In this month's edition...
Ministerial changes at the Ministry of Justice
Following Rishi Sunak’s appointment as Prime Minister, a reshuffle of government ministers has taken place. This has seen Dominic Raab return to the Ministry of Justice as the Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor, and Secretary of State for Justice following the resignation of Brandon Lewis. In addition, Edward Argar and Damian Hinds have been appointed as Ministers of State in the Ministry of Justice, replacing Rachel Maclean and Rob Butler respectively. Damian Hinds MP will hold responsibility for prisons, parole, probation, and youth justice. Mike Freer and Lord Bellamy have stayed in the department. Read more about the ministers and their responsibilities on the Ministry of Justice’s website.
Ministerial changes at the Department of Health and Social Care
At the Department of Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay returns as the Secretary of State. Helen Whately joins the Department as Minister of State (Minister for Social Care) alongside Will Quince who remains the Minister of State (Minister for Health and Secondary Care). Neil O’Brien continues in his role as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Primary Care and Public Health), and Lord Markham also remains as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for the Lords). They are joined by Maria Caulfield who was appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Mental Health and Women’s Health Strategy). Read more about the ministers and their responsibilities on the department’s website.
Safety in custody and safety in the children and young people’s secure estate (CYPSE) figures published
In the year to September 2022, the number of deaths in prison decreased 22% to 307, compared to the previous year. In the most recent quarter, deaths rose 20% compared to the last quarter. In the year to June 2022, the number of self-harm incidents was 52,972, almost unchanged from the year before. Over that period, the rate of self-harm incidents fell 1% in male establishments and remained unchanged in female establishments. In the CYPSE, no deaths were reported in the year to June 2022. Between April and June 2022, there were 455 self-harm incidents, and the annualised rate of self-harm incidents per 100 children increased 8% compared to the same quarter last year. Read more about safety in custody here, and safety in the CYPSE here.
Guidance on acute respiratory illness, including flu and Covid-19 in prisons
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published guidance on flu and other acute respiratory illnesses in prisons and other prescribed places of detention, including specific guidance for the Children and Young People Secure Estate. It sets out that an essential element of reducing the impact of these infections in prison is a whole setting approach to the prevention, early identification and notification of illness, and quick access to treatment, including antivirals. It also notes people in prison should receive healthcare equivalent to people in the community. The guidance sets out processes around seasonal vaccinations, steps to be taken if people have symptoms of a respiratory infection, and the resulting procedures. An accompanying flowchart sets out the different steps and processes. Read more here
Joint Committee on the draft Mental Health Bill
The Joint Committee met on 2 November 2022 for an oral evidence session regarding the proposals in the draft Mental Health Bill. The second panel of witnesses, including Andrew Neilson, Director of Campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, considered the impact of proposed changes to patients in the criminal justice system. The panel welcomed the removal of prison and police custody as ‘places of safety’, but concerns were raised about its implementation, how it will be resourced, and what alternative arrangements will be raised. The Committee also discussed how the removal of learning difficulties and autism from the Mental Health Act may result in people with a learning difficulty and autism being criminalised and inadvertently diverted into the criminal justice system. Read the full transcript here.
Register for the #StartWithPeople free virtual event
The NHS England #StartWithPeople online event [24 November] is open to anyone working in health and care with an interest in participation and engagement with people and communities. Attendees will hear directly from senior NHS leaders and other colleagues about the importance of engagement and how it is fundamental to the new delivery model, gain new insights and ideas, network with others in the sector across the country and develop opportunities to do joint working and learn from each other. There will be mainstage sessions designed to inspire and provoke discussions, and workshops to allow you to discuss problems/themes, share ideas and build connections with other colleagues. Register for free here.
Maternal imprisonment: what the evidence tells us
In the latest event accompanying Clinks’ evidence Library publications, Dr Lucy Baldwin, an associate professor at Durham University, will discuss maternal imprisonment. This will include the impact of imprisonment on the children affected, the mothers themselves, and the family members to take over childcare responsibilities. The event [1 December, online, free] will include a question-and-answer session, and attendees are invited to submit questions to event@clinks.org. read the Evidence Library publication here, and book a place for the event here.
Working and volunteering in prisons training
Clinks are running a training session for voluntary sector staff and volunteers who work in prisons, aiming to raise awareness of the prison environment and provide information on key aspects such as staffing structures and departments, prison procedures, and current challenges associated with working in prison. The training session [16 December, online, from £50] will explore ways in which voluntary sector staff can have meaningful and professional engagement with prisons operationally, as well as ensuring safe and responsible ways of working are understood and prioritised. Please note that places are limited to a maximum of 20 participants. Book a place here.
Institute for Government Performance Tracker 2022
The Institute for Government (IfG) has published its annual Performance Tracker for 2022. This explores how effectively different public services have been operating over the past year, including prisons. It found that violence in prisons began to rise again, as lockdown restrictions were lifted, but remains below pre-pandemic levels. In addition, it found trends in self-harm in men’s and women’s prisons diverged during the pandemic, with rates declining in men’s prisons and increasing in women’s prisons. The IfG says the reason for this is not clear- but highlights that HM Inspectorate of Prisons noted, “Women’s lack of contact with the outside world has led to extreme frustration and many had not seen their children for many months, leaving them lonely and anxious.” Read the complete findings here.
Public Accounts Committee report on electronic monitoring services
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has published its report on the use of electronic monitoring services by HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). Overall, the report concludes that HMPPS’s transformation programme for electronic monitoring has failed to transform the service as intended. The PAC also notes that there have been some encouraging results with the alcohol monitoring scheme, with high short-term sobriety rates for people subject to an alcohol monitoring tag, but that HMPPS has not explained whether the scheme reduces offending driven by alcohol. HMPPS also said it was looking at whether it should commission a specific service for people subject to alcohol tags. Read the Committee’s full report here.
Health Lottery East Midlands through the Active Communities Programme offers funding to tackle health inequalities. Voluntary sector organisations can apply for grants of between £5,000 and £40,000 for projects lasting up to two years that improve the lives of disadvantaged people in:
- Derbyshire: North East Derbyshire, Erewash
- Northamptonshire: Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering, Wellingborough
- Nottinghamshire: Ashfield, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood
- Lincolnshire: Boston, East Lindsey, Lincoln, North Kesteven, South Holland, South Kesteven, West Lindsey
- Leicestershire: Charnwood, North West Leicestershire
The deadline for applications is 1pm on 14 December. For more information and to apply see here.
Charles Hayward Foundation grants programmes
The Charles Hayward Foundation is inviting applications from UK registered charities operating in the social and criminal justice fields (among others) for projects that address complex problems in an innovative way and may lead to replication if proven effective. Charities with an income of over £350,000 may apply to the main grants programme for grants of up to £25,000 for between one and three years. The deadline is [3rd February 2023].Charities with an income of under £350,000 may apply to the small grants programme for up to £7,000. Applications can be made on a rolling deadline and will be considered quarterly. For more information and to apply, see here.
Call for Evidence: Social Prescribing for people with learning disabilities and autistic people
The Valuing People Alliance is gathering evidence on whether people with learning disabilities and autistic people are being referred for social prescribing the things that help this work well or get in the way. They want to hear from you if you have:
- come across any reference to, or focus on ensuring that people with learning disabilities, and/ or autistic people are getting equal access to link workers
- information or evidence relating to people going on to get connected to community groups and activities
- done work on social prescribing and other inclusion groups
For more information or to share evidence, please contact madeline.cooper@ndti.org.uk
Share your experience of work to reduce reliance on psychotropic medications
On average every day in England 30-35,000 people with a learning disability, autism or both are taking prescribed psychotropic medication without appropriate clinical justification. Long-term use of these medicines puts people at unnecessary risk of side effects including weight gain, organ failure and even premature death. STOMP (Stopping Over Medication of People with a learning disability, autism or both) and STAMP (Supporting Treatment and Appropriate Medication in Paediatrics) are national projects run in collaboration between VODG, the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi), Learning Disability England (LDE) and Skills for Care. They want to hear about your experiences of using STOMP and STAMP within your job roles and how awareness and understanding of STOMP and STAMP could be improved. Their questionnaire is open now until [16 December].
New findings on the health of people experiencing homelessness
The Unhealthy State of Homelessness 2022 presents findings from 31 Homeless Health Needs Audits (HHNAs), representing 2,776 individuals. It builds on the learning from our 2014 report, presenting up-to-date information on the health of people experiencing homelessness, and exploring what we know about whether the right services are available to adequately meet people’s needs. This report presents data in three waves, exploring how health inequalities have changed in the decade between 2012 and 2021. The report can be accessed here.
Building relationships with the new leadership at the Ministry of Justice
Clinks’ Senior Policy Officer, Olivia Dehnavi, has written a blog setting out some of the ministerial changes that have been made following Rishi Sunak’s appointment as Prime Minister, as well as offering six tips for writing to new ministers to introduce your organisation and beginning to build a relationship. These include finding the right minister to write to in a department; considering what your organisation has to offer to the government; and including an ask of the minister, such as inviting them to visit your service. Read the blog in full here.
Education for prisoners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities
Ofsted has written a blog following its review of reading education in prisons, the Education Committee’s report 'Not just another brick wall', and the Criminal Justice Joint Inspection’s report on neurodiversity. Ofsted set out that most prison education managers have developed appropriate plans to support people in prison with learning difficulties and disabilities, but implementation has been delayed by the pandemic. It also sets out some suggested next steps including education managers using the screening test results to inform support for people in prison, prison leaders making sure appropriate staffing is in place and staff having training on how to support people with learning difficulties and disabilities to learn, and prison leaders ensuring healthcare and education staff work together. Read the blog in full here.
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