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In this month's edition...
Clinks would like to take this opportunity to introduce our new member of staff, Spencer, as the Health and Justice Policy and Development Officer at Clinks. He is excited to meet and work with all of you in this important field, helping to ensure that the voices of the voluntary sector are represented. If you would like to reach out to setup an introductory meeting, please contact him at spencer.bundschuh@clinks.org
Clinks has launched its eighth annual State of the sector survey which is your chance to share your experiences and help us influence key decision makers on your behalf. We really can't do anything without hearing the voice of voluntary sector organisations working in the criminal justice system. Findings from our last State of the sector survey 2019 gave us a lot to celebrate, but issues such as overcrowding, lack of resources and staff were cited as areas of concern for people in prison. How is this changing? Please complete our 20 minute survey and let us know by 8th November. Take the survey here
Clinks has made two representations to the Treasury to inform the Spending Review 2021. One response sets out our suggestions for how the government can address its priorities to cut crime and reduce reoffending, by building a strong and innovative criminal justice system that harnesses the knowledge and expertise of the voluntary sector across prisons and probation. The other response focusses on the need to fully invest in family services that we developed and submitted alongside family and criminal justice voluntary organisations. The Spending Review will conclude alongside the autumn budget on 27th October. Read our Time to invest in families representation here, and Representation to the Spending Review 2021 here
Information sharing Task and Finish sub-group
A Task and Finish group was established by various government bodies including Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, the Ministry of Justice, Joint Extremism Unit, and the NHS to establish a guideline for sharing information between services upon individuals’ release from prison. As is evident, information sharing between prisons, healthcare services and voluntary organisations can be disjointed, inconsistent and can lead to or exacerbate poor health and wellbeing outcomes for those being released into the community. The group is aiming to address this problem by creating clear guidance and training that will be disseminated across England and Wales. If your organisation has faced any challenges in this area, or you wish to share best practice examples, please contact spencer.bundschuh@clinks.org by 15th November
Covid-19 in prisons
Notes from the latest meeting of the Reducing Reoffending Third Sector Advisory Group (RR3) Special Interest Group on Covid-19 have been published. The RR3 is a formal advisory group to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), consisting of senior voluntary sector leaders. In this meeting, the group was joined by Milosz Bruski, HMPPS, who provided updates on HMPPS Covid-19 Gold Command and the Stage 1 framework, and Lana Bracewell, MoJ who discussed structured on wing activity. Read the notes here
Stop sending pregnant women to prison
Women in Prison, Birth Companions and Level Up launched a campaign to end the imprisonment of pregnant women. The campaign calls on the government to introduce a statutory duty for courts to consider the health of pregnant people and the best interests of children in sentencing decisions, to ensure prison sentences are a last resort. In the last two years, two pregnant women have given birth inside UK prisons and their babies have died. When a pregnant woman or mother is supported in her community, she’s able to get the support to give her child the best start in life, including access to antenatal and postnatal healthcare. The organisations have written a petition to the Secretary of State for Justice, Dominic Raab MP. Read more and sign here
Capptive Covid-19 prisons project
In response to the dramatic effect that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the lives of prisoners, their families and those working in prison, the Prison Reform Trust has established the CAPPTIVE project (The Covid Action Prison Project: Tracking Innovation, Valuing Experience). It aims to hear from people in prison, and the people who care about them, about their own experience of the pandemic, and to ensure that prisoners’ voices are heard in the discussions amongst wider society about what our lives will look like after the pandemic. They are inviting those with lived experience of imprisonment to submit responses on the topics of racially minoritised and Muslim peoples’ experience of prison during the Covid-19 ‘double lockdown’; women in prison; and innovative practices witnessed in the prison estate. Read more here
Wellbeing of young Black men in prison
Spark Inside has launched a new campaign to highlight the urgent need for tailored support for young men in prisons, including young Black men. The Being Well Being Equal campaign calls for action from the government, prison policy-makers and practitioners to prioritise wellbeing services, tailor wellbeing services to take into account and meet the specific needs of young men and particularly Black men in prison, and provide better support and guidance for professionals in prison working with and caring for them. As part of the campaign, Spark Inside will convene an alliance of specialist organisations seeking change, and platform the work of specialist organisations working with young people living in prison. To join the alliance, please contact tim@sparkinside.org or find out more here
Health reform and its impact on people experiencing multiple disadvantage
The Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM) coalition has published a briefing examining ongoing structural changes to public health and social care reform, including looking at the Department of Health and Social Care’s Health and Care Bill, which is currently going through parliament. The briefing sets out how these upcoming health reforms in England might impact people facing multiple disadvantage, examining central health function reforms, changes to the local structure of health bodies and how services will be commissioned. This is the latest of a series of ‘policy into practice’ briefings that analyse the likely impact of national policy developments on people facing multiple disadvantage. MEAM is a coalition of Clinks, Homeless Link, Mind and associate member Collective Voice. Read the briefing here
Clinks Annual Conference – speakers announced
We have invited Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP (Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice) to share his vision for the role of the voluntary sector in helping the government to build back a better criminal justice system at our Annual conference and AGM 2021 [23rd-25th November, online, free]. We’re also delighted to announce the exciting range of workshops available for you to join this year. They will be hosted by Hibiscus Initiatives, Working Chance, Unlock, Genius Within, Prison Reform Trust, Run For Your Life, Synergy Theatre, Prison Phoenix Trust, Why Me? and GamCare. You will have the opportunity to choose which workshops you would like to join once you book your place for the conference. Book here
Self-harm and early intervention
At this Academy for Social Justice event, in conjunction with HMPPS Insights, We are With You will discuss its Mind and Body Programme which provides early intervention for 13-25 year olds struggling with wellbeing and self-harm [2nd November, online, free]. Representatives from We are With You will discuss how they identify young people who would otherwise be ‘under the radar’ and how they ensure positive outcomes continue beyond the end of delivery. They will also give insights from a practitioner's perspective and provide resources to share with young people, including examples of activities used within the Mind and Body Programme. Please note you must be a member of the Academy to attend an event. Membership is free and you will be prompted to join when registering. Register here
Justice Committee calls for root and branch reform of prison mental health support
The Justice Committee has called for major reforms for how mental health services are delivered amidst what it is calling a ‘crisis’ in prisons. The committee found that a disjointed and incoherent approach to care has left many people in prison suffering from undiagnosed mental health issues, unable to access care. The report calls on the NHS, Ministry of Justice and HM Prison and Probation Service to implement a system of integrated care that improves identification of mental health issues, provides seamless care while in prison and supports transition to care in community settings on release whilst increasing mental health services to deal with the increase in demand as a result of the pandemic. The report further calls for an end to practices that see prisons used as a safety net when emergency mental health services are inadequate or missing in the community. Read Clinks’ submitted written evidence to the inquiry here and find the full report here
STOMP (Stopping over Medication of People with a Learning Disability, Autism or Both)
The Department of Health and Social Care alongside its partners in the STOMP initiative have published a report Good for you, good for us, good for everybody which details the state of overprescribing psychotropic medicine for those with learning disabilities and autism. Despite the main focus not being on the criminal justice system, it does recommend concerted action to extend the use of medicines reconciliation to health and justice settings to ensure adequate care is being delivered. It also recommends that NHS England and NHS Improvement produce an updated guidance and training within specific sectors to ensure consistency of care. Read more here
Independent investigation into the death of ‘Baby A’ released
The Prison and Probation Ombudsman has released its independent report into the death of ‘Baby A’ at HMP Bronzefield. The report states the key events that lead to the death of Baby A, indicating that the approach undertaken was neither properly co-ordinated nor trauma-informed. The report concludes with a series of recommendations to improve healthcare services at Bronzefield, especially for pregnant women, noting that the clinic-based community model of midwifery is not appropriate to a custodial setting and that all pregnancies in prison are high risk. Furthermore, it is recommended that Bronzefield, alongside Sodexo, should establish a robust and reliable system for effective information sharing between teams to ensure that systems of care are improved. Read the report here
Girls in the Children and Young People’s Secure Estate
The Centre for Mental Health has published a report on the experiences of young girls in the Children and Young People’s Estate (CYPSE). Out of sight finds that girls entering CYPSE are a highly vulnerable group, with high levels of trauma and poor mental health. Girls from racially minoritised communities are over-represented in CYPSE but may be less likely to have their needs recognised and met. Incidents of serious self-harm are more common among girls than boys in CYPSE, and of particular concern in single gender settings. This report recommends changes to better support girls’ needs, including strengthening gender responsive community options and pathways, offering regional alternatives to girls’ CYPSE remands and short term welfare and justice placements when girls first enter estate settings . Read more here
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: health needs assessment
The Department of Health and Social Care, alongside other expert partners, has published guidance regarding the specific health care assessment needs of those with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), their families and carers, and those at risk of alcohol exposed pregnancies in England. Evidence suggests that those with FASD are over-represented in the criminal justice system, and that there is very little awareness or understanding of the condition. The guidance makes a series of recommendations, including the need for early identification and understanding of needs by healthcare professionals, to engage in innovative person-centred support, and for greater collaboration between the sectors. It also utilises the recommendations created by Mental Health and Fair Trial that seeks to improve the criminal justice journey of those with FASD. Read more here
Meeting the needs of adults with a learning disability and autistic adults in prison
The NHS has developed a guide that seeks to improve the design and delivery of healthcare in the UK for adults with autism or a learning disability in prison. As is evidenced in the guide, people with a learning disability or autism are more likely to experience both physical and mental health inequalities, and are less likely or able to access services with these issues being exacerbated in prison environments. These issues have also been particularly pronounced as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The guide has developed a series of principles that recommend how those in prison healthcare settings should work with adults with a learning disability or autism focusing on person-centred care and the early identification of needs. Read more here
Effective practice guide on substance misuse
HM Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP) has produced a new effective practice guide on substance misuse, based on information sourced while undertaking A joint thematic inspection of community-based drug treatment and recovery work with people on supervision. This guide highlights where HMIP has seen standards delivered well in the area of community-based drug treatment and recovery work in probation services. It is designed to help commissioners and providers improve areas of their work with probation service users, including leadership and working in partnership to deliver key services, delivering good advice to court, delivering effective case supervision and reducing harm to individuals. Each area includes multiple examples of effectiveness and key takeaways. Read here
Healthy Prisons?
Following on from the release of the report on the death of ‘Baby A’, Rob Allen’s blog Unlocking Potential discusses the general state of healthcare services in prisons. The blog explores the worrying findings that the standard of healthcare varies widely in prison and for the most part according to Independent Monitoring Board Reports, it is far below the level of care that one would receive in the community. These issues have been exacerbated by the pandemic with prisons reducing services to emergency access only, further entrenching the issues and leading to detrimental outcomes for those in prison environments. Read the blog here
State of the Sector 2021 survey: why your response matters
Senior Policy Officer Will Downs has written a blog detailing the four main reasons your responses to our annual State of the sector survey are so important. This is your chance to share your experiences and help us influence key decision makers on your behalf. All of your responses will form the basis of an in-depth report to be published early next year and will help us to understand the challenges and opportunities for organisations working to transform the lives of people in the criminal justice system as we regroup from the Covid-19 pandemic. Read more here
30 years of listening to people in prison
This guest blog from Samaritan’s Fran Deschampsneufs discusses the organisation’s listening to people in prison scheme which aims to provide support for those experiencing suicidal ideation. This past September, Samaritans marked the 30th Anniversary of the first prison Listener scheme in HMP Swansea. Now, almost every prison in the UK and Republic of Ireland has a Listener scheme and Samaritans’ support to people in prison is as vital as it has ever been. We know that people in prison are at a heightened risk of suicide and self-harm, due to mental health problems and traumatic events that have occurred in their lives amongst other things. Prison can exacerbate these issues which is why programmes like this are fundamental to supporting those in contact with the criminal justice system. Read the blog here
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About Clinks Health and justice bulletin
This regular bulletin provides Clinks members with the latest news for voluntary organisations involved in the health and care of people in the criminal justice system. It currently has 2,428 subscribers.
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