Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 423 | 29th January 2016

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In this week's edition....

CLINKS PUBLICATION: annual review 2015

Clinks' Annual Review 2015 has now been published, and is available to explore using our interactive web page. 'Transformed?' looks at Clinks' work in 2015 - a year of transformation, in which the voluntary sector has had to work through big reforms made by the last government as well as understand and adapt to the policies of a new government. Clinks remains focused, supporting the sector to work alongside people in the Criminal Justice System, to transform their lives, to rehabilitate, to resettle, and to learn from the lived experience of people in the system for the benefit of communities, families, and the victims of crime. Click here to explore the Annual Review 2015 web page

CLINKS NEWS: associate membership

If you’re not a non-profit organisation you can still support Clinks’ work by joining as an associate member. Associate membership is open to individuals working in the voluntary, public and private sectors; or is for public and private sector organisations. Associate members receive many great benefits, such as exclusive policy and health updates, discounts on Clinks training and events and the option to advertise your vacancies on our popular jobs board. Find out more about associate membership here

CLINKS EVENTS: what's keeping you awake at night?

Join Clinks’ CEO Anne Fox at one of six half-day roundtable events [various dates and locations in February, free] to identify and discuss your organisation’s key priority issues, explore ways forward, identify your support needs and how these might be met, and influence Clinks' thinking in terms of member support. The 'What's keeping our members awake at night?' events will also provide the space to learn from one another and share solutions over a free lunch. Chief Executives and senior staff from voluntary organisations working in the Criminal Justice System are welcome! Places are filling fast, find out more and book here

NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR ARTS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE: annual meeting

Bookings are now open for the National Alliance for Arts in Criminal Justice’s (NAACJ) 2016 Annual Meeting [3rd March, London]. NAACJ members are invited to come along and discuss their current work and plans for the future, and take part in their Steering Group elections. The keynote speaker will be confirmed nearer the time, but places are limited, so click here for more information and to book

NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR ARTS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE: join the steering group

The National Alliance for Arts in Criminal Justice (NAACJ) is looking to elect new members to its Steering Group for the year 2016-17. This is a fantastic opportunity to become more involved in their work and arts and criminal justice nationally. The Steering Group meet a minimum of five times a year to represent the membership and set priorities for the NAACJ. If you are a member of the NAACJ and are interested in applying to stand for election, please submit a statement of interest of no more than 200 words to kate.davey@clinks.org, outlining your skills and interests in arts and criminal justice by 5pm, Thursday 11th February. Find out more here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: looked after BAME children in the Criminal Justice System

In June 2015 Prison Reform Trust established an independent review, chaired by Lord Laming, to consider the reasons behind, and how best to tackle, the over representation of looked after children in the Criminal Justice System. The review will be publishing recommendations for change in spring 2016. Lord Laming and the review panel members have received over 200 submissions but are still interested to hear from organisations and individuals on the experience of black and minority ethnic and Muslim boys and girls in care and in the Criminal Justice System. Submissions may be quite brief, in writing or by phone. Find out more and have your say here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: supporting people with mental health problems

Mind’s new ‘Life Support’ campaign will be all about the support people with mental health problems need in their home and communities to help them stay well and live a full life. To get things started, they’re asking people to send a ‘postcard’ from a place that’s important to them in their local area, to get them talking about the themes of the campaign - home, community, place, support, friends and family. You can also search for postcards sent from near you, to find out what places others value. Find out more, make a postcard, and share it with friends and family here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: summary of Transforming Rehabilitation

The House of Commons has published 'Contracting out of probation services: 2013-2016', a report that charts the progress of the Transforming Rehabilitation reforms to probation services in England and Wales. It says that so far there have been concerns about the pace of change, about the danger of fragmentation and about IT systems. The Ministry of Justice has emphasised the importance of the voluntary sector in the CRC partnerships; however, there have been concerns about lack of clarity for that sector about what their role will be. Download the full report here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: latest report from Justice Data Lab

The latest report from the Justice Data Lab features re-offending rates for Clinks member Langley House Trust; and is the first to use data from the probation assessment tool 'Offender Assessment System (OASys)' to calculate a more accurate comparison group. Blogger Russell Webster said: "The link to OASys data enabled the Ministry of Justice to provide a more detailed picture of the profile of its service users, according to needs such as housing, substance and alcohol use. The impact analysis showed that Langley House Trust’s work is associated with statistically significant reductions in re-offending." Read more here

FUNDING: start-ups in London

The Entrepreneurial Barnet Competition is offering an opportunity for business start-ups and entrepreneurial students in the London Borough of Barnet to showcase their enterprise ideas and win prizes to help them get started. Each winner will receive £500 and the opportunity for mentoring, support and advice from business experts. The deadline for applications is 19th February. Find out more here

FUNDING: community-based environmental projects

Grants of up to £75,000 are available for organisations with environmental or community-based projects within five miles of a Veolia site. Funding is available for capital improvement projects at a single site with discrete start and end dates. Projects should be: Community buildings and rooms; Outdoor Spaces; Play and recreation; or Supporting Biodiversity. Applicants will be required to secure match funding of at least 20% before submitting a full application. The next deadline for applications is 26th February. Find out more here

FUNDING: transforming natural environments in Wales

Create Your Space is a new environmental programme that will use £8.8 million to transform local natural environments in Wales; supporting communities to come up with their own vision and plan, for conserving or improving their local natural environment in a way which meets their needs and those of future generations. Grants of between £500,000 and £2 million are available for up to seven-year projects. The deadline for applications is 31st March. Find out more here

CLINKS MEMBER'S EVENT: join the board of a prisoners' families charity

POPS are looking for new members to join their Board, and are holding an open evening [5.30pm, 3rd February, Manchester]. Diane Curry, CEO of POPS explains: "We are looking for individuals who can utilise their specific skills and experience to offer stewardship to the delivery of our organisational strategy. At POPS we believe our decision making Board should be fit for purpose and bring a collection of different skills, perspectives and experience. For that reason we are especially interested in hearing from people who have Marketing, IT (digital), Research and Fundraising experience." Find out more and book your place here

CLINKS MEMBER'S EVENT: early intervention for young women at risk

'What works, what matters, what hinders, what next' will be an interactive shared learning day [14th March, London] led by WomenCentre looking at practice, service design and systems learning to support young women at risk. WomenCentre's Clare Jones will use findings from their 'Way Forward Project' to share and develop effectiveness that will reach young women with high levels of unmet need. For more details contact events@clinks.org or call Robert Price on 020 7383 0966

CLINKS MEMBER'S EVENT: monitoring places of detention

The Association of Members of Independent Monitoring Boards are running a 'Masterclass on monitoring places of detention' [15th March, London, from £40]. The day features discussions with experts on prison inspections and criminal justice, including Chief Inspector of Prisons Nick Hardwick, former Chief Inspector of Probation Professor Rod Morgan, and Deputy Director of the Institute of Criminology at University of Cambridge, Professor Loraine Gelsthorpe. Find out more and book your place here

CLINKS MEMBER'S EVENT: re-shaping the penal landscape

'Justice and Penal Reform: Re-shaping the penal landscape' is a Howard League for Penal Reform conference [16th - 18th March, Oxford, from £150] that will enable the consideration of the prospects and possibilities of creating social and penal institutions that can contribute to the realisation of a safer and more cohesive society. There will be three days of plenary sessions with keynote speakers, ample opportunity for questions and debate, a range of seminar sessions covering leading academic research and practice, exhibition and networking opportunities. The sessions' themes will include, among others: inspection as a catalyst for penal reform, public perceptions of penal reform, economics and impact on penal policy, human rights law and penal reform, terror and penal reform and beyond mass incarceration. Find out more and book your place here

CLINKS PARTNER'S EVENT: commissioning child sexual abuse services

'Reframing the commissioning of services for child sexual abuse: Moving from a criminal justice to a health approach' is an Academy for Justice Commissioning evening seminar [29th February, Bristol, free] featuring Dr Kieran McCartan, Associate Professor in Criminology at University of the West of England. A growing body of research and practice is indicating that a public health, preventive approach to child sex abuse should be considered, whilst also using a criminal justice approach when necessary. Dr. McCartan will explain what a public health approach looks like and offer examples of it in action. He will also explore some of the pros and cons of this approach and discuss the need for successful multi-agency collaboration and commissioning of services to help achieve it. Find out more and book your place here

CLINKS PARTNER'S EVENT: reframing criminal justice messages

'How can we reframe the debate on criminal justice?' is a FrameWorks Institute event [7th April, London, free] that presents two years of research into reframing criminal justice messages. Reframing offers us techniques and tools to communicate more effectively. After decades of an arms race between politicians to seem tougher on crime, the public is still sceptical about a less punitive Criminal Justice System. Nearly half the UK population still supports the death penalty and seven in ten think sentences are too soft. So advocates and experts have a mountain still to climb to change the debate on criminal justice. Find out more and book your place here

PUBLICATION: involving prisoners and ex-offenders as volunteers

Voluntary Action Leeds has produced a 'Prisoners and Ex-Offenders as Volunteers' toolkit; a beginner’s guide to introducing prisoners and ex-offenders as volunteers into your volunteering programme. The toolkit covers a variety of topics, including: 'Why use prisoners and ex-offenders as volunteers? How to recruit prisoners and ex-offenders as volunteers; Disclosure and Barring Service; and Risk assessment. Download the toolkit here

PUBLICATION: what next for PCCs?

The Police Foundation has produced a briefing on what police and crime commissioners (PCCs) have achieved over the last four years and how their role should evolve and expand into the 2020s. 'Where next for PCCs?' considers: To what extent have PCCs achieved the objectives originally set for them and how do they measure up against the fears of their critics? Could PCCs take on an expanded role in some areas, including parts of the wider Criminal Justice System? What are the implications of the emerging devolution agenda for PCCs? Download the report here

PUBLICATION: joint enterprise

'Dangerous associations' is a new Centre for Crime and Justice Studies report that tracks the complex process of criminalisation through which black and minority ethnic people are unfairly identified by the police as members of dangerous gangs. This apparent ‘gang’ affiliation’ is used to secure convictions, under joint enterprise provisions, for offences they have not committed. The consequences of conviction under joint enterprise can be devastating for the defendant, their families and the wider community. The report offers a troubling exposé of the use of collective punishment against black and minority ethnic people, based on racism, rumour and innuendo. Download it here

CLINKS MEMBERS' VACANCIES

This week's vacancies include: An Outreach Administrator with Koestler Trust [London], a Trustee with Independent Academic Research Studies [London], an Administrative Officer with EDP Drug and Alcohol Services [HMP Channings Wood], and a Case Support Worker with Kent, Surrey and Sussex CRC [South East]. For more information about these vacancies, and many more, click here

TIPS OF THE WEEK

  • Tip of the week I: A two-night break in Dublin is just £69 including flights. Details
  • Tip of the week II: This 4-Star Yorkshire stay with 5-Course dinner is £89. Details
  • Tip of the week III: Get 2 for 1 drinks at Starbucks from 1st February to 31st March. Details

EXTRA INFORMATION

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

 

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