Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 786 | 9 June 2023

Light Lunch Clinks

In this issue...

CLINKS NEWS: invitation to tender- Clinks' independent impact assessment

As we come to the end of our current strategy and delivery plan, Clinks wishes to appoint an external agency/consultant to help us understand the difference we are making since our last independent impact assessment.

Full brief here. Proposals to be received by [Monday 3 July, 09:00] and the work needs to be concluded by October.

CLINKS NEWS: member advisory forum - April meeting

The Clinks member advisory forum met in April for their quarterly meeting. We had a rich discussion about the UK government's proposed new branding requirements for grants funding and how they may be perceived by the voluntary sector, and collated the valuable feedback to share with HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). We also considered the ongoing challenges faced by voluntary organisations as a result of continued delays to HMPPS commissioning and grant funding, and will be feeding this intelligence into our next commissioning forum in June - you can read more about the most recent commissioning forum in this blog.

Members of the advisory forum will now be convening in smaller sub-groups to make real progress in two identified priority areas of support to the sector; capacity building for small and specialist organisations, and; the voluntary sector workforce. If you would like to find out more about this work or are interested in getting involved, please contact our Sector Support, Members and Networks Manager, Emma Kidger, who will be chairing these meetings moving forward. Read the full minutes from April's meeting here.

CLINKS NEWS: Third sector regional engagement events

Join Clinks and HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) Third Sector Partnerships and Programmes Team to gather feedback on the organisation-wide Third Sector Partnership Approach at these upcoming free events [Manchester, 22nd June; Newcastle, 6 July].

The Third Sector Partnership Approach provides a guiding set of principles to strengthen and maximise Ministry of Justice and HMPPS engagement with the Third Sector to highlight and raise the profile of the valuable services the Third Sector provides across England and Wales. These events will also provide an opportunity to engage with regional HMPPS colleagues, and hear about the upcoming Innovation Grants programme. Book your place here.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Prisoner Support Services

Prisoner Support Services provide remote support and advice nationwide, as well as face-to-face support in Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire. Helen Willson founded Prison Support Services in 2021, the company has now grown to a team of five. Their work has shown to be of such a high standard that they have won new business, including a contract with HMP Peterborough. Find out more about Prison Support Services here.

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: Hiring With Conviction - an employers' guide

Working Chance have produced a powerful and comprehensive guide which presents compelling reasons why you should be pro-actively hiring people with convictions, and outlines practical strategies to ensure equitable and risk-managed recruitment practices. This go-to guide speaks not only to organisations in the voluntary sector, but to organisations across all sectors. Clinks was pleased to attend the launch event of the guide to hear about its development and crucial significance. Read and download the guide here. 

NATIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE ARTS ALLIANCE NEWS: 2023 Bursary now open

The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) is excited to launch the 2023 Bursary Scheme. Supported by Arts Council England, funding is made available for individual creatives with protected characteristics or with lived or felt experience of the criminal justice system. The 2023 Bursary will support up to 12 artists by awarding small bursaries (up to £250) to support their professional development. To find out more click here.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: changes to Home Detention Curfew

This is an update from His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS).

Changes came into force on [6 June] allowing eligible prisoners to be released on Home Detention Curfew (HDC) up to six months early rather than the previous four-and-a-half months. Other changes include:

  • the addition of harassment and other domestic abuse-related offences to the list of prisoners who are presumed unsuitable for HDC
  • changes to the assessment process to embed best practice.

A taskforce has been set up to monitor performance and to work with prison establishments and probation local delivery units to identify improvements we can make nationally to the HDC process, where needed.

The changes are outlined in the new HDC policy framework (GOV.UK).

CLINKS MEMBER’S EVENT: Frontline Network Annual Conference 2023

Registrations are now open for the Frontline Network Annual Conference 2023.

Do you work on the frontline supporting people experiencing homelessness? The Frontline Network is inviting staff from across the UK to its annual conference [29 June, 10:00 – 16:20, online (dip in sessions), free].

The event promises a packed schedule, focusing on "Working Together". You can dip into a range of sessions planned across the day – from workshops sharing information, resources and best practice around specific aspects of homelessness, to sessions focusing on frontline resilience and practical tips to support staff wellbeing. Register here.

CLINKS MEMBER’S EVENT: gardening for wellbeing in prisons

Join the Prisoner Learning Alliance (PLA) for a conversation about gardening for wellbeing in prisons, with artist Faye Claridge [18 July, 17:00 – 18:00, online, free].

In 2021, Faye took Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) archive material into HMP Send. The collection documents how POWs set up a horticultural society in Ruhleben internment camp in Germany during WW1. Letters and photographs show the impact gardening had on their mental health. Faye’s RHS project – Plants, Prisons and Potential – draws on these materials to encourage women in prison to consider the role of gardening in their wellbeing.

Participants will learn more about the project, and the programme it inspired at HMP Hewell - supported by Novus. They will also consider the benefits of the arts and horticulture in prisons, and how teachers of other subjects could harness them in lessons. Register here.

RESOURCE: Charity Digital and free tech

Did you know that charities are able to access a wide range of digital services and equipment for free? For example, the Charity Digital Exchange alone has saved more than 80,000 UK charities more than £300m on the latest hardware and software. As the UK partner of international non-profit network TechSoup, Charity Digital provides registered charities with technology donated by some of the world’s biggest tech companies, including Microsoft, Amazon, and many others. To find out more click here.

PUBLICATION: Probation Quarterly latest issue

Issue 28 of Probation Quarterly includes articles from academics, practitioners and people with experience of the criminal justice system covering the following subjects:

• The nature of the relationship between experiential and professional knowledge
• Probation systems in Guernsey, the Falkland Islands and St Helena
• People who die whilst under probation supervision.

Probation Quarterly is a free resource and can be downloaded here.

OPPORTUNITY: Director of ten minute digital production

Imagine If Theatre are looking for a Director with experience directing professional short films/digital performances for our 10 minute digital production; Ain’t Nuff Time, which will be screened in prisons across the UK. [8 days in July, £2,000, Location TBC]. Find out more and apply here by 11 June. 

CLINKS MEMBERS’ VACANCIES:

Employment Consultant with Beating Time [£35,000, Birmingham, full time]; Pantry Co-Ordinator with St Giles Trust [£27,000, Coventry, full time]; Community Key Worker – Hertfordshire with ADVANCE (Advocacy and Non-Violence Community Education) [£21,000 - £26,000, Waltham Cross, full time]; Head Office and Finance Administrators x 2 – (Job Share) with ADVANCE (Advocacy and Non-Violence Community Education) [£22,000 - £24,000, Hammersmith, part time]; Employment Coach with Seetec [£23,000 - £24,801, Hastings, part time]; Community Key Worker - East London with ADVANCE (Advocacy and Non-Violence Community Education) [£26,000 - £31,000, Newham, full time]; Employment, Training and Education Coach with Seetec [£23,000 - £24,801, Bournemouth, full time]; Independent Modern Slavery Advocate with St Giles Trust [£15,000 - £17,000, Norwich, part time]; Housing Service Manager - Community Accommodation Service – Tier 2 with Nacro [£34,222, Based in the South-Central region, full time]

For more information about these vacancies, and many more, click here

READS OF THE WEEK:

EXTRA INFORMATION:

About Clinks Light Lunch

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