In this issue...
Shannon Trust - Turning Pages Digital app
In recent months Shannon Trust have successfully recruited a number of Early Digital Adopters to pilot its Turning Pages Digital app. These partners include secondary schools, drug and alcohol services, a mental health secure unit and a disability centre. Staff and volunteers from these services have received training to support their learners using a digital version of our Turning Pages programme. Their feedback will help us to shape the development of this tool in order to make it commercially available at the end of 2023.
Criminal Justice Alliance - Newsworthy! Employment and family ties
CJA have been working with a consultant to secure coverage around employment and family ties to find out what works in getting framed messages into the media. We secured coverage in The Telegraph, Radio Five Live and The Big Issue. We have also worked with Frameworks to deliver training to our ELEVATE CJS lived experienced leaders cohort, as well as to all the PCC communications officers.
Criminal Justice Alliance - second residential weekend
Our ELEVATE CJS leaders took part in their second residential weekend in the summer 2023. They learnt about working in academia and creative research methodologies. They used system mapping to develop ideas for their action research projects. They are looking forward to their shadow board and senior level work placements this autumn. The leaders also received media training from Lady Unchained to help change the narrative.
Criminal Justice Alliance - impact of vetting delays
The Criminal Justice Alliance has been working in collaboration with Clinks, The National Women’s Justice Coalition and Revolving Doors, to compile a joint briefing paper of anecdotal and experiential evidence to demonstrate the impact vetting delays and denied clearances are having on both individuals and organisations, as well as the issues and risks with the vetting process itself. Collectively, we hope this briefing paper will comprehensively document the issues and obstacles inherent in current vetting processes and make a compelling case for a full re-think and review of vetting procedures by the Ministry of Justice. Read the blog here
Pact - Routes2Change project
Pact's Routes2Change (R2C) project, funded by Porticus, has sought to place family relationships at the heart of the two prisons in which it has been piloted - HMPs Isis and Brixton. The project has been running for a number of years and the focus now is on spreading R2C's principles more broadly across England & Wales.
As part of this, during October and November, Pact will be holding four regional R2C events attended by senior HM Prison and Probation Service staff, Pact colleagues and other partner organisations. The aim of the events is to embed the principles of R2C more broadly across the country, placing family relationships at the heart of prison regimes and supporting efforts to deliver safer prisons and reduce reoffending. Find out more
RIFT Social Enterprise - WISE Project (Women into Self-Employment)
In the last four/five months, we have achieved significant strides. We have surpassed key milestones, sparking immense interest in WISE's efforts. Highlights include:
Focus Groups: Three sessions were held with women at HMP Send, HMP Styal, and HMP Eastwood Park, unearthing invaluable insights into challenges faced by aspiring women entrepreneurs. Their strong grasp of self-employment was evident, yet barriers like confidence, capital, and perceived complexity emerged.
Individual Assistance: Jemma's one-on-one sessions at HMP Eastwood Park provide personalised self-employment support, tackling challenges and nurturing their journey.
Self-Employment Support: Our initial offer is taking shape, fuelled by survey and focus group data. Collaborating with HMP Eastwood Park's stakeholders, we are refining the model via workshops, adapting based on real-time input.
RIFT Social Enterprise - WISE Project (Phase 2)
RIFT Social Enterprise's WISE Project is excited for the commencement of phase 2 (delivery) at their engaged pilot prison, HMP Eastwood Park, following successful focus groups at HMP Send, HMP Styal, and HMP Eastwood Park. These sessions provided invaluable insights into the challenges faced by female prison residents aspiring for self-employment. A collaborative workshop with key stakeholders at HMP Eastwood Park, refined our support model, leading to the launch at the end of this month, of our tailored self-employment program at the prison.
Simultaneously, discussions with HMP Send are underway to extend our support to a different cohort of women.
Additionally, we are developing a specialised workbook in collaboration with the women we aim to assist, which will be a vital resource on their self-employment journey.
PPfP evidence workshop: Your stories of change
This is a reminder about the workshop that is taking place [Michelin House, Wednesday 6 December, 10.00-13.00]. The workshop is organised by Confluence, part of the the PPfP Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning team (MEL).
In the context of PPfP coming to a close in its current form at the end of 2023, the workshop will provide an opportunity to share and consolidate learning from partners’ work at a programme-wide level. For this, we will be using the ‘stories of change’ approach that the MEL team first introduced at the evidence workshop held in September, which many of you attended.
To recap, a story of change is a short account (400 words maximum) of a specific example where a particular instance of change or impact was achieved, and which is framed in the following way: 1) What is the context?; 2) Who, what, when, where, why?; 3) So what?; and, 4) Then what?
At the event, we will be working with stories that illustrate change at a personal or individual level; change at an establishment or local level; and or change at a system-wide level. To enable us to prepare for the workshop, we will need your organisation’s stories of change in advance. We ask for one, two, or up to three stories, which show your work to create change at these different levels, and we would be grateful if you would send these to us by [Friday 24th November] at the latest. If you need any support in relation to this, please get in contact.
Meeting space constraints dictate a maximum of two individuals per organisation, including ideally one person involved in the direct/operational delivery of the Porticus/PPfP initiative.
Do let us know who will be attending. Note: We hold a budget to cover travel and accommodation costs for those who will be attending, so please also let us know if you would like to draw from this.
For further information please contact rob@confluence-partnerships.co.uk or laura@confluence-partnerships.co.uk
Criminal Justice Alliance (CJA) - 'Beyond a numbers game'
The Beyond a numbers game report by the CJA explores how we can improve the recruitment, retention and progression of racially minoritised staff and how to build inclusive working cultures across the criminal justice system. This report comes at a time of unprecedented scrutiny for our criminal justice system in relation to its record, practice and impacts on racially minoritised communities. Read the report here
Pact - Serving a Hidden Sentence
Pact has carried out an online survey of the financial and emotional impact of imprisonment on family and significant others. The results have been collated into a report; Serving a Hidden Sentence, shining a light on some of the significant challenges that people face when a loved-one goes to prison, including loss of household income, the additional cost of prison visits, and the stigma associated with the imprisonment of a family member.
Prisoners’ families are often hit by a ‘double whammy’ - the loss of a partner’s income, along with the extra costs of staying in touch with and supporting their loved-one. Families also face social stigma and many report that their mental and physical health suffer as a result. Findings:
- 50% of families responding express concerns about affording what they need to care for their children
- 38% spend a quarter or more of household income supporting a loved-one in prison
- More than half are finding it difficult or very difficult to afford the basics (food, heating, etc).
Family contact helps keep people safer during their sentence and reduces re-offending, however 56% of families said money affected their ability to keep in touch with a loved-one. Read the report and its recommendations here
Pact - Journeys to Freedom
A new independent evaluation of Pact’s 'Journeys to Freedom' resettlement service for women leaving prison in London and Kent has been published.
The research sets out the 'excellent' outcomes the project has achieved in supporting women to successfully reintegrate into the community after release.
The programme supports vulnerable women to navigate the transition from prison to the community in three stages: prior to their release, through the gate on the day of release, and in the community. The women can also access Pact welfare grants to purchase essential items such as clothes, bedding, furniture and appliances. Read the report here