This specialist quarterly ebulletin keeps you updated on relevant developments for organisations working to support women in contact with the criminal justice system. Please contact Jackie Lowthian at Jackie.lowthian@clinks.org if there is anything you would like to raise or to include items in the next ebulletin.
In this edition...
- News
- Events and Training
- Publications and Resources
- Funding
- Campaigns
- Blogs
- Extra Information
Clinks State of the sector survey – open now, closing Monday 7 August
This year will be the tenth survey we have carried out to help us to understand the experiences, opportunities, and challenges organisations are facing now. It is critical to hear how small, specialist organisations are faring. We know that there are many challenges facing the women’s sector. By completing this survey, you will help to provide Clinks with the evidence we need to continue to advocate for voluntary organisations delivering bespoke, gender-specific services for women and girls affected by the criminal justice system. The survey does not take long to complete and the data we gather is invaluable in making the case for trauma-informed, gender-specific, women-led approaches delivered from safe, women-only spaces. Complete the survey here and read our blog post on why your responses are so crucial here.
Female Offender Strategy Delivery Plan: Intensive supervision court (ISC)
The ISC pilot in Birmingham provides community-based sentences for women who would otherwise face short custodial sentences of up to six months. The model, previously known as a ‘problem-solving court’, will address women’s underlying needs to target the root causes of offending behaviour, through robust supervision and interventions delivered by a multi-agency team and overseen by a single judge who will regularly review each participant’s progress. This approach seeks to reduce reoffending and halt intergenerational cycles of crime through rehabilitation and provide a sense of safety and justice to victims. Women in the criminal justice system are twice as likely as men to have mental health needs, and nine times more likely to have experienced domestic violence. ISC is purposely designed to provide wraparound support to address their specific needs. Find out more here
Female Offender Strategy Delivery Plan: Pre-sentence Report (PSR) Pilot – evaluation findings
This PSR pilot trialled an Alternative Delivery Model (ADM) in 15 Magistrates’ courts across England and Wales to improve the quality and timeliness of PSRs. Fuller PSRs were encouraged for priority cohorts, including women who often have more complex needs than men. A process evaluation showed that within pilot courts, priority cohorts received a higher proportion of written fast delivery reports compared to oral reports. Successful elements from the ADM will be integrated into national delivery, including continued targeting of PSRs for women where appropriate. Building on the PSR pilot, the Probation Service is launching a 'Pathfinder to Improved Pre-Sentence Advice' project in the South-Central region in Autumn 2023. The Pathfinder will test new ways of working to facilitate better case progression. Read the PSR Pilot Process Evaluation Report
Clinks influence: Women in the Criminal Justice System Expert Group
Clinks’ Head of Influence and Communications, Sam Julius, attended the Ministry of Justice’s Women in the Criminal Justice System Expert Group meeting in June. The Right Honourable Damian Hinds, MP, Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice was in attendance. The focus was on Aim 4 of the female offender strategy delivery plan: protecting the public through better outcomes for women on release. The Minister reinforced the importance of employment and accommodation and reflected on his recent visits to specialist women’s services, noting the essential support that such organisations provided. Sam presented on barriers to employment for women leaving prison and offered some practical solutions. Following this meeting, Clinks produced a paper for the group on this issue which is now available on the Clinks website. To feed back on this paper please contact sam.julius@clinks.org
Clinks influence: Commissioning
In June, Clinks met with representatives from HM Prison and Probation Service and the Ministry of Justice for the regular commissioning engagement forum; a space for quarterly discussion and feedback on commissioning rounds that will involve the voluntary sector working in criminal justice. Topics this time included: Prison Education (both updates on the Dynamic Purchasing System pipeline and the procurement of the future Prison Education System, Probation Core Services re-commissioning and Probation grants. The women’s Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS) contracts are not due for recommissioning until 2025, and there will be opportunities for Clinks to feed-in member views about the evolution of this process. Look out on our website for a blog providing a full overview of what was discussed in the forum that will be published by the end of July.
Clinks influence: Vetting
The National Women’s Justice Coalition (NWJC) is leading calls for a review of Ministry of Justice vetting processes. Delays and lack of transparency in decision-making are creating barriers to employment for staff recruited to work on prison-based contracts, particularly for those with lived experience expertise. In collaboration with Clinks, the Criminal Justice Alliance, and Revolving Doors, NWJC has produced a joint briefing paper of anecdotal and experiential evidence to demonstrate the serious impact of vetting delays and clearances not granted. The paper sets out some potential solutions and Clinks is discussing these with senior officials in His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). Read the paper here
Clinks networks updates: Women’s Network
Ground-breaking theatre company, Clean Break, welcomed members of the women’s network to their London studio for a very special in-person network forum on 13th June. Members watched a performance of ‘Catch’, a play by Sonia Jalaly and participated in a lively workshop, led by Clean Break’s Artistic Director, Anna Herrmann. The play, developed with and performed by women with lived experience in and around the criminal justice system, explores how women’s centres can support women in turning their lives around. The workshop created the space for dialogue and prompted exploration of what needs to happen to achieve systems change. The next women’s network forum is on 26 September. To attend future Women’s network meetings please register as a member of the network here.
Clinks networks updates: Health and Wellbeing Alliance
On 27 June, Clinks held the first meeting of its Older People in the Criminal Justice System (OPIC) network, bringing together voluntary and statutory organisations and practitioners, as well as academics, who provide services for and/or advocate for older people (over 50) in the justice system. The group heard from experts and discussed priorities. A subgroup of the network focusing on the Ministry of Justice’s forthcoming Ageing Population Strategy subsequently met with the Ministry of Justice to discuss its plans for the strategy. These are the first of a series of activities taking place over the next 12 months. If you would like more information or to join the OPIC network, please contact the network coordinator Simon Scott at simon@bccme.co.uk or fill out this form to get your priorities on the network's agenda.
Evaluating the ‘Social Workers for Mothers in Prison’ pilot
Pact has published the second interim report evaluating its social workers pilot, based on data collected between May 2022 and May 2023. It found that the Pact Social Worker provides specialist knowledge of safeguarding and of social services’ processes, priorities, culture, language, and terminology, which is of assistance to both mothers and prison staff. The social workers have been acting as a conduit of information between local authority practitioners and the prison, and between mothers and community practitioners. Follow-up surveys showed an increase in the proportion of mothers who felt they could trust children’s services to help their families, compared to at the start of the intervention. The report also makes recommendations for further improvements to the role of the social workers. Read the report
Reducing Friday prison releases - Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Act 2023
Royal Assent has now been given to this legislation, which will reduce the number of people being released from prison on a Friday or the day before a bank holiday, by giving prison governors discretion to release them one or two days earlier. This will allow people leaving prison more time to access key services before the weekend. Clinks welcomes this change, since it should help people leaving prison access vital services, including those delivered by voluntary organisations, during their first days in the community. Read our statement from Clinks’ CEO, Anne Fox and find out more about the legislation here.
Clinks training: Why gender matters in the criminal justice system
Part One: 5 September 2023, 10:00 - 12:00
Part Two: 6 September 2023, 10.00 -13.00
Is your organisation part of the Clinks women’s network? Do you have frontline staff or volunteers who are new to working or volunteering in your organisation and want to increase their understanding of why gender matters in the criminal justice system? If so, join us for this entry-level training course [5th and 6th Sept, online, £50, Clinks voluntary sector members]. The training aims to develop understanding of women’s gendered experience of the criminal justice system. Part One focuses on understanding the policy landscape, including the Female Offender Strategy and the aim to achieve a ‘Whole System Approach’ (WSA) for women. Part Two guides participants through elements of WSA in practice. The course has been developed in response to a need for training for frontline staff in the women’s sector who are new to the criminal justice system and is exclusively for members of the Clinks women’s network. Find out more and book your place here.
Clinks training: Navigating the criminal justice system workshop
Are you new to working or volunteering in the criminal justice system? Do you have volunteers or staff members who want to increase their understanding of the criminal justice system? Join us at this three-hour workshop [12 September, online, £50 members/£75 non-members] for voluntary sector staff and volunteers in which we aim to increase awareness of, and provide the opportunity to, explore and discuss how the criminal justice system is organised, the complexities within it, and how it works. Find our more and book a place here
Clinks event: Effective point-of-arrest diversion for children and young people: what the evidence tells us
This is part of our “A matter of fact: what the evidence tells us” series, to accompany our Evidence Library, giving you the chance to ask your own questions of leading academics talking about the latest research on an important criminal justice topic. Led by the Centre for Justice Innovation, this event [4 September, online, free] will discuss the latest evidence for effective point-of-arrest diversion for children and young people. The Centre for Justice Innovation have summarised the evidence base in a review for our Evidence Library, which you can read here: Effective point-of-arrest diversion for children and young people | Clinks. Find out more and book a place here
Transforming women’s futures
Agenda Alliance and Changing Lives have published their joint final Transforming Services for Women’s Futures report ‘Dismantling Disadvantage’. The report highlights the experiences of women with multiple unmet needs accessing public services in the North East of England, including: domestic abuse; drug and alcohol recovery; mental health; homelessness; social services; and criminal justice services. It explores how services can be improved post-pandemic to respond more effectively to women’s needs. The report was launched on 10th July, at an event hosted by Jess Phillips MP, and included contributions from the peer researchers who conducted the research. Panel members cited the triple impacts of austerity, the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis on lives of people and communities, highlighting stark regional inequalities. The report identifies solutions which, if implemented, could create a significant shift for women and girls. Read the findings here
Recruiting and supporting people with convictions
Network member, Working Chance, has published a comprehensive guide on how to recruit and support people with convictions. Designed for managers, HR professionals, and recruiters, the guide sets out why and how to recruit people with convictions, dealing with disclosure of a criminal record, criminal records and the law, and inducting and supporting newly recruited staff with convictions. It also includes a series of appendices which provide useful samples and templates that can support employers in efforts to recruit people with convictions. Find out more and download the guide here
The impact of criminal records on women
Clinks member, Unlock, has published a briefing exploring data from a Freedom of Information Request to the Disclosure and Barring Service. This revealed women were subject to 53% of all DBS checks over the requested period, and women made up 67% of the enhanced checks competed. Unlock explain this means women will be disproportionately impacted by existing problems with the way elevated checks are used, such as when ineligible checks are carried out. They call for the impact of a prison sentence on filtering to be made more proportionate. They also call for employers to be provided with better guidance on the way DBS checks are intended to be used, and better guidance and stronger enforcement to reduce the number of ineligible checks. Read the briefing here
UK’s first directory of services for women in contact with the CJS – launching soon
This summer the National Women’s Justice Coalition will launch WomensServicesMap.com, the UK’s first online directory of women’s centres and specialist services for women in contact with the criminal justice system. Visitors to the website will be able to use an interactive map or service specialism search feature to locate their nearest women’s centre or specialist support service, including those based in or nearby to women’s prisons. It will also be possible to make referrals & self-referrals to services using embedded referral links and downloadable referral forms. Other women’s centres and relevant service providers will also be able to apply to be featured on the Map via the website itself, with each organisation assuming administrative responsibility for their profile page and listings to ensure search results remain up to date. Keep informed about the launch and find out more about the National Women's Justice Coalition.
Improving accommodation outcomes for women
The ‘Women's Prison Release Practice Briefing’ is a resource to support joint work by national and local agencies to improve accommodation outcomes for women in contact with the criminal justice system. This Briefing draws on good practice and spells out what can be done through effective, timely joined-up working. Contributing partners include prisons, probation and court services, housing providers, and women’s support services, all committed to work together to deliver improved housing outcomes for women in contact with the criminal justice system. Development of the Practice Briefing has been supported throughout by the London Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime as part of delivery of the London Blueprint for Women in the Criminal Justice System. Download the briefing
Women, relationships and criminal justice – opportunity to contribute to a new publication
Dr Sarah Waite and Dr Natalie Rutter are seeking contributions for a proposed edited collection entitled: Women, Relationships and Criminal Justice. They are keen to include a wide range of contributions from practitioners, people with experience of criminalisation, academics and the third sector. Any monies raised from this publication will go to charities working directly with criminalised women. Find out more
The Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund
This new grant funding programme from the National Lottery Community Fund is for small-medium sized organisations supporting low-income households and individuals. Funds are aimed at those already providing critical services around at least one of the following: food and emergency supplies, emergency shelter/homeless services, safe spaces, including domestic abuse services, warmth services and financial and housing advice. Your organisation must be facing both increased demand for these services and increased costs of delivering them. If you have an annual turnover of between £10,000 and around £1 million you can apply for between £10,000 and £75,000. Funding will take place from October 2023 and grants must be spent by the end of March 2024. The deadline for applications is 16 October 2023 at 12 noon. Find out more and apply here
HMPPS Innovation Grants Programme 2023 – 2025
The HMPPS Innovation Grants programme opened on 21 July. Grant funding totalling £2 million across 2 years is available to support initiatives that design and test out new ways of achieving better outcomes for people affected by the criminal justice system, with the aim of providing effective rehabilitation and reducing re-offending. Applicants should develop new approaches that address one or more of four themes: support for families, improved safety, improved health and wellbeing and better outcomes for people with protected characteristics. New initiatives should establish good practice with the potential to be replicated across the prison estate, in custody and/or in the community. To find out more see here and to apply login or register on the Ministry of Justice portal https://ministryofjusticecommercial.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.html Closing date: 4 August 2023, 11:59pm.
Ministry of Justice grant funding to provide family support for women leaving prison
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has launched a competition to award grants to provide 12 Family Engagement Workers (FEWs) across the women’s estate. In line with the recommendation in the Farmer Review for Women (2019) that family engagement workers should be available in all women’s prisons, the grants will enable organisations to provide tailored support which is separate from the existing Family Services contracts but will complement both the Family Services contracts and the existing Family Engagement work in the women's estate. The grant duration is from 1st October 2023 to 31st March 2025 and the total funding available for the eighteen month period is £720,000. Applications, which opened on 28th June and will close on 4th August at 12pm (noon) must be made on the Ministry of Justice e-sourcing portal Jaggaer Once in Jaggaer, look for ITT_7489 - Family Engagement support for women leaving prison - 2023-25. Find out more here
Commissioning women’s services in Wales
South Wales and Gwent Joint Commercial and Procurement Services are leading on the commissioning of services for women in Wales. The tender drafting has taken longer than anticipated and has resulted in a delay. The procurement team have announced that documents should be available via ETender Wales etenderwales: e-tendering portal for Value Wales (bravosolution.co.uk) by the end of July. They have said that they recognise the need to take into consideration the summer holiday period when setting deadlines for the tender return date. When Clinks receives further information we will update our members.
Free support for charities to bid for public sector contracts
The ‘VCSE Contract Readiness Programme’ aims to help address some of the barriers that have prevented voluntary sector organisations from entering the public sector market. It will improve the skills and knowledge of participants in how to bid for contracts and improve capacity to enter public sector supply chains. Delivered by the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) the programme offers a range of fully funded online learning for charities and social enterprises charities in England. Three course types are available, each designed for organisations at a different stage of contract readiness. Find out more and sign up for the programme here
Birth Companions publishes urgent call for improved care of pregnant women and mothers with children’s social care involvement
Birth Companions has published its new Birth Charter for women with involvement from children’s social care focussing attention on the needs of women who are often overlooked in national policy and guidance in the health, social care and justice systems. Mental health conditions, domestic abuse and substance use are highly prevalent, and there are well-established links between criminal justice contact and care proceedings. Drawing on the success of The Birth Charter for women in prison published in 2016, this new publication sets out how services and systems in England should support women who may be at risk of separation, or separated from their baby. Birth Companions is calling for a national health and social care pathway for pregnant women and mothers of infants who are subject to pre-birth or parenting assessment, or child protection proceedings. Find out more and download the charter here. For more information contact katherine@birthcompanions.org.uk
Social prescribing in the criminal justice system – building the evidence base
Our new blog looks at the evidence for social prescribing and the approach being taken to support its growth across prisons and probation. Social prescribing is commonly used in healthcare settings, but can it be effective across criminal justice? Clinks is keen to identify examples of promising practice within the criminal justice system which we can promote to support the development and growth of social prescribing. If you provide a non-clinical service, activity or intervention that supports people’s physical, mental or emotional health, please help build our evidence base by sharing your experience, including any challenges, successes or insights by getting in touch with policy@clinks.org before 31 July. Read the blog here
If you have any comments about this ebulletin or feedback for improvement, please email Jackie Lowthian.
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