Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 585 | 24th May 2019

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In this week's edition...

CLINKS NEWS: what's the state of our sector in 2019?

We have launched this year's state of the sector survey. This is your opportunity to share your organisation's successes and challenges and to influence policy makers. It's vitally important that we here from voluntary sector organisations working in criminal justice about how they've been faring over the last year. Help us build on last year's evidence and identify changes and challenges for the voluntary sector. Your answers will help us to advocate on your behalf and prioritise our work so that we are able to meet your needs. If you're a voluntary organisation working in criminal justice, take our short survey here

CLINKS REPORT: universal credit and access to banking

The Reducing Reoffending Third Sector Advisory Group (RR3) has submitted evidence to the Reducing Reoffending Board (RRB) on the barriers people face in accessing bank accounts and Universal Credit in advance of leaving prison and upon release. The RRB is a cross-ministerial group attended by senior ministers from all government departments with a stake in the causes and effects of reoffending. The paper proposes a number of cross-departmental and innovative solutions in order to address these barriers and ensure government departments can work better together to improve the service. Find out more here

CLINKS BRIEFING: universal credit and the discharge grant

Clinks has published a briefing written for the Ministry of Justice which sets out the impacts of the current discharge grant policy on the wellbeing of people leaving prison and on rates of reoffending. Based on information gathered from our State of the sector research and a short call for evidence to voluntary organisations, the briefing finds that the value of the discharge grant is too low for people’s basic needs to be met. In addition to this, as a direct impact of welfare reform, people leaving prison are facing significant barriers in accessing benefits and are being pushed into poverty. Read the briefing here

CLINKS NEWS: meet the team

Marianna MacGilp is Clinks' Administrator - maternity cover. She has a varied role which includes, but is not limited to supporting the CEO, Senior Management Team, the Board of Trustees and Clinks managers and staff in all aspects of administration. Marianna graduated with a degree in Media Arts from Royal Holloway, University of London but after ten years in the media industry she decided to bring her skills to the voluntary sector. Before joining Clinks she worked at Diabetes UK, followed by Age UK, and couldn’t be happier in the sector. Meet the team here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: care leavers in the criminal justice system

The Care Leavers’ Association (CLA) held a series of Care Leaver Roundtable Events in November 2018 at HMP Hatfield, Wealstun and Humber in Yorkshire and Humberside. The CLA has published a report on these events, which draws on the views of delegates who attended from across the Yorkshire and Humber region. The roundtables were care leaver-led and brought together operational and strategic leads, with a focus on understanding what the region was able to do in response to care leavers and looked after children who find themselves in criminal justice settings. Find out more here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: mentoring and befriending project film

Merseyside Offender Mentoring Project, which is part of Sefton CVS, has created a film entitled Stabilising Lives which provides an insight into the project and its services. It provides mentoring and befriending support to people in HMP Liverpool, HMP Kirkham and HMP Risley before and after release, with the aim of helping them to resettle positively back into the community. Watch the video here (15 mins)

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: probation magazine

The Probation Institute has published issue 12 of its Probation Quarterly magazine. It has a wide variety of articles from researchers, practitioners and policy-makers in the community-based criminal justice public, private and voluntary sectors. Articles look at recognising unconscious bias, models for the future of probation, attachment theory and probation practice, the process of recall and ending prison as the default. Find out more here (PDF)

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: charity naming a stadium

Action West London has been shortlisted by Queens Park Rangers (QPR) as a charity to be gifted the naming rights to their stadium next season. QPR supporters will vote on which charity will be selected. Action West London has delivered many projects for young and adult offenders over the years and aims to do more with the help of the PR the naming rights would provide if selected. Find out more and vote here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: supervision after short sentences

We have summarised an HM Inspectorate of Probation thematic review report on the quality of post-sentence supervision for people released from custody after serving short prison sentences. The report identifies a number of major failings. The thematic inspection found resettlement plans that lacked coordination with benefits, substance misuse and accommodation services, and people being reallocated between probation workers. It also found that magistrates and judges were sentencing the majority of people blindly, as pre-sentence reports were prepared for the courts in less than one in four cases. The report makes a number of recommendations for change. Read the blog summarising the report here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: blueprints for wales

The Welsh Government and HM Prison and Probation Service in Wales have published two separate blueprints that set out the aspirations and principles of how women, and young people, will be treated in the criminal justice system (CJS) in Wales. The blueprint for women recognises that many women in contact with the CJS are victims of physical or emotional abuse themselves and therefore require a gender based and trauma-informed approach. The blueprint for young people recognises the significant impacts of adverse childhood experiences as cause for young people entering the CJS, and supports a ‘children first’ approach focussed on diversion. Both blueprints commit to a whole systems approach in delivering change, and are published with implementation plans. Read the female offending blueprint here and the youth justice blueprint here

CLINKS MEMBER'S EVENT: feelings in prison

Safe Ground is holding a participatory event [29th May, London, £5] that will bring two people in conversation from opposite sides of the criminal justice system. 'The F* Word' will discuss the word "feelings" and the danger it poses when in a segregation unit in a Category A prison. An ex-prisoner and a current officer will be sharing their experience of the complicated nature of the word in the context of giving and receiving care in secure settings. There will be a question and answer session with a prison governor, a psychologist in a secure setting, and an alumnus of Safe Ground. Find out more here

CLINKS MEMBERS' VACANCIES

Vacancies on the jobs board this week include: Trusts and Legacies Fundraising Officer with Prison Fellowship England and Wales [Westminster], Personal Development Coordinator with The Irene Taylor Trust [Shoreditch], Support Coordinator with Nacro [Loughton], Support Worker with Changing Lives [Chester Le Street], Female Caseworker with Women at the well [Kings Cross], Case Manager with Phoenix Futures [Essex], Communications Assistant with The Lucy Faithfull Foundation [Worcestershire], Chair of Trustees with Irish Chaplaincy [Camden], Business Co-ordinator with Humankind [Calderdale], Vulnerable Victims Case Manager with Catch22 [Welwyn Garden City], Housing Officer with Changing Lives [Team Valley]. For more information about these vacancies, and many more, click here 

TIPS OF THE WEEK

  • Tip of the week I: Newcastle stay with dinner & wine – 37% off. Details
  • Tip of the week II: Chocolate tasting workshop for two for £21. Details
  • Tip of the week III: Personalised 'name a star' gift – save 65%. Details

EXTRA INFORMATION

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