Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 427 | 26th February 2016

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In this week's edition....

CLINKS BLOG: the value of evidence

Clinks CEO Anne Fox has written a blog about evidence. Anne said: "If a creative type were to make a word cloud of my many notes taken these past few months as I've travelled around meeting members and partners one of the biggest words shown would be EVIDENCE. Evidence is important. It is something many of you value and also something many of you find a real barrier and challenge. Everyone seems to want it - to fund, to commission, to support, to connect. There's not often a shared sense of what constitutes evidence consistently from one audience to another, or from one service or activity type to another." Read Anne's post here

CLINKS BLOG: what does a good rehabilitative prison look like?

Lesley Frazer from Clinks' Policy Team has written a blog about a new discussion paper the team are working on, exploring what 'good' might look like in a rehabilitative prison. Lesley asks: "What would characterise a different prison regime ‘conducive to rehabilitation’?  What might ‘good’ look like in a newly designed prison? What could ‘good’ – or perhaps ‘good enough’ start to look like across the rest of the prison estate, given the very difficult conditions prevailing in so many of our older, over-crowded prisons?" Read the blog here

CLINKS BLOG: fostering innovation

Louise Clark and Richard Nicholls have written a guest blog for the Centre for Justice Innovation about the value of facilitating innovation from frontline delivery staff. They say: "We have seen a huge pool of untapped skills and knowledge in the different sectors that exist in criminal justice. Centre for Justice Innovation’s StreetCraft Scholarship is an innovative program that helps frontline criminal justice workers unleash not just those skills but also their passions and grow their ideas. After all, it is those in the frontline who see the challenges, solutions and possibilities on a daily basis." Read their blog post here

CLINKS RESPONSE: review into the treatment of transgender people in prison

Clinks has submitted evidence to the Ministry of Justice review into the care and management of transgender offenders. We welcome this review into a complex issue that has until now had little attention. We recommend that there is a long term commitment, not only from the MoJ and NOMS but also other relevant government departments, to develop policy that will ensure the needs of trans people in contact with the CJS are met. This should be done by fully involving trans people in the decisions that affect their lives, and with the specialist voluntary sector organisations that can support them. Download our response here

CLINKS SURVEY: what do you think of Clinks?

Clinks has commissioned an external assessment of our work to look at how effectively we are supporting the voluntary sector. As part of this the evaluators are running a short survey to get your thoughts on our services. We want to hear from organisations in the sector about how Clinks helps you, how effective our services are and how we could support you further. The results of this survey will help us to develop our activities to meet the needs of the sector. Please complete the survey here

NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR ARTS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE: the arts as a driver for equality

The National Alliance for Arts in Criminal Justice (NAACJ) is holding an event [21st March, London, free] to gather views, evidence and good practice on using the arts as a driver for equality, which they can then share with their network and the government. The day will be Chaired by Baroness Young of Hornsey and there will be a speech from Abid Hussain from the Creative Case for Diversity at the Arts Council England. Click here for more information and to book

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: the role of sport in criminal justice

2nd Chance Group and the National Alliance of Sport for the Desistance of Crime (NASDC) ask you to spare a few minutes of your time to complete a short questionnaire to help understand the value of sports and exercise within communities of the UK. The NASDC is especially interested in crime prevention and the Criminal Justice System and how sport plays its part. The purpose of the survey is to gauge types of activities, the impact they have and your views on what makes sports and exercise particularly effective. It should only take 5-10 minutes to complete. Get involved here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: National Safeguarding Day

NCVYS's Stop, Look and Listen campaign is taking place on 29th February 2016, National Safeguarding Day, and is continuing throughout the week with activities and opportunities to engage.  NCVYS is calling on all children and youth organisations to make the last weekday of February the one day every year where organisations 'stop' what they are doing, 'look' at their safeguarding practices and 'listen' to young people, empowering them to take an active role in managing their own safety. Organisations are invited to make a pledge in support of the campaign.

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: changes to housing benefit rules

Local housing and support provider Derventio Housing Trust is warning that government changes to housing benefit rules could leave thousands of homeless and vulnerable people without a home or a helping hand. Sarah Hernandez, Managing Director of Derventio Housing Trust, said: “It’s a potential disaster. We’ve spent the last 13 years building up housing for homeless people who just can’t get or sustain housing on their own. Each one needs a helping hand, either because they are at a crisis point in their life, or because they’ve never had anyone to show them how to look after a home. It would be tragic to take away that support and leave people struggling without help and heartbreaking to see all that we’ve worked so hard for lost." Find out more here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: multiple and complex needs in London

Revolving Doors Agency and its Forum of Londoners who have faced multiple problems, including addictions, poor mental health and the Criminal Justice System, have published a report outlining the scale of the challenge of multiple exclusion in London. 'London Together' shows that there are at least 7,000 individuals experiencing a combination of all three of the following issues - substance misuse, offending, and homelessness - across London each year. There are a further 32,000 people facing two of these needs at once. Revolving Doors call for a commitment from the next London Mayor to improve outcomes for the most excluded Londoners facing multiple needs. Find out more and download the report here

CLINKS MEMBER'S EVENT: decriminalising drug possession

'Responding to drug harms: Can the UK learn from Portugal?' is a Centre for Crime and Justice Studies event [16th May, London, free] to explore Portugal's decriminalisation of drug possession and health-led approach to drug harms. João Goulão, one of the architects of this innovative drugs strategy, will be presenting the learning from the work, and will be joined by a number of UK based speakers who have signalled an interest in moving away from our current reliance on criminalisation in response to drug harms. Find out more and register here

CLINKS PARTNER'S EVENT: supporting people with multiple needs

'Introduction to MEAM and multiple needs' is a Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM) coalition event [16th March, Birmingham, free] that will introduce the MEAM Approach and how it can support those working with people with multiple and complex needs to develop effective coordinated and flexible services. Find out more and book your place here

NON-MEMBERS' EVENTS & TRAINING

  • 'Build homes not prisons! What next for the women of Holloway prison?' | 1st March, London | Details
  • 'Replicating success: what Realising Ambition has taught us about what works and why' | 1st June, Birmingham | Details

OFFENDER HEALTH: health and justice specialists

Public Health England has published names and contact details for national and local health and justice specialists. A useful resource for anybody working in Offender Health. View the list here

OFFENDER HEALTH: mental health in prisons

'Mental health in prisons: let's stop and think' is a blog by Mental Health Foundation that reflects on the recent Prison Ombudsman report on mental health services in prisons. They say: "Prisons should not only offer a place of safety but also a place of rehabilitative support. We need to ask ourselves whether the current state of care is really the best way to support people to live mentally healthy lives and whether our current offering of services in prison gives people the best start to a crime and drug-free life when they are allowed back into society." Read the full post here

RESOURCE: supporting women in prison

'Preventing Self-injury and Suicide in Women’s Prisons' is a new book [£19.95] by Tammi Walker and Graham Towl. In 2015 the landmark suicide of the 100th woman to kill herself in prison custody passed largely unnoticed. This book sets out to redress the balance by examining all aspects of the history, present practices, causes and prevention prospects connected to this tragic chain of events. It focuses on both women and adolescent girls in custody, and looks at psychological, demographic, environmental and clinical factors. Find out more here

CLINKS MEMBERS VACANCIES

A sessional worker with Nacro [Newbury], a case manager with The Nelson Trust [HMP Eastwood], an area manager with Changing Lives [North West], an innovative practice officer with the Centre for Justice Innovation [London] and a grants fundraiser with User Voice [London].

TIPS OF THE WEEK

  • Tip of the week I: For £99 per person, you can snap up a 2-night mini break at Slaley Hall, a Northumberland retreat set in 1000 acres of countryside. Deal includes breakfast, 3-course dinner and bottle of wine. Details
  • Tip of the week II: Fly to Cape Verde in March from Manchester, Gatwick, Birmingham or Bristol for just £139 per person return. Details
  • Tip of the week III: March is Free Wills Month for over 55s. Details

EXTRA INFORMATION

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

 

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