Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 648 | 21st August 2020

Light Lunch

In this week's edition...

    CLINKS SURVEY: last chance to contribute to our Covid-19 report

    Clinks is creating an important report on how the voluntary sector in criminal justice has been impacted by the pandemic and lockdown measures. To inform the report, we’ve launched our Covid-19 impact survey to capture the most up-to-date evidence on how the pandemic and lockdown has affected you. We’ll use this report in our influencing work with key stakeholders. With lockdown measures easing in prison and wider society, and with focus increasingly turning to remobilising services, our latest survey focuses on how this is impacting organisations and the new challenges and opportunities it creates. Don’t miss this last opportunity to share your experiences and raise the issues that matter most to you and the people you support. Take the survey before 5pm 21st August here

    CLINKS VACANCY: Communications Officer

    Are you a skilled communicator, a good writer, with excellent attention to detail and IT skills? We're looking for a Communications Officer [£27,539, full time, London – temporarily home working] - an exciting role essential to promoting the important role of charities working in the criminal justice system and our key messages. You will lead a variety of projects across a range of communications channels including e-bulletins, social media, websites and printed publications whilst maintaining accuracy and consistency. You will support the Communications Manager to implement our communications strategy and tools to develop our profile and help achieve our strategic objectives. Clinks is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all backgrounds and individuals with direct experience of the criminal justice system and/or with protected characteristics. Find out more and apply before 2nd September here

    CLINKS RESPONSE: lessons from coronavirus

    Clinks submitted evidence to the House of Lords Public Services Committee inquiry on lessons from coronavirus. The response focuses on the criminal justice system’s response to Covid-19 and the impact on the voluntary sector in criminal justice. We highlight issues with historic underfunding and siloed working in the criminal justice system which has affected its ability to respond to this crisis, damaged relationships between local partners and made communication and joint working with the voluntary sector more challenging to achieve. In particular we focus on the impact of austerity and severe lack of housing for people in the criminal justice system which for years has been pushing more into poverty and has made it more challenging to access accommodation for prison leavers during this time. Read it here

    CLINKS RESPONSE: unequal impact

    Clinks submitted evidence to the Women and Equalities Select Committee about the impact of Covid-19 on black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people in the criminal justice system. In our response, we highlight the lack of transparency over the number of people in prison and under probation supervision from BAME communities who have tested positive for Covid-19; the impact of the heavily restricted regimes in prison on the mental health and wellbeing of BAME prisoners; and the lack of communication from the government and prison and probation services with BAME-led voluntary organisations delivering support to BAME people in the criminal justice system. Read it here

    CLINKS BLOG: supporting older prisoners through Covid-19

    In this guest blog, Liz Ropschitz, Recoop’s Buddy Training Manager, explains how prison Buddies have stepped up during the Covid-19 pandemic – working closely with health care and wing officers to support the most vulnerable prisoners. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Buddies trained by Recoop have worked tirelessly and with extra training in the correct use of PPE when working with shielded individuals, delivered by Prison Care UK NHS staff, they have provided invaluable support. The HMP Dartmoor custodial manager praised their commitment, “They show patience, compassion and selflessness when looking after those in their care. It is a credit to the training they receive that they are equipped to carry out this challenging work to such a consistently high standard.” Read the blog here

    CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: learning to sail in a storm

    Cara Cinnamon, CEO of Khulisa has written a blog sharing reflections and lessons learnt as the leader of a small charity during the past six months - a time of such significant change and uncertainty. She discusses the importance of adapting and moving quickly and taking care of the people around you – including your staff team. She writes, “Of all the lessons I’ve learned, the key to surviving a storm is the network of people around you, finding strength in a shared purpose and making sure nobody gets left behind.” Read more here

    CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: family justice award

    The Family Justice Award, sponsored by the Centre for Justice Innovation, is open for entries. The award was created to honour the memory of District Judge Nicholas Crichton, who pioneered the creation of Family Drug and Alcohol Courts to tackle parental substance misuse in care proceedings. The award is for the initiative that has done the most to help families avoid disputes and resolve problems. Any organisation, setting or project from across the UK, whether in the public, voluntary or private sector, can enter. The closing date is Friday 25th September. Jo Tunnard has written a blog on the broader legacy of judge Nick Crichton in family justice, ahead of the award in his honour. Read it here

    CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: youth awards

    As part of its Sailing the Mayflower project, Restorative Justice for All is holding an online competition and awards ceremony to celebrate the contribution of migrants and refugees in communities across the UK. The aim is to bring young people from different backgrounds together to enhance cultural awareness and community cohesion. For more details on the competition and the event see here

    CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: women’s services face perfect storm

    Agenda has published interim findings of its Voices from Lockdown research, which shows that services supporting the most disadvantaged women and girls face a perfect storm as lockdown eases, with demand surging but emergency funding dropping off. However, the report also highlights how many women and girls’ services have innovated and adapted to the new circumstances, despite extremely challenging conditions. Agenda says the women’s voluntary and community sector must be valued, invested in and listened to by decision-makers on both a local and national level so that the women and girls they support are able to move on with their lives and fulfil their potential. See more here

    CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: domestic abuse victims who offend

    The Prison Reform Trust is conducting a brief survey of criminal defence lawyers to seek views on current defences available for individuals who offend due to their experience of domestic abuse and the Prison Reform Trust’s proposals for law reform. Please respond by midday on Thursday 10th September. Complete the survey here

    CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: pause to early release scheme

    The Ministry of Justice and Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service have announced that the temporary release of people in prison assessed as low risk – which was one of the first steps taken as part of a wider strategy to protect the NHS and reduce the impact of Covid-19 on the prison estate – will be paused at the end of August. Current cases will continue to be worked through, with releases being made until Thursday 27th August. The MoJ and HMPPS have stated that this decision will be kept under constant review over the coming weeks and months. Read more here

    CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: scrutiny visits

    HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) has developed a new methodology for inspecting prisons and other places of detention as they move away from the severe restrictions imposed due to Covid-19. Scrutiny Visits have now replaced Short Scrutiny Visits, which were used early in the pandemic. Scrutiny Visits are short inspections of individual establishments, are more thorough, and will reintroduce surveys of people in prison and other places of detention. Scrutiny Visits are not full inspections, but will involve more inspectors visiting establishments for longer, with reports on individual prisons. These reports will enable HMIP to assess how prisons are balancing the risks from the virus against risks to individual health and welfare from sustained and severe regime restrictions. Read more here

    FUNDING: North East

    Grants of between £500 and £2,000 are available from the Hadrian Trust to help social welfare and charitable organisations working to improve the lives of people in the North East of England, and particular focus is placed on groups working in the fields of social welfare, youth, disability, the elderly, women, ethnic minorities, education, arts and the environment. Grants may be for a specific project or part of a project, purchase of equipment, part salaries or as a contribution to running costs. Find out more and apply before 14th September here

    FUNDING: Staffordshire

    Grants of between £100 and £2,000 are available from the Staffordshire Police and Crime Commissioner’s People Power Fund for local community based organisations for projects that improve community safety, reduce crime and disorder, and increase public confidence in the Staffordshire area, including Stoke on Trent. The Commissioner is keen to support locally driven community safety and reassurance activities that support one of the priority areas set out in the Commissioner's Safer, Fairer, United Communities Strategy: early intervention; supporting victims and witnesses; managing offenders; public confidence; or modern policing. Find out more and apply before 14th September here

    CLINKS MEMBER’S EVENT: The Lammy Review – three years on

    Prisoners’ Education Trust is holding an event [8th September, online, free] to mark the three year anniversary of the powerful Lammy Review: An independent review into the treatment of, and outcomes for, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic individuals in the Criminal Justice System. Three years on, too little progress on the report’s recommendations has been made. The event will include a panel of experts: Dr Angela Herbert MBE, Chair of the Violent Crime Prevention Board and Brent Police Independent Advisory Group; Dr Karen Graham, Senior Lecturer in Faculty of Education, Manchester Metropolitan University; Dr Anthony Gunter, Programme Lead for Childhood and Youth Studies at the Open University; and Raheel Mohammed, Director and Founder of Maslaha. Register here

    RESOURCE: resource hub for BAME-led charities

    BAMER HUB is an online platform for voluntary organisations from Money4YOU, providing members access to resources to strengthen and grow. Membership is free for Black, Asian, Multi-Ethnic, Refugee (BAMER) led charities and social enterprises. The hub includes priority access to information, funding opportunities, support sessions, workshops, tools and resources for business continuity, resilience, networking and income generation. Money4YOU exists to tackle inequality by teaching people how to make money, helping organisations to raise funds and supporting everyone to make the most of their resources. Find out more and pre-register here

    PUBLICATION: collapse in charity provision looms

    Pro Bono Economics, in partnership with the Institute of Fundraising and Charity Finance Group, has published its latest Charity Sector Tracker, finding that the £10 billion charity funding gap created by coronavirus is putting an “alarming proportion” of jobs and services in the firing line in the social sector. The survey of 455 charities found that 19% have already made redundancies, and that 23% plan to make further cutbacks once the government’s furlough scheme comes to an end. That number jumps to 44% among the UK’s largest charities. Remarkably, nearly one-in-ten (8%) large charities anticipate reducing their headcount by 25-50%. Read more here

    FEATURED VACANCY: Chair of Trustees

    Belong is looking to appoint a new Chairperson to its Board of Trustees [voluntary, part time, part-remote]. Individuals experienced in governance and with the commitment, qualities, and attributes to effectively lead an award-winning criminal justice charity supporting the rehabilitation and recovery of victims and perpetrators of crime are invited to apply. The Chairperson should be passionate about improving the life chances of individuals serving custodial sentences and helping victims of offences to cope and recover. Belong fosters an inclusive culture where all aspects of diversity are key to its success. Applications from candidates with lived experience of the criminal justice system and from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds are particularly encouraged. Find out more and apply before 1st September here

    CLINKS MEMBERS’ VACANCIES

    Vacancies on the jobs board this week include: Project Manager with Humankind [HMP Durham], Lead Late Night Worker with Nacro [Nottingham], Support Worker with Cambridge Women's Resources Centre - the Dawn Project [Peterborough], Offender Resettlement Triage Worker with Shelter [HMP Styal], Chair of Trustees with Belong – Making Justice Happen [London], Data Coordinator with St. Giles Trust [West Midlands], Floating Support Worker with Kaleidoscope Project [Wales], Bike Workshop Tutor with Life Cycle UK [Aylesbury Young Offenders Institution]. For more information about these vacancies, and many more, click here

    TIPS OF THE WEEK

    • Tip I: Summer mystery deal - hot tub, outdoor speakers and more. £9.99. Details
    • Tip II: Quarantine-free holiday options. Details
    • Tip III: Beard face masks (non-medical). Details

    EXTRA INFORMATION

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