Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 428 | 4th March 2016

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In this week's edition....

CLINKS MEMBERSHIP: become a member today

Clinks’ strength lies in our member organisations, who shape our work and enhance our voice. As well as helping us to work for a better voluntary sector there are many other great benefits to being a member such as discounts on our training and events, advertising vacancies through our website and social media, access to a funding portal and more. Join over 600 other organisations who support our work - sign up as a member here

CLINKS EVENT: 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. Find out more and book your place here

CLINKS GUEST BLOG: why the mental health taskforce matters

In our latest Guest Blog, Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind and independent Chairman of the Mental Health Taskforce, explains why the launch of a five year plan is so crucial. Paul says: "Many people we spoke to told us that, as well as access to good quality mental health services, their main ambition was to have a decent place to live, a job and good quality relationships in their local communities. Improving life chances in this way requires a cross-government approach and the Taskforce has not shied away from setting out what needs to change." Read Paul's blog here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: response to children who display harmful sexual behaviour

Barnardo’s is calling on evidence for a cross-party parliamentary inquiry into 'Support and sanctions for children who display harmful sexual behaviour'. The inquiry seeks to examine the response to children who display harmful sexual behaviour and if changes to legislation, policy and practice may be needed. Individuals and organisations working in this field can submit written evidence to the inquiry by 12th April. Find out more and respond here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: developing practice with the children of prisoners

The Barnardo's 'i-HOP Quality Statements and Toolkit' is a resource for all professionals to assess and develop their practice with the children of prisoners. Informed by research, policy and practice as well as practitioners and young people with a loved one in the Criminal Justice System, the toolkit is structured around eight quality statements for services to aspire to, and a rationale for why each statement is important in improving children’s outcomes. It also includes examples of practice and an editable work plan for services to use in developing their work in this area. Download the resource here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: vote to support an ex-offender employment project

Members New Leaf are through to the finals of the People's Projects national funding competition, and you can now vote online for their 'The New Leaf Employment Pilot' project to receive £50,000 funding. If they are successful, the group will use the funding to develop their programme for recently released ex-offenders, delivering employability courses, offering opportunities to gain qualifications in custody such as health and safety, peer mentoring and creating and refurbishing furniture. They will also create an employment hub to further prepare beneficiaries for work. Watch a short film about the project and place your vote here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: pilot a tailored approach with young adults

Centre for Justice Innovation are looking for expressions of interest from courts interested in testing an adapted approach with young adults. They are looking for pilot sites that recognise the distinct needs of young adults, and where new approaches are already being tested or considered at other stages of the justice system. They will work with sites for up to four years to understand current needs and responses, pilot evidence-led adaptations, and evaluate the impact. The deadline for expressing an interest is 24th March. Find out more here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: review of financial penalties in criminal courts

The Ministry of Justice's (MoJ) review of financial impositions in criminal courts will explore the structure and purpose of court-ordered financial impositions for offenders. It will consider how the MoJ currently imposes costs and penalties on offenders, to seek to bring greater simplicity and clarity to the system in England and Wales, while ensuring that penalties are levied appropriately and offenders contribute to the costs of administering justice. The MoJ are inviting anyone who has been convicted of an offence and given a financial penalty to take part in a survey. All participants can remain anonymous and all responses will be used for research purposes only. Complete the survey here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: expansion of sobriety tagging scheme

Following the conclusion of a pilot in South London of sobriety tags as part of an Alcohol Abstinence Monitoring Requirement, the Justice Secretary has approved the expansion of the scheme to the whole of London. The tags perform around-the-clock monitoring of alcohol in an offender’s perspiration. If they breach their alcohol abstinence order, they can be returned to court for further sanctions. The results from the South London pilot showed it was successful in 92% of cases. Find out more here

FUNDING: social innovation for refugees and migrants

The European Social Innovation Competition 2016 will focus on social innovation for refugees and migrants. Many refugees and migrants have the potential to be the next entrepreneurs and innovators, but without the right support, their skills can be wasted and they may become marginalised. The judges are looking for innovations in products, technologies, services and models that can support integration, related to but not limited to: Education and skills development; Employment and entrepreneurship; Access to appropriate housing and health services; Safety and human rights; Community cohesion and cultural diversity. Three winning projects will be awarded a prize of €50,000 each. The deadline for entries is 8th April. Find out more and apply here

FUNDING: supporting active ageing

The Kellett Fund is keen to support projects in Tyne & Wear, Northumberland and Chester-Le-Street which enable older people to age actively, and to remain involved in all manner of community activities. Voluntary and community groups are eligible to apply for grants of up to £30,000 per annum for up to three years. Projects must enable active ageing by addressing one of the following two priorities: Supporting the active participation of older people in all aspects of community affairs; and providing leisure and learning activities for older people. All proposed projects must also involve older people in their governance, service planning and delivery. The deadline for applications is 15th April. Find out more and apply here

FUNDING: for children and young people

The Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust is inviting applications on the theme of Children and Youth. Grants of between £1,000 and £3,000 are available to UK registered charities for projects taking place within the UK. Priority will be given to projects focussing on homelessness, domestic abuse, prisoners/offenders, training and education, counselling and support, and activities for those with limited access or opportunities. The next deadline for applications is 1st June. Find out more and apply here

FUNDING: enhancing lives and improving living environments

The Southwest Foundation's Make a Difference fund is offering grants of up to £1,000 to voluntary and community groups in Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Cotswold, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Exeter, North Devon, East Devon, Mid-Devon, South Hams, Torbay and Plymouth, where Sovereign’s homes exist. They are keen to fund activities that help people who are not currently in employment along the path toward employment, that bring about improvement to the lives of people such as older people, disabled people, people on low incomes, young people and children, and people with mental health issues; and that will help to improve the living environment. Applications can be submitted at any time. Find out more and apply here

CLINKS MEMBER'S EVENT: offender art exhibition

LOUD! is a Koestler Trust exhibition [until 12th March, Gateshead, free] of artwork from prisons and secure hospitals in the North East of England. It features painting, drawing, sculpture and creative writing from entries to the 2015 Koestler Awards. The exhibition has been curated by students from Gateshead Behaviour Support Service who have selected works that explore themes of home, conflict, freedom and escapism. A new app has been developed to accompany LOUD! offering visitors a privileged insight into the making of the exhibition, and access to exclusive content. Find out more here

PUBLICATION: supporting women offenders

'Evaluation of the Whole System Approach for Women Offenders' is a Sheffield Hallam University report that aims to highlight the difficulties and social exclusion faced by women involved with the Criminal Justice System. It examines Greater Manchester’s 'whole system approach' to women offenders, which involves supporting women at arrest, sentencing and upon release from prison. The report suggests that younger women and women from Black and minority ethnic communities don’t have the same opportunities to access the support offered; and highlights significant vulnerabilities faced by this group, with more than half the women identified as having multiple issues such as substance misuse, domestic abuse and accommodation issues, and 80% having mental health issues. Download the report here

PUBLICATION: young adult women in custody

'Meeting the needs of young adult women in custody' is a Transitions to Adulthood (T2A) Alliance report that looks at how prisons are addressing the distinct needs of young women aged 18-24. Rob Allen, the report’s author, said: “Despite a growing and overdue recognition by criminal justice services that young people do not magically achieve adult maturity on their 18th birthday, there’s an important group of young adults whose needs have not yet fully been analysed let alone met- young women. Whether it’s because numbers are small or a sense that their characteristics differ little from those of older women, recent initiatives have neglected to consider how best young females should be managed when they come into conflict with the law. A distinct approach to young adult women is likely to give them the best chance of growing out of crime and leading happy, healthy and productive lives.” Download the report here

OFFENDER HEALTH: care and support in the Welsh secure estate

Care Council for Wales has published a resource guide to help support understanding of the secure estate and the duties placed on local authorities under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act. The Act requires local authorities to assess and meet the care and support needs of adults and children in the secure estate. The resource includes an outline of the contents of the Code of Practice in relation to local authority responsibilities for adults in prison, approved premises and bail accommodation, and young people in youth detention accommodation; and further information and links to relevant learning resources. Download the resource here

BLOG: the impact of TR on probation staff

In his latest blog, Russell Webster looks at research carried out by academics at Queen Mary University of London into employment relations and working conditions in probation after Transforming Rehabilitation. The research is based on a survey of 991 NAPO members plus a number of individual interviews and focus groups. He says "Staff compulsorily reassigned from the public sector probation service to the new private Community Rehabilitation Companies have found the move distressing and demoralising. The authors highlight the impact of the changes on women in particular, who make up 70% of the probation workforce." Read the blog here

CLINKS MEMBERS' VACANCIES

Job vacancies this week include: 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], a grants fundraiser with User Voice [London], and a Youth Worker/Trainer with Independent Academic Research Studies [London]. For more information about these vacancies, and many more, click here

TIPS OF THE WEEK

  • Tip of the week I: Stay for 3 nights at a 5-star hotel in Madrid for £199 including flights. Details
  • Tip of the week II: An overnight stay in an 18th century country hotel in Darlington is £89 for two. Deal includes breakfast, dinner credit, and glass of wine. Details
  • Tip of the week III: A list of Mother's Day deals including a free card from Cath Kidston for o2 customers, and flowers from £3. Details

EXTRA INFORMATION

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