Together for Mental Wellbeing exhibition [27th November - 26th January, London] highlighting the journey of one woman, Eve McDougall, who used art as a tool to heal the damage to her mental wellbeing and rebuild her life after prison. Compiled over the course of 30 years, the artwork tracks Eve’s journey which started when she was sent to an adult Victorian prison for breaking a baker’s window to steal some bread for her and her hungry siblings, when she was just 15 years old. The exhibition explores Eve’s struggles upon leaving prison and how she has since rebuilt her life, including by teaching creative writing, poetry and art to other women who have experienced incarceration. Find out more here

CLINKS PARTNER'S EVENT: commissioning victim's services

'Hello… is it me you’re commissioning for?' is an Academy for Justice Commissioning evening seminar [3rd December, London, free] featuring The Academy Commissioning Victim Services learning group. This event will share the outcomes of a year-long cross sector Academy learning group, focused on victim services commissioning. The group benefitted from a broad professional representation of highly skilled and experienced individuals from England, Wales and Scotland. The seminar will be of interest to commissioners, providers and others concerned with services for victims and the building of more resilient communities. Find out more and book your place here

RESOURCE: engaging young people leaving custody

Understanding young people and responding to diversity and individual needs is essential to engaging effectively in resettlement after a period in custody. Beyond Youth Custody’s latest practitioner’s guides - aimed at practitioners who come into contact with young people in the Criminal Justice System - underline how more culturally responsive working practices can improve outcomes for young people. They also offer practical steps any organisation can take to put effective measures in place. Download the guides here

OPPORTUNITY: host a cinema night

Open Cinema has over six years success at delivering community film screenings across the UK and Ireland and have recently launched their new digital service, which enables venues to be transformed into cinemas; selecting from a growing library of films and selling tickets for screenings. Find out more here

CLINKS MEMBERS' VACANCIES

Members' job vacancies this week include: An Executive Assistant with Clean Break [London], a Justice Service Administrator with Thames Valley Partnership [Bracknell Victim Support Officer], a Transport Scheme and Volunteer Co-ordinator with The Friends of Erlestoke Prison [HMP Erlestoke], an Administrator and a Receptionist with DISC [Leeds], a Senior Resettlement Worker and a Project Worker with Pact [HMP Forest Bank, London], and a Counselor with Changing Lives [York]. For more information about these vacancies, and many more, click here

TIPS OF THE WEEK

  • Tip of the week I: Send a free letter to Santa. Details
  • Tip of the week II: If you sign up at Malibu you can get a free £4.95 Malibu hot chocolate at 188 participating bars every Saturday. Details
  • Tip of the week III: If you have Apple Pay linked to a Mastercard, you can travel free on the TfL network, including tubes and buses. Details

EXTRA INFORMATION

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

 

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Joe Gardham and Ben Watson

Clinks