Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 686 | 4th June 2021

 Light Lunch

In this week's edition...

CLINKS EVENT: South West probation providers

The South West Reducing Reoffending Partnership, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and Clinks invite you to meet the probation commissioned community rehabilitation service providers; an opportunity to understand how the voluntary sector and commissioned providers in the South West can support one another [16th June, online, free]. If you are able to support people in the criminal justice system in the South West, regardless of whether you can attend, please take just four minutes to complete a short questionnaire to inform a South West Voluntary Sector Directory, which will be shared with the providers in advance of the event and will help inform wider commissioning. You will also be able to pose questions for the event through the questionnaire. You will receive this questionnaire when you register for the event using the link below. See more and book your place here

CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: women with convictions

Working Chance has published a blog about what lockdown lifting means for women with convictions looking for work. Women have been severely impacted by unemployment since the pandemic, according to the Trades Union Congress’ recent report. Between September to November 2020, 178,000 women were made redundant. By the end of February 2021, over 2.3m women were furloughed compared to 2.1m men. For women with convictions, finding a job is already challenging due to employers’ stigma. In a highly encouraging trend, Working Chance’s clients have secured four times more interviews in April than in February. As workplaces reopen and the economy rebounds, it’s vital that women with convictions are not left behind. Read the blog here

CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: fair justice for children and young people

Diagrama Foundation is seeking contributions for the next book in the Monument Fellowship book series, which will look at the question: “What could fair justice mean for children and young people?”. Diagrama Foundation would like to hear from anyone with interest, experience or knowledge of the criminal justice system. Typically, the book will be made up of chapters of around 2,000-2,500 words, but Diagrama Foundation also welcome shorter pieces, and art, poetry, or other material which expresses what fair justice could mean for children and young people. If you are interested, submit an abstract of no more than 200 words by 11th June. Find out more here

CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: virtual walk for wellbeing

RECOOP has developed the ‘On Track’ virtual walk to help people with convictions increase their walking to help regain health and wellbeing during the restrictions placed on them by Covid-19 and beyond. ‘On Track’ maps 27 stages along the 873 mile journey from Land’s End to John O’Groats, giving walkers a realistic target to reach as they make their way up the country. Each walker has been given an ‘On Track’ booklet, together with a stepometer, to enable and encourage them to complete their journey. This has inspired one man in custody to write an honest blog about his experience. Updates will be added throughout the journey. Read the blog here

CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: freedom to create exhibition

The National Justice Museum has partnered with Koestler Arts to produce a new exhibition, ‘Power: Freedom to Create’. Taking inspiration from a tiny soap sculpture crafted by a prisoner, the exhibition brings together works from the National Justice Museum’s Collection, selected entries from the 2020 Koestler Awards and six contemporary commissions which explore themes of power and creativity. It is the first time Koestler Arts has exhibited artwork alongside a historic museum collection. The exhibition opened at the National Justice Museum, Nottingham on 21st May 2021. It is free to visit and a digital version of the exhibition created by V21 Artspace is available online. View the virtual exhibition here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: Prison Leavers project secondment opportunity

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is looking to appoint an expert on employability and skills, on secondment until November 2022 (with potential to extend). The successful candidate will join the Prison Leavers Project, which has received £20m to adopt new approaches to address the barriers people face on release from prison. The secondment is a grade 7 Policy Lead post and will be based within the Employability and Skills team, a multi-agency team that includes different government departments, local authorities and voluntary organisations. Successful candidates will continue to spend part of each week embedded in their ‘home organisation’. To find out more and apply by 16th June please email prisonleaversproject@justice.gov.uk

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: physical contact and prison visits

HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has announced that as of 28th May, due to their lower transmission risk, children under 11 are allowed to hug the loved one they are visiting in prison. People in prison are now able to see more friends and family - visitors from two households can visit at the same time in an expansion of prison social visits. Find details of these updates in the HMPPS Twitter feed here. Individual adult prisons continue to be reviewed each week and updates about specific prisons can be found here. If you would like to receive regular updates on the status of adult prisons and which prisons have restarted social visits, please email covid19@clinks.org

FUNDING: women’s economic empowerment in Norfolk

Grants up to £5,000 are available from the Norfolk Women’s fund for constituted groups to support women’s economic empowerment, particularly among those who are disadvantaged. Groups must be in Norfolk with specific interest in supporting nascent projects or initiatives that find it difficult to get financial support elsewhere. Full applications are considered on a quarterly basis each year with deadlines of 30th June, 30th September and 31st December. There is no formal application form, rather groups should write no more than three pages of A4 responding to the questions set out by the Norfolk Community Foundation on its website and submit their application by email to norfolkwomensfund@gmail.com. Find out more here

FUNDING: arts youth-focus

Grants up to £20,000 are available from Ragdoll Foundation for arts, cultural and youth-focused organisations working with children and young people in the UK through the arts, artists and creative media. Proposals are invited for creative and innovative approaches. The Foundation is interested in projects that will capture and develop the imagination of children and allow their voices to be heard. Projects should place children and young people at the heart of the creative process. The Small Grants Programme deadline is 2nd July 2021 for projects beginning no earlier than September 2021, and 27th August for projects beginning no earlier than November 2021. Find out more and apply here

CLINKS MEMBER’S EVENT: tackling race inequality

‘Working with Police and Crime Commissioners to tackle race inequality’ [21st June, online, free] is the second in the #TimeToAct event series, this time hosted by Criminal Justice Alliance and Centre for Justice Innovation. This event will explore how community and grassroots organisations can help shape police and crime plans over the coming months to build trust and tackle race inequality in their region. Hear about examples of community engagement, co-production and scrutiny across different parts of the country, reflecting on what works and lessons learned. Held in partnership with EQUAL, Barrow Cadbury Trust and Clinks, the series is for organisations working across the criminal justice system and has been inspired by David Lammy MP’s call to interrogate how far the Lammy Review’s 35 recommendations have been implemented to date. Book your place here

CLINKS MEMBER’S EVENT: emotional health among people living with long-term conditions

National Voices is launching ‘Ask How I Am: Supporting emotional health among people living with long-term conditions’, a report and campaign calling for compassionate conversations between all healthcare professionals and people living with physical ill health. At the launch event [16th June, online, free] you will hear about what National Voices has found, as well as the key recommendations to system leaders committed to ‘building back better’. During the pandemic, National Voices worked with the Centre for Mental Health to speak with people living with long-term conditions, their family members and their healthcare professionals to better understand the relationships between long-term illnesses and people’s emotional and mental wellbeing, and to identify ways of improving people’s experiences and outcomes. Book your place here

CLINKS MEMBER’S EVENT: parole and restorative justice

Why me? is hosting two events in June. The first is an interactive session to discuss best practice for taking restorative justice into account for decisions about parole [8th June, online, £50]. Why me? has been working collaboratively with the Parole Board, Restorative Justice Facilitators, and individuals with lived experience of the process to create guidance on this topic. The second event will discuss the latest findings from Why me?’s Valuing Victims report, based on the 2019/20 data obtained from the Ministry of Justice about restorative justice across England [16th June, online, free]. Book your ticket for the parole event here, and for the Valuing Victims report event here

CLINKS MEMBER’S EVENT: sexual offences training

Circles South West invites you to join its summer training programme which kicks off in July with one day training events for professionals working with adults and young people who have sexually harmed, have convictions for sexual offending or are at risk of doing so [6th July in Bath, 14th July in Plymouth, 5th August in Dorset, £120]. The training will increase delegates’ knowledge and understanding of theories around why people sexually harm, the prevalence of such behaviour, risk assessment and risk management. Bookings are now available for 'Living and Working in a Pornified World' and 'Working with People who have Sexually Harmed'. Find more details and book here

CLINKS MEMBERS’ VACANCIES

Quality Officer with Phoenix Futures [Elephant and Castle], Peer Mentor and Volunteer Lead Practitioner with Humankind [Durham], Lead Administrator at Humankind [Bowburn], Circles Volunteer with Circles South West [various], Women’s Complex Needs Recovery Support Worker with A Way Out [Stockton on Tees], Support Worker with Cambridge Women's Resources Centre - the Dawn Project [Peterborough], Prison Mentor with Salford Foundation [Manchester], SLWH Coordinator (Bromley) with Women in Prison [London], Trainee High Intensity Therapist with Insight IAPT & Insight Wellbeing at Work [East Midlands], Support Worker with Mental Health Concern [Gateshead], Navigator with Mental Health Concern [Newcastle upon Tyne]. For more information about these vacancies, and many more, click here

TIPS OF THE WEEK

  • Crystal Palace spa. £39. Details
  • Splash park Barking. £3.50. Details
  • 50 disposable three-ply face masks. £3.95. Details

EXTRA INFORMATION

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