Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 444 | 8th July 2016

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In this week's edition...

CLINKS REPORT: valuing volunteers in prison

Clinks has published a report commissioned at the request of Andrew Selous MP, Minister for Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation, that explores how we can increase the amount and scope of prison volunteering across England and Wales. 'Valuing volunteers in prison: A review of volunteer involvement in prisons' highlights the benefits of volunteering in prisons, current examples of good practice and gaps, key supports and barriers to effective volunteer involvement, and makes seven recommendations to support the development of more effective volunteering. Download the report here

CLINKS EVENTS: funding for activity in reform prisons

The Ministry of Justice and the National Offender Management Service are holding two half-day engagement events [26th July, York | 27th July, London], organised by Clinks, to engage voluntary sector organisations regarding a one-off grant from 2016 – 2017 to support the prison reform agenda. The total value of this grant fund is £1.7m, and the minimum grant for an individual organisation is £30,000 and the maximum is £150,000. The funding will be for activity taking place in the six male early adopter reform prisons: HMPs Coldingley, Highdown, Holme House, Kirklevington Grange, Ranby, and Wandsworth, and activity may be limited to one prison or cover multiple sites. The programme is expected to begin on 30th September 2016. Find out more and book your place here

CLINKS VACANCIES: we are recruiting

Clinks is currently recruiting for four roles: a Communications Manager [£33,857, full time, London, deadline 15th July] to oversee the high quality internal and external communications at Clinks; a Development Manager [£33,857, full time, North West of England, deadline 12 noon 14th July] to be responsible for Clinks’ strategy for area engagement and development work; a Membership Development Manager [£33,857 pro rata, 30 hours over 4 days per week, London, deadline 12 noon 14th July] to develop our membership offer in order to increase and strengthen Clinks’ membership base; and a Training and Events Officer [£22,937, full time, London, deadline 5pm 8th July] responsible for developing and delivering all events and training offers. Find out more and apply here

CLINKS CASE STUDY: supporting women to rebuild their lives

Clinks has published a case study on Anawim Women's Centre in Birmingham. This is the second in a series of case studies that highlight the impact of current policy and funding arrangements on specialist voluntary sector organisations working to support women. We spoke to Joy Doal, Chief Executive of Anawim, about the women's current needs, working to meet changing needs, providing a women-only space, and funding and the impact of Transforming Rehabilitation. Download the case study here

CLINKS GUEST BLOG: power of service user involvement

Clinks' latest guest blog is from Revolving Doors Agency's (RDA) Paula Harriott on the power of service user involvement. Paula also introduces RDA's suite of practical toolkits incorporating the latest thinking and good practice on how to involve service users in prisons and in probation. She writes, 'There’s a bit of a buzz recently about service user involvement within criminal justice settings, but involving users of services in design, delivery and evaluation isn’t new...Quite strange then, isn’t it, that the commitment to develop service user involvement in criminal justice settings has lagged behind for so long?'. Read the blog here

NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR ARTS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE NEWS: mapping training in arts and criminal justice

The National Alliance for Arts in Criminal Justice (NAACJ) has launched a new survey to explore the training needs, offers and expertise of people working across arts in criminal justice. The responses will be used to support the NAACJ to map current training and establish priorities across the sector. They are welcoming responses from individuals and organisations working within the arts in criminal justice sector and across other associated sectors. The survey will take between 5 and 15 minutes to complete, and the deadline for responses is 20th August. Respond to the survey here

CLINKS PARTNER'S BLOG: funding to boost life chances

Making Every Adult Matter has published a blog on the Life Chances Fund, an £80 million programme of social investment funding from the Cabinet Office directed at a range of complex social issues. They write, 'Expressions of interest are now open for two of the themes addressed by the fund: drug and alcohol dependency and children’s services. Further call-outs around young people, early years, healthy lives and older people’s services will follow. At the launch, Minister for Civil Society Rob Wilson MP offered reassurance that working closely with the voluntary and community sector will continue to be a priority for government.' Expressions of interest are due by 30th September. Read the blog here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: supporting children and young people

The Realising Ambition programme has published its third and fourth Programme Insights, a series of short briefings sharing reflections, learning and practical implications from Realising Ambition, a consortium led by Catch22 replicating 25 services aimed at preventing children and young people from entering the Criminal Justice System. The third Programme Insight explores to what degree the 25 Realising Ambition projects have refined their services and strengthened their evidence-base over the course of their delivery. The fourth in the series considers data on how young people have benefitted over the last three and a half years from six Realising Ambition projects that have now finished their delivery within the programme. Download the briefings here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: joint enterprise cases

A research report by the Institute for Criminal Policy Research of Birkbeck, University of London, in partnership with the Prison Reform Trust, has found much greater clarity and transparency is needed in the prosecution of 'joint enterprise' cases. Joint enterprise is a doctrine of criminal law which permits two or more defendants to be convicted of the same criminal offence, even where they had different types or levels of involvement. The study aimed to find out how the doctrine was used in the prosecution of serious offences, and calls for routine recording and monitoring of cases involving joint enterprise and for improved Sentencing Council guidance for judges dealing with multi-defendant cases. Download the report here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: turning young people away from crime

HM Inspectorate of Probation has published 'Referral orders: do they achieve their potential?', a report that finds referral orders are the most common community sentence for young people and are more effective than other youth sentences in reducing reoffending, but they are not being delivered as government intended. Referral orders involve a panel of volunteers from the community who decide the best course of action for the young person, to help them turn away from crime. The focus is on reparation to the victim or community, help for the young person to reintegrate back into the community, and restorative justice. The inspection found that overall not enough attention was given locally and nationally to ensuring that referral orders achieved their objectives. Download the report here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: Transforming Rehabilitation inquiry

Clinks, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and the Third Sector Research Centre, Women's Breakout, HM Inspectorate of Probation, Prison Reform Trust, UNISON, and The Howard League have submitted written evidence to the Public Accounts Committee's inquiry into Transforming Rehabilitation. According to the National Audit Office in a report published on the 28th April 2016, reforms by the Ministry of Justice to transform the rehabilitation of offenders have successfully restructured the probation landscape within ministerial timescales and without major disruption to services, but operational problems and risks to further service transformation need to be resolved. Read the submissions here

FUNDING: people's experience of care

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is seeking 'Tell us about your care' partners for 2016/17 and has published an invitation to tender, inviting interested organisations to bid for this work. These funded partnerships with national voluntary organisations are to gather information about people’s experiences of care. The partnership organisations work directly with and hear from people using health and social care services, and this information is valuable to the CQC. The invitation to tender will close on 27th July 2016 at 12pm. To find out more register or log into Delta eSourcing here. Go to the ‘Response Manager’ and use access code U7WP9UX78A.

FUNDING: for young entrepreneurs

The Baldwins Kick Start award is offering £20,000 to young Midlands/Mid Wales entrepreneurs who have a good idea and would like to start their own business. Baldwins hopes to reach those young people who have talent, drive, ambition and ideas but who lack access to the necessary funding and business support needed to start up in enterprise. The winner of the award will be given a grant of £10,000 coupled with £10,000 worth of mentoring and accountancy advice. Two runners-up will be presented with £5,000 worth of advice and mentoring fees over a period of one year. Applications close on 31st July. Find out more and apply here

FUNDING: celebrate your local community

Big Lottery Fund’s Celebrate England scheme is opens to applications. The scheme will provide grants of between £300 and £10,000 to enable voluntary or community organisations, schools and statutory bodies to hold one off events and activities which give their community the chance to come together to mark something important, commemorating a local historic event or getting to know the neighbours better. Applications can be submitted at any time and are open on a 'first come, first served' basis until the £3.875 million funding is exhausted. Find out more and apply here

CLINKS MEMBER'S TRAINING: domestic violence and abuse clients

RISE is running training courses for staff working with people affected by domestic violence and abuse to help them understand patterns of different types of domestic abuse, and the intentions and beliefs that underpin abusive behaviour in intimate partner relationships. They have experience in providing criminal justice and behavioural change programmes for domestic violence and abuse perpetrators, while also providing support to the victims. Dates for training can be arranged to suit your availability. For more details, contact info@risemutual.org

RESOURCE: for youth justice professionals

The Youth Justice Board has launched The Youth Justice Resource Hub, an online resource for the youth justice community. It provides professionals in the youth justice system with access to a range of resources including the latest evidence/research on youth justice, examples of good practice, information on effective interventions and approaches, briefings on key topics, learning programmes, toolkits and other skills frameworks/qualifications. The Hub aims to be a ‘one stop-shop’ for the youth justice sector’s effective practice and professional development needs. Visit the Hub here

FEATURED VACANCY: Prison Support Manager

Samaritans is recruiting for a Prison Support Manager [£36,733, full time, Surrey] to lead their Listener Scheme, a project that involves people in prison providing emotional support to one another, and other work in their prison support portfolio, all of which is aimed at reducing suicide in one of the most at risk populations. The Listener volunteers in prison are trained and supported by Samaritans volunteers, and the scheme is active in almost every prison in the UK and Ireland. Reporting to the Head of Operations you’ll be comfortable influencing and liaising with senior stakeholders across the charity and prisons sector, and understand the importance of these relationships within a partnership structure. Find out more and apply here

CLINKS MEMBERS' VACANCIES

Job vacancies this week include: a Production Coordinator with Fine Cell Work [London], various roles for the Step Forward Tees Valley Programme at Changing Lives [North East], a female Drop-In Support Worker with One25 [maternity cover, Bristol], a Sessional Tutor with Back on Track [Manchester] and a Volunteer Engagement Officer with Sova [London]. For more information about these vacancies, and many more, click here

TIPS OF THE WEEK

  • Tip of the week I: Buy any three Airwick, Dettol, Finish or Vanish products at Tesco before 19th July and get two free Cineworld tickets. Details
  • Tip of the week II: A week's stay at a 5-star resort in Greece is £299pp. Deal includes flights, meals, and transfers. Details
  • Tip of the week III: Get a £25 Eurostar voucher for £5. Details

EXTRA INFORMATION

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