Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 823 | 8 March 2024

Light Lunch Clinks

In this issue...

CLINKS NEWS: new RR3 members

The Reducing Reoffending Third Advisory Group (RR3) is pleased to announce its newest members. Josh Stunell, CEO of bthechange CIC, will now hold the seat representing organisations led by and focused on racially minoritised people. Nicola Drinkwater, Director of External Affairs and Campaigns at Women in Prison, is now the Women’s seat holder and will be taking on the role of chairing Clinks’ Women’s Network Forum. Richard Knibbs, Head of Justice & Health at Nacro, is the new Resettlement seat holder. The Mental Health seat will be held by Matina Marougka, Head of Regional Operations at Together for Mental Wellbeing. Cara Mohan-Carr, Leading Training and Development Coordination at Children Heard and Seen, is the new Families seat holder. In the Youth Justice seat is Jess Mullen, incoming CEO of the Alliance for Youth Justice. For the first time, the group has a seat representing Arts organisations working in the criminal justice system, this will be held by Catrina McHugh MBE, Joint Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Open Clasp Theatre. We would like to thank all applicants for their time, and all previous group members for their contributions. Find out more about the RR3

MEMBER FOCUS: All Saints Homeless Shelter

All Saints Homeless Shelter offers temporary accommodation, as well as long term placements and their services include education and training, substance misuse support, mental health support and work experience.

As part of the preparation for independence, the staff work with service users to build basic life skills and knowledge that they will need in order to be able to live fully independently such as: Applying for housing benefits, cooking and general household duties, routines and boundaries, planning ahead, being prepared and organised. Additionally, they are helped with registering with local health services, budgeting and applying for bank accounts, and building and maintaining positive peer relationships. Find out more

NATIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE ARTS ALLIANCE NEWS: Creating Roots for well-being through art project report

The NCJAA is delighted to share the Creative Roots project report Written by Mark Jones, Director at Higher Plain and Visiting Professor at centre for Criminology, University South Wales. The report reflects on The Creative Roots Project (an arts project funded by the Arts Council for Wales and G4S).

The project was delivered in Parc Prison from September 2022 to May 2023. Creative Roots was delivered through a multi-skilled arts team under the performance, live art and dance organisation Mr & Mrs Clark. The Creative Roots project aimed to provide a safe space for residents of Parc Prison to take time out of their daily routine to engage in a range of activities on the prison wing. Our recent blog series; Creating Roots for well-being through art, is still available on our website, offering reflections from participating artists and project partners. Read the report on the NCJAA website

CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: Robin Corbett Award

If you are a charity, social enterprise or CIC who supports re-integration in local communities for returning citizens, then the Robin Corbett Awards are for you.

Applications for the 2024 Awards opened on 1 March and [closes on May 17]. If you have a good story to tell about supporting people both inside prison or after release, you stand a chance at winning one of three prizes: £5K, £3K or £1K and obtaining national and local publicity which aids future fund raising. Plus a day to remember with a tour of the House of Lords and cream tea in the Peer’s Dining Room.

The awards honour the work of Robin Corbett and his passion for prison reform which you continue to honour every day in your work. Find out more and enter here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: The Howard League call to action

Clinks member The Howard League have launched a call to action in response to the report published earlier this week from the Chief Inspector of Prisons on HMPYOI Wetherby. They are calling on girls to be removed from Wetherby after inspectors discovered that children had been forcibly stripped and subjected to pain-inducing restraint by staff without adequate oversight or accountability. The inspection twice found all-male teams of officers forcibly restraining a girl to remove her clothing to prevent her self-harming. Read more here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: when does an incident become a hate crime?

In this Transform Justice blog post/insight about the Bob Stewart appeal: 'When does a heated exchange become a hate crime? The Bob Stewart appeal'

“Bob Stewart, for how much did you sell yourself to the Bahraini regime?” This was how the veteran Tory MP was greeted when he arrived at a Bahraini government reception in Central London in December 2022. The question was shouted by Mr. Al Wadaei who was protesting against the Bahraini government’s record on democratic and human rights. Mr. Stewart replied “I hate you…go back to Bahrain…shut up, you stupid man…you’re taking money off my country. Go away”. Unfortunately Mr. Stewart did not know Mr. Al Wadaei was tortured in Bahrain and fears for his liberty if he returned there. Mr. Al Wadaei also views Britain as his country. Read the blog

CLINKS MEMBER’S EVENTS: Brighton Women's Centre International Women's Day 2024

Brighton Women’s Centre presents the city’s largest annual International Women’s Day Celebration at Brighton Dome. This years celebration takes place [9 March, free, Brighton] You are invited to join Brighton Women’s Centre for a day of uplifting and inclusive discussions, workshops, talks, arts and crafts, music, dance, causes and campaigns. This free and inclusive event aims to celebrate and inspire women as well as raise awareness of BWC and our work supporting vulnerable women across Sussex. Find out more

NON-MEMBERS’ EVENTS: Tackling health inequalities

The Kings Fund are hosting a two day conference "Tackling health inequalities: the need for urgent action" [8 May - 9 May, free* or £150-£355 +VAT, online]. This conference will explore practical measures for addressing and combating health inequalities and improving population health. *A fixed number of free tickets are available for those with lived experience of health inequalities. To apply, email events@kingsfund.org.uk. Explore the event programme here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: Appealing vetting decisions update

Following engagement with HMPPS regarding submitting appeals to vetting decisions, we want to provide the following information:

  • Applicants should request an appeal within 28 days of being notified of the outcome of their application by emailing recruitment-decisions@justice.gov.uk; this should set out the grounds for appeal and any information to support this appeal
  • Once considered by a Senior Vetting Officer, and if the original decision is upheld, subsequent issues or concerns can be directed to HMPPS-personnel_security@justice.gov.uk
  • If there are any cases where a response to complaints raised hasn’t been received, please pass on the details of any complaints to the HMPPS personnel security email address above

RESOURCE: a guide to grants for individuals in need

Directory of Social Change (DSC) have recently published a new edition of their "Guide to Grants for Individuals in Need". The comprehensive guide allows you to simplify the task of finding suitable support for your service users by outlining eligibility criteria, amounts available and how to apply.

Clinks members are eligible for 20% off funding information, training courses, conferences and books with the DSC. Please contact membership@clinks.org for your DSC discount code.

PUBLICATION: an evaluation of working with women and children in prison

Pact has today published the final evaluation of its 'Together a Chance' project, which has employed social workers to support mothers in HMPs Send and Eastwood Park.

The evaluation, carried out by Cardiff University, shows how the project has benefitted the women and their children, as well as the prisons and community social services. It concludes that there is ‘clear and incontrovertible evidence of the need for a qualified, prison-based social worker’ and ‘a strong need for social workers to be based in all women’s prisons.’ Pact is calling on the Government to invest in similar roles in all women's prisons. Read the evaluation

RESOURCE: a guide to achieving racial justice at Inquests

This guide "Achieving Racial Justice at Inquests", by INQUEST, provides lawyers representing families bereaved by deaths in police custody, prisons, immigration detention, and mental health settings with the legal expertise to raise the potential role of race and racism at inquests. It also provides foundational knowledge and strategy to coroners to ensure they satisfy their duty in fully investigating the circumstances in state custody deaths. Find out more

CLINKS MEMBERS’ VACANCIES:

Housing Floating Support Worker with ADVANCE (Advocacy and Non-Violence Community Education) [£26,000 - £32,000, Hammersmith, full time]; Non Crimes Domestic Abuse Worker with ADVANCE (Advocacy and Non-Violence Community Education) [£26,000 - £32,000, Brent, full time]; Operations Director with Onwards & Upwards [£50,000 - £65,000, London, full time]; Communications Manager with Hear Me Out [£40,000, E1 6LA, part time]; Key Worker - HMP Birmingham with Cranstoun [£25,000 - £29,000, HMP Birmingham, full time]; Financial Wellbeing Coach with St Giles Trust [£25,500, South Wales, based at either Newport, Cardiff or Swansea Office, full time]; Prison Facilitators Kent - HMP Rochester/ HMP Stanford Hill with Shannon Trust [£27,584, Kent, part time]; Reading and Numeracy Support Specialist/ Facilitator - HMP Full Sutton with Shannon Trust [£27,584, York, full time]; Pool worker with Hestia Housing & Support [£11 - £12, Lambeth, part time]; Empowerment Advisor (2 vacancies) with Tomorrow's Women [£23,000, Chester City Centre, full time]

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

READS OF THE WEEK:

EXTRA INFORMATION:

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