Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 621 | 14th February 2020

Light Lunch Header

In this week's edition...

CLINKS BLOG: Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service restrictions on attendance at events

Anne Fox, Clinks’ Chief Executive Officer outlines the restrictions Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has put in place on people in the criminal justice system and on their staff’s attendance at events following the tragic events and incidents at Fishmongers Hall in November, HMP Whitemoor in December and in Streatham in January. Clinks is concerned that these restrictions may limit access to rehabilitative opportunities for people within the criminal justice system and have implications which present a challenge to the voluntary sector’s commitment to involving experts by experience in the design and delivery of services. We are raising these issues with HMPPS and will keep you updated with developments. Read the blog here

CLINKS BLOG: staff and volunteers

This is the third in our series of blogs looking closely at the findings of our State of the sector 2019 research. In this blog, Policy Officer Lauren Nickolls looks at the staff and volunteers who make the criminal justice voluntary sector’s work possible. Our research looks in depth at workforce numbers, volunteer recruitment and what kind of activities volunteers undertake for organisations. We found that voluntary organisations who support people in the criminal justice system employ around three times as many people as are employed by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service. This indicates just how important the work of voluntary organisations is in providing services to people in contact with the criminal justice system. Read more here

CLINKS EVENT: regional criminal justice forum

Don’t miss our North West criminal justice forum [25th February, Liverpool, free for members, £50 for non-members] which will have an additional arts focus led by the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance. You will get an update on Clinks’ policy work across England and Wales and the opportunity to discuss challenges and opportunities your organisation is currently facing. We will highlight some of the fantastic work that criminal justice arts organisations are doing in the North West and share good practice. Learn about how arts can be used effectively with those who have lived experience and network with professionals working in this area. Find out more and book here

NATIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE ARTS ALLIANCE NEWS: join the steering group

The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) is looking for six new members to join its steering group and help build on recent successes in arts and criminal justice. This is a particularly exciting time for the NCJAA and the sector, as Arts Council England’s next 10-year strategy is implemented and it builds on its vision for what success looks like in arts and criminal justice. The steering group is made up of both organisations and independent members, with experience across arts, culture and criminal justice. The group meets a minimum of four times a year to represent the network and set priorities and direction for the NCJAA. The deadline to apply is 9th March. Find out more here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: a cabinet reshuffle

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is carrying out a reshuffle of ministers in cabinet positions. So far, we know Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP will stay on as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. Lucy Frazer QC will continue as Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice. Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP is keeping his role as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Wendy Morton MP, previously Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Ministry of Justice, has been appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development - we don't yet know who is replacing her. Oliver Dowden CBE was appointed Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: conditions and suitability of prisons

The National Audit Office (NAO) has published a report examining how Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has delivered against its plans to improve the conditions and suitability of prisons. The report finds that HMPPS is failing in its commitments to provide a safe, secure and decent prison estate. HMPPS has not be able to provide enough prison places, in the right type of prisons, and at the right time, to meet demand. The report recommends that HMPPS develops a coherent, long-term strategy for the prison estate that extends beyond Spending Review budget cycles and that it applies learning from its current facilities management contracts in the lead up to them coming to an end in 2020. Read the full report here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: children in custody

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) has published an analysis of children’s experiences of custody in 2018-19. The findings highlights the urgent need for reform in the youth estate to improve the treatment of children held in custody and ensure their basic needs are met. Two-thirds of children reported that they did not get enough to eat at mealtimes and more than a third said that they could not have a daily shower. The vast majority (73%) of children in Young Offender Institutions spent less than two hours a day out of their cells on weekends. Only 63% of those children that said they had health problems, including mental health issues, reported that they had received help for it. Read the full report here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: update on race disparity

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has published an annual update on their work to tackle race disparity in the criminal justice system, including how it is responding to each recommendation made in the Lammy Review into the treatment of, and outcomes for, black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) individuals in the criminal justice system. Clinks supported the Lammy Review to engage with voluntary organisations, and we continue to work alongside BAME-led organisations to encourage the government to fully implement the Review’s recommendations. The Reducing Reoffending Third Sector Advisory Group (RR3), which Clinks chairs and provides the secretariat for, will be providing advice to senior MoJ officials on what areas require further effort at the next meeting on 5th March. You can read the full update here

FUNDING: disadvantaged young people

The Peter Cruddas Foundation aims to benefit disadvantaged and disengaged young people in the UK by ensuring its funding reaches those most in need. The Foundation gives priority to programmes designed to help disadvantaged and disengaged young people in the age range of 14 to 30, to pursue pathways to education, training and employment with the ultimate aim of helping them to become financially independent. Preference will be given to the support of projects undertaken by UK registered charitable organisations. There is no minimum or maximum amount funded and projects can be funded for more than one year. Find out more and apply before 1st March here

​FUNDING: crime reduction

Groups can apply for grants of up to £5,000 (average grant circa £2,000) from the Lincolnshire High Sheriffs’ Fund. The broad themes covered by the fund are crime reduction and creating a safer society in Lincolnshire. Funds can be used for activities with young people (diversionary activities, projects that raise aspirations or reduce isolation), intergenerational activities (reduce fear of crime, promote community cohesion) and older people (resident groups, clubs or societies). Find out more and apply before 1st March here

FUNDING: homelessness

Help the Homeless has funds available (generally up to £5,000) for small and medium-sized charities with an annual turnover of under £1m towards the funding of ‘capital’ projects. All applications must relate to projects that assist individuals in their return to mainstream society, rather than simply offering shelter or other forms of sustenance. Find out more and apply before 15th March here

​​​FUNDING: homelessness and young people

The Hilden Charitable Fund has grants available for the following priority areas: homelessness, penal affairs, asylum seekers and refugees, and community based initiatives for disadvantaged young people aged 16 to 25. Average grants are £5,000. Find out more and apply before 18th March here

CLINKS MEMBER’S EVENT: deportation

Synergy Theatre Project’s darkly comic play, The Special Relationship follows six British nationals sent back to the UK after years living in America [26th February-21st March, London, from £7.50]. It features their shocking, absurd and completely true stories from the sharp edge of UK/US deportation. This fast-paced play by Hassan Abdulrazzak is the result of interviews with real deportees and experts in immigration and criminal law. Light Lunch subscribers can get 25% off using the promotion code: SPECIAL. Book here

CLINKS MEMBER’S EVENT: art exhibition

Fine Cell Work is thrilled to announce Human Touch, a collaboration between eight leading contemporary artists and Fine Cell Work stitchers working in British prisons. The collaboration has resulted in eight works of art which will be exhibited at Sotheby’s [26th February-3rd March, London, free] and sold by Fine Cell Work. All proceeds from the sale of the work will go directly to the charity, enabling Fine Cell Work to provide more creative, paid needlework to the people they work with. Find out more

CLINKS MEMBER’S EVENT: youth court in England and Wales

Join the Centre for Justice Innovation and the Institute for Crime and Justice Policy Research for the launch of their new report on the state of practice in youth court [25th March, London, free]. The event, ‘Time to get it right: The state of youth court in England and Wales’ will include a panel discussion responding to the report and the policy implications, chaired by Lord Carlile. There will be an immersive installation from Reality ART, which will allow the voices of children and young people to be heard on this topic. Book your place here

CLINKS MEMBER’S EVENT: advice services

The Advice Services Alliance (ASA) is holding a conference, ‘Good Will and Good Works’ for the UK advice sector [1st-2nd April, Manchester, from £252.00]. The conference will be an engaging event for advice services, voluntary organisations, funders and sector stakeholders which will both challenge accepted thinking and create a space to share key ideas on the future of social welfare advice in England and Wales. It will consist of plenary talks and breakout workshops. Plenary speakers include: Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester; and Deborah Coles, Executive Director of Inquest. ASA welcomes any suggestions for speakers or workshops via email to: rachel.russell@asauk.org.uk. To enquire about holding a stand in the exhibition marketplace email: london@profbriefings.co.uk. Book your place here

CLINKS MEMBER’S TRAINING: unlocking potential

This one-day Clean Break training course is for theatre artists and early career group work practitioners interested in the art of creating safe and transformative women-only spaces [29th March, London, from £55]. It will draw on decades of practice from Clean Break’s current Members Programme and former award-winning Education Programme, exploring setting clear boundaries, facilitation skills and managing challenging situations. It will provide participants with the space to build their confidence and develop a rich toolkit to improve their practice. Find out more and book here

OPPORTUNITY: campaigner awards

Nominations for the 2020 Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK) National Campaigner Awards are now open. Each year, SMK celebrates the best campaigns and campaigners – local, national, individuals, community groups, charities any shape or any size. The foundation’s interest is in finding those who have made change happen – most effectively, creatively and courageously. Winners will receive their award at an evening ceremony in London on 6th May 2020. The deadline for nominations is 12pm 13th March. Apply here

CLINKS MEMBERS’ VACANCIES

Vacancies on the jobs board this week include: Deputy Recovery Lead with EDP Drug & Alcohol Services [HMP Exeter], Honorary Therapist Placement with Oasis Project [Brighton], Women's Advocate with Women In Prison [London], Claims & Compliance Officer with Changing Lives [Stockton], Peer Hub Support Worker with St. Giles Trust [Norfolk], Specialist Doctor with Kaleidoscope Project [North Wales], RAD Recovery Coordinator with Humankind [County Durham], RAD Recovery Coordinator with Nacro [Harlow], Policy and Communications Assistant with Standing Committee for Youth Justice (SCYJ) [London], Curriculum Support Manager with Weston College [HMP Send & HMP East Sutton Park]. For more information about these vacancies, and many more, click here

TIPS OF THE WEEK

  • Tip I: Italian afternoon tea with gin for two. Save 17%. Details
  • Tip II: Iceland break with Northern Lights and Blue Lagoon tour. £345 per person. Details
  • Tip III: Xero accounting and bookkeeping online course. £11.95. Details

EXTRA INFORMATION

About Clinks Light Lunch

This edition of Light Lunch has been sent to the inbox of 13,215 people working (or with an interest) in the criminal justice system of England and Wales.

Click here to manage your subscriptions. For assistance, email info@clinks.org

Clinks logo

Get involved Become a Member | Follow Clinks on Twitter | Terms and conditions

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

© Clinks, 2020