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In this month's edition...
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Share your feedback on health and care services
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is asking for feedback on local health and care services from voluntary sector organisations working in the Criminal Justice System. Good healthcare can make a world of difference to people in contact with the Criminal Justice System. By sharing your feedback on local health and care services with the CQC, you can help them to improve the overall quality of care people receive, and prevent poor care or abuse happening to others in the future. If you or your service users have stories to share about their healthcare - good or bad - please let the CQC know today. Find out more here
Preventing suicide and self-harm
We're looking for applications to join a new Special Interest Group of the Ministry of Justice's Reducing Reoffending Third Sector Advisory Group (RR3) to explore how to provide effective care and support for people at risk of suicide and self-harm in prison. We will consider the role and contribution of the voluntary sector in providing care, the challenges and barriers to effective care and support, and make recommendations for change. We welcome applications from any voluntary sector organisation whose work brings them into contact with people who may be vulnerable and at risk. The group's first meeting is on 20th October in London. Travel bursaries are available for those coming from outside London. Find out more and apply here
Health service performance assessments
The Department of Health is consulting on the scope of performance assessments of providers regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). They are considering changes to the scope of the performance assessment regulations to enable CQC to rate additional provider sectors. These include independent community health service providers and substance misuse centres. Find out more and respond here
Funding for mental health places of safety
The Department of Health has announced the first wave of successful bidders for funding for new places of safety and the refurbishment of existing sites. Ensuring adequate place safety will help to prevent people experiencing a mental health crisis, who have committed no crime, from being placed in a police cell. The first wave of bids, totalling £6.1 million, have been awarded to 15 NHS trusts and partnership organisations covering 11 police force areas. They have been focused where use of police cells as a place of safety has previously been amongst the highest in the country. See the list of successful bidders and find out more here
Shape the DoH funding process
FaithAction is carrying out research on behalf of the Department for Health (DoH) on the processes that different funders use to accept grant applications and the review process for signing off funds. They are seeking responses to their survey from voluntary sector organisations on their preferences for applying for and evaluating grant funding. The findings will be used by the DoH to help shape their grant funding processes. Complete the survey here
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Self-care for people with learning difficulties
NHS England's Sustainable Improvement team are hosting their next 'Learning Disability Webinar' [12.30pm - 1.30pm, 29th September, online, free]. This webinar will focus on ways of supporting people to feel in control of their health and wellbeing, including the benefits of peer support in enabling people with a learning disability to positively manage their self-care. Find out more here
Arts, culture and innovation in criminal justice settings
‘Arts, culture and innovation in criminal justice settings: improving outcomes in a new policy landscape’ will be the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) annual conference [5th October, York, £60]. The day is aimed at senior prison staff, including heads of healthcare and substance misuse, Community Rehabilitation Company's, arts and voluntary sector organisations. The conference will highlight the unique role of the arts in supporting rehabilitation, including how arts can support safe and secure prisons and improve outcomes for offenders across the prison estate and in the community. The NCJAA will launch a new guide on how to commission arts projects in criminal justice settings, and there will be contributions from the Ministry of Justice and Arts Council England as well as leading arts organisations, universities and prison governors. Find out more and book here
Personal health budget support network
NAVCA, National Voices and Volunteering Matters are running learning and development days [September - November, nationwide, free] to initiate learning and support networks for anyone in the voluntary sector involved in work around personal health budgets. The events are aimed in particular at local infrastructure organisations, charities delivering healthcare and user-led organisations. The networks will also have input from NHS England and local Clinical Commissioning Groups, so present an opportunity to share ideas with them. Find out more here
Service user involvement
Are you new to service user involvement work? Would you like to transform how you involve your service users, but aren’t sure where to start? If so, our 'Creating a culture of service user involvement' event [21st October, London, £25] is for you. Hear from organisations who have successfully introduced service user involvement, and from people with lived experience who are now helping to shape their services. With plenty of practical advice and opportunities to discuss your own situation, this event will equip you to make meaningful service user involvement a reality in your work. For more information and to book a place click here
Race, mental health and criminal justice
'Race, mental health and criminal justice: moving forward' is a Strategic Partner Programme workshop [28th November, London, free] looking at the over-representation of people from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities with mental health problems in contact with the Criminal Justice System. Organised by Nacro in partnership with Clinks, the Race Equality Foundation and the Mental Health Providers Forum, the workshop will provide an opportunity to help craft a response to, and develop key recommendations for addressing, these issues. The workshop will explore health and justice changes and identify themes, barriers and solutions whilst highlighting the key role the voluntary sector can play in affecting change. Find out more here
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Response to the Carers Strategy
Clinks has submitted a response to the Department of Health consultation on the Carers strategy. Although the survey was primarily aimed at carers, it also offered an opportunity for other organisations to contribute information. We believe it is of the utmost importance that there is better identification of carers, including among those in prison and their families, and that they are able to access relevant information and advice. We need to improve services and other formal support for carers affected by the Criminal Justice System, ensuring that carers are fully involved in the design of those services. Download the response here
Response to a health strategy for women in criminal justice
Clinks has submitted a response to a consultation by the NHS London Health in Justice and Other Vulnerable Adults Strategic Clinical Network on their draft women’s health strategy. The response welcomes the overall direction of the strategy, which acknowledges the need for greater collaboration across the whole system to enable continuity of care; the need for a gender sensitive response to vulnerable women; and a focus on building women's resilience. Clinks also highlights the importance of including voluntary sector organisations as key partners in order to achieve the ambitions set out in the strategy. Download the response here
Collaboration with the health system
‘What can the voluntary sector do to encourage greater engagement and collaboration with the health system?’ is a Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG) paper that describes the challenges and solutions to more joined up approaches to health and care. The publication is based on a recent VODG debate between chief executive and senior directors alongside health leaders which investigated opportunities for partnership between health and voluntary groups. It includes an example of a health and voluntary sector partnership - an 'alliance contract'. Download the paper here
Sustainability and transformation
An NHS England guide has been published that sets out how local areas can ensure people and communities are at the heart of Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) through good engagement and consultation. STPs are local plans for better health supporting the delivery of the Five Year Forward View. The guide is for teams developing STPs in each of the 44 footprint areas, and the statutory organisations which form part of them. It is intended to clarify the expectations on stakeholder involvement, in particular patient and public participation. It also covers legal duties around engagement and consultation. Read the guide here
Prison peer support schemes
'Seeing prisoners as assets - Peer to peer support as a means of identifying and responding to prisoners with social care needs - building future capacity' is an Adass good practice guide to assist those considering establishing prison peer support schemes in their area and offers examples of current good practice in both England and Ireland. It gives a summary of the legislative background, case studies, practical suggestions from lessons learned and links to further information. It includes examples of good practice from Clinks members including Samaritans and Recoop. Download the guide here
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Improving men's health
The Queen's Nursing Institute has announced a new funding opportunity for innovative projects in the community and primary care, specifically for projects that aim to improve men's health. The Fund for Innovation and Leadership programme will provide up to £5,000 to ten projects. Nurses will receive a programme of professional development to support them in delivering the project. They are looking for projects where there is a direct clinical intervention with patients or clients that will improve men’s health services or a new approach to developing practice in the care of patients at home and in the community. The closing date for applications is 24th November. Find out more and apply here
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Health outcomes data
Public Health England has published a document that sets out the technical specifications of the indicators in the revised Public Health Outcomes Framework 2016 - 2019. Local authorities must consider this document when carrying out their public health functions. The Public Health Outcomes Framework concentrates on: increased healthy life expectancy; reduced differences in life expectancy; healthy life expectancy between communities. Find out more here
Participation tools, training and resources
NHS England has launched an online 'Involvement Hub'. The Hub aims to be a one-stop shop of tools, resources, best practice and training linked to patient and public participation, for healthcare commissioners, patients and the public to find out how to get involved in the work of NHS England. The hub links users to a range of resources from NHS England and other organisations, including the voluntary sector, royal colleges, patient groups and NHS organisations. If you have resources you would think would be relevant to share through the Involvement hub please email england.involvementhub@nhs.net. Visit the hub here
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Drug-related deaths
Russell Webster has written a blog looking at a recent Office for National Statistics report on drug-related deaths in England and Wales registered in 2015. Russel explores the key findings, which include: there were 3,674 drug poisoning deaths involving both legal and illegal drugs registered in England and Wales in 2015, the highest since comparable records began in 1993; of these, 2,479 (or 67%) were drug misuse deaths involving illegal drugs only; and the mortality rate from drug misuse was the highest ever recorded, at 43.8 deaths per million population. Read the blog here
Women in mind
Agenda, the alliance for women and girls at risk, have launched their #womeninmind campaign for women’s specific needs and experiences to be given full consideration in mental health services. In this blog, Rachel shares her experiences of accessing crisis mental health services. Rachel writes, ‘There is plenty of discussion in mental health around safety, but very little about what makes people feel safe... It is no coincidence that the only crisis service where I have felt that is run by women for women.’ Read Rachel’s story here
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About Clinks Offender Health Bulletin
This regular bulletin provides Clinks members with the latest news for voluntary sector organisations involved in the health and care of offenders. It currently has 3,157 subscribers.
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Designed, composed and circulated by Ben Watson, Clinks.