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In this month's edition...
Annual conference and AGM 2022
Bookings are now open for our annual conference and AGM 2022: What next? Building strength and unity in a changing criminal justice system [22 November, Drapers' Hall, London, from £50]. At this year’s conference, we will hear from our keynote speaker Phil Copple, Director General of Operations for Prisons and Probation, and we will be running panel discussions and workshops showcasing best practice and sharing of ideas and recommendations from some of our member organisations. The conference will be followed by our AGM and a drinks reception. Early bird tickets are available until 20 October. Book your place here
Stronger Voice phase three
Clinks has launched the third phase of our Stronger Voice project, which aims to empower the voluntary sector working in criminal justice to develop a unified and influential voice at both a regional and national level. Funded by Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales, phase three, “Strengthening your voice”, aims to empower organisations to mobilise their campaigns and finesse their influencing skills to bring about change. Read more about the project and upcoming sessions in our blog by Senior Policy Officer Olivia Dehnavi
Amy Rees appointed to lead HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS)
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and HMPPS have announced that Amy Rees, previously the Director General of Probation, Wales and Youth for HMPPS, will succeed Dr Jo Farrar as the new Chief Executive of HMPPS. Dr Farrar will focus on her role as Second Permanent Secretary at the MoJ, including digital transformation of justice services. Also under the restructure, which follows an operating model review led by the MoJ Permanent Secretary Antonia Romeo, Phil Copple will become Director General of Operations for Prisons and Probation. Both roles began on 1 September 2022, and are part of a wider, ongoing programme of work which the MoJ and HMPPS describe as “placing greater focus on the delivery of frontline services”. Read the MoJ’s announcement
Youth Justice Board (YJB) response to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Review
The YJB published its response to the SEND review. It notes the SEND review proposals do not directly reference education in secure settings, but over two-thirds of children in custody have special educational needs, which are often unrecognised and mislabelled, and so needs are unmet. Therefore, it argues this cohort of children cannot be forgotten in SEND reform. The YJB supported all the proposals on a single national SEND and alternative provision, agreeing there needs to be more consistency in how the needs of children are identified and assessed. They also argue that rights should be equitable for all children regardless of setting, and that more should be done to ensure children in custody receive their educational entitlements within the existing framework and laws. Read the response here
Funding announced for services that work with women in the criminal justice system
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) have announced a £24 million investment to support women in the criminal justice system (CJS). Clinks have been calling for further investment in the specialist women's sector to ensure the Ministry of Justice Female Offender Strategy can achieve its aims. Three grant funding competitions have now been launched. The first will offer £4 million in each of the next three financial years to pay the core costs of women’s voluntary sector organisations. The second will offer £2.8 million, over the same period, to women’s voluntary sector organisations to offer new services or interventions for women in or at risk of contact with the criminal justice system. Read our blog here.
Action plan responding to the joint thematic inspection of Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA)
Following a recent joint thematic inspection of MAPPA, the government responded with its action plan. Of the 19 recommendations, HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) agreed with 11, and partly agreed with eight. Amongst the recommendations, HMPPS agreed that the MAPPA meeting agendas should include a prompt to hear contributions from the person who is the subject of the meeting, audit and quality assurance information should be collated from strategic management boards, and national analysis reports should be provided to highlight inconsistency and promote more consistent level setting. HMPPS also agreed that prisons should ensure the application of public protection processes, including the monitoring of communications, should be robust to enable defensible decisions to be made about the management of people in prison using MAPPA. Read the action plan here.
Reading together for better mental health
The Reader is hosting a “reading with care” event at Gravity festival [30 September 1pm-2pm, online, free]. This event has been created specifically for colleagues in the NHS, public health services and caring roles, so they can share stories about the benefits great books can have for our wellbeing. They would love it if you could join. The event is online and scheduled for lunchtime in the hopes this makes it a bit more accessible. Get your tickets here
Service User Involvement
Clinks is running a service user involvement event [20 October, online, free] to equip participants to make meaningful service user involvement a reality in their organisations. The event will focus on peer support, and will feature two organisations sharing their work. As experts by experience, service users play a vital role in helping to develop, deliver, and oversee our member’s services and work to influence policies and practice in the criminal justice system. Please note the service user involvement events are only open to Clinks’ members. If you are not a current member and wish to attend, join here. Members can book their place here
Clinks annual conference and AGM 2022
Booking is now open for Clinks annual conference and AGM [22 November, Drapers’ Hall, City of London, from £50]: ‘What next? Building strength and unity in a changing criminal justice system’. Alongside hearing from our keynote speakers we will be running panel discussions and workshops showcasing best practice and the sharing of ideas and recommendations from some of our member organisations. The conference will be followed by our AGM, where members can exercise the right to elect our trustees and discuss the issues that matter to you as a member, and a drinks reception. Early bird tickets are available until 20 October. Book your ticket here
The relationship between neurodiversity and the revolving door of crisis and crime
Revolving Doors has been working with its lived experience Neurodiversity Forum since October 2021 to inform the development of the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ’s) first Neurodiversity Action Plan, published in June 2022. Subsequently, Revolving Doors expanded its neurodiversity work to further explore the links with criminal justice involvement and multiple disadvantage. This position paper has been co-produced with its lived experience members through regular consultation. It finds Neurodiversity is misunderstood and misinterpreted, and it can intersect with problematic substance misuse. It also finds navigating the criminal justice system when neurodivergent is challenging, and neurodiversity can exacerbate trauma. The paper makes a number of recommendations including that training to support frontline workers must be improved, and sentencers must receive neurodiversity awareness training, ensuring sentencing decisions take neurodivergence into account. Read the paper here
Reunification of probation services
The Institute for Government (IfG) published a report looking at the reunification of probation services. It found that, despite representations to the contrary from providers, the Dynamic Framework commissioning mechanism was complex and made it difficult for smaller providers to qualify to bid for contracts. This meant some gave up trying to qualify and others redirected frontline resources to the tendering process. The report also highlights that the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) decided against using grants. The IfG partly attributed this commissioning approach to a challenging timetable, leading the MoJ to take an approach in-keeping with previous arrangements, rather than developing something better suited to smaller providers. These findings echo Clinks’ own, and we are now working with the MoJ and HM Prison and Probation Service to avoid a replication of these challenging processes in future procurement. Read the report here
No safe space
The Centre for Women’s Justice (CWJ) has published a report looking at lessons for national policy and local practice from the West Midlands multi-agency response to women involved in offending, or alleged offending, who are victims of domestic abuse. Based on insights from women with lived experience and front-line practitioners, the report makes a total of seven overarching recommendations. One of these recommendations is for the Ministry of Justice and local agencies to provide a safe space for victims to disclose domestic abuse and receive support. The CWJ argue this should include investment in voluntary sector women’s specialist providers, co-located, women-only probation teams as standard everywhere, and improved pathways for women into gender-informed healthcare services. Read the report here
The right support at the right time: where the justice system fits in
The Centre for Justice Innovation (CJI) published a briefing on the impact of the justice system on children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Its recommendations include recognising the impact of the justice system on children with SEND, calling for the justice system to be included in the scope of cross-governmental work such as the SEND Review Green Paper. This is because of the impact contact with the justice system has on outcomes of children with SEND in later life. It also recommends justice services are kept separate from education settings, arguing plans to co-locate youth justice services in alternative provision settings as part of a multi-disciplinary team, announced in the SEND Green Paper, is likely to draw more children with SEND into the justice system. Read the briefing here
Making funding work for people facing multiple disadvantage
The Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM) coalition, of which Clinks is a member, has published a briefing highlighting issues raised at a roundtable event of civil servants hosted by MEAM in May 2022. This roundtable focussed on inconsistent co-ordination between programmes and remaining gaps in provision, the remit of funding programmes, and the nature of funding allocation. Building on this, MEAM make a number of recommendations, including introducing a minimum application period for grant programme applications and working to ensure there are not multiple programmes open at the same time without co-ordination. In addition, MEAM recommends creating opportunities for greater involvement of the voluntary sector, people with lived experience, and frontline staff in designing funding programmes, to create a more bottom-up approach. Read the briefing here
Improving quality of life for disadvantaged people in the UK
The Hedley Foundation is inviting applications from small-to-mid-size registered charities helping to improve the quality of life of people in the UK, particularly those who are disadvantaged and vulnerable. The Foundation typically makes around 250 awards of up to £5,000 each year for initiatives that benefit the lives of young people, disabled people, elderly people, the terminally ill and otherwise disadvantaged people and their carers. Occasional larger sums are given to charities where high impact can be achieved. Applications should be received at least 6 weeks before the next review meeting on the 25 January 2023. For more information see their website here
Tackling suicide inequalities in Gypsy and Traveller communities
Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT) have launched the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Health and Wellbeing Alliance resource "Tackling Suicide Inequalities in Gypsy and Traveller communities". The report, which can be seen here in full, aims to provide guidance for public health and healthcare professionals on how to ensure Gypsy and Traveller communities are included within suicide prevention planning and support. You can find a link to the press release here
Red wall voters want drug law reform, new polling shows
Volteface has published an article exploring new research commissioned by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Drug Policy Reform. Polling, by Redfield and Wilton, sought views on the UK’s drug laws and the government’s track record on dealing with the harms associated with drugs. Surveying a representative national sample, and a sample of so-called “red wall” voters, it was found that 49% of overall voters support supervised drug consumption facilities, compared to 18% against. Amongst red wall voters, 45% supported such facilities, compared to 20% who opposed. In addition, 61% of the public support drug safety services, such as at music festivals, with 66% of red wall voters supporting, and 67% of the public support provision of the anti-overdose drug Naloxone, with support from red wall voters at 69%. Read the article here
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. To submit content, or have comments or ideas about how this ebulletin could be improved, please email spencer.bundschuh@clinks.org
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