Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 826 | 5 April 2024

Light Lunch Clinks

CLINKS NEWS: Building a resilient workforce

Clinks has published a new video “Building a resilient workforce - lessons learnt”. In the video Matina Marougka, Head of Regional Operations for London services at Together for Mental Wellbeing, shares her findings and insights from her studies in Occupational Psychology, reflecting on how well-being drives workplace performance.

You'll also hear from Dawn Harrison, Criminal Justice Service Manager at Changing Lives, who discusses how to build resilience within a team alongside building your resilience. John Speyer, Director at Hear Me Out, explores the challenges associated with wellbeing in an organisation. Make sure to check out our Clinks Evidence Library, which covers several key issues. You can view the video here

CLINKS NEWS: Staffing Special Interest Group

We are calling on any voluntary organisation working within criminal justice to join the RR3 Staffing Special Interest Group. The second session of this group will be on [12 April, 11:00 - 13:00] and will focus on finding solutions in the following areas:

- Recruitment and retention in the voluntary sector
- Reducing burnout within the existing workforce
- Exploring reward and incentive schemes for staff
- Developing career pathways across the system
- Encouraging and developing careers for people with lived experience
- Understanding and offering solutions to ongoing vetting challenges

Expression of interest in the SIG is open to all, and we welcome broad engagement from those working in the sector. Contact Bronte Jack to register your interest.  

CLINKS EVENT: London Third Sector Adult Ethnic Disproportionality Steering Group

The next London Third Sector Adult Ethnic Disproportionality Steering Group [9 April, 13:00 - 14:30] will focus on the role that judges can play in promoting fairer treatment of individuals from minority ethnic groups.

The Equal Treatment Bench Book (ETBB) will be discussed (guidelines issued to all judges on how to understand the different backgrounds of people appearing in court); and the role of pre-sentence reports will be explored. In addition, staff from the Ministry of Justice will attend to gather opinions on how sentence reductions can be communicated more effectively to incentivise early guilty pleas.

The Steering Group is a joint initiative between Clinks and the London Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC). Meetings aims to give London voluntary organisations a platform to share insights from their work with minority ethnic groups and make recommendations to London agencies on how to reduce disproportionate racial outcomes in the London criminal justice system. Please email matthew.uberoi@clinks.org to register for this online event and to receive the Microsoft Teams link and materials that will be discussed.

MEMBER FOCUS: Release Mates CIC

Release Mates is a growing team of rehabilitated prison leavers who support other people leaving prison in the immediate three to five hours after release. Offering support with practical issues such as benefits, food, clothing, attending appointments, the team use their lived experience of recovery from addiction and navigating away from the revolving door, to trigger a motivation for positive change. Find out more about Release Mates CIC

CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: retail worker assault sentences

Twelve criminal justice charities, including Transform Justice, have written a letter to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) expressing their concerns about the BRC's support for proposed new legislation which would create a new offence of assault retail worker and double the maximum prison sentence for the crime. Read the letter

CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: mentoring for female leaders

The Network of Women Chairs have launched a Mentoring Programme to support women Chairs and Vice Chairs in UK charities, and women trustees looking to become Chairs. The NWC is keen to promote diversity on Boards, and this free Mentoring Programme has been established to allow NWC Members to give back to women trustees. The Programme will offer a structured framework with trained NWC Mentors who have a wealth of experience to share and will include an introductory Zoom session for successful applicants with Rachel Mallows, Vice Chair of the NWC, who has trained the Mentors in the Programme. Attendance is mandatory for those seeking mentorship from NWC Mentors.

Find out more about the Network of Women Chairs. Find out more about the NWC Mentoring Programme and access the Mentee Application Form. Applications to be a Mentee on the NWC Mentoring Programme will close to applications [8 April, 12:00]. Applicants will be informed if their application has been successful by May 1.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: Suspected "Spice" related deaths

An urgent, public plea from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman Adrian Usher

“Over the last few days, we confirmed that 6 deaths have occurred at HMP Parc in just under one month. I am saddened by this high number, and I offer my deepest condolences to those affected.  

Yesterday, we said that we are not making any assumptions as to whether there is a link between these deaths – however, after initial enquiries, we now believe at least 4 out of the 6 deaths are drug-related. These deaths likely involve spice (a psychoactive substance), mixed with another family of drugs. There has been a national public health warning issued about this particular drug, the name of which is yet to be determined, but we believe that at least two of the deceased at HMP Parc had taken this substance. It is therefore likely the deaths are all spice related.

We urge all prisoners who are in possession of spice to dispose of it immediately. This is a dangerous drug and we do not want to see any more unnecessary deaths occur. Friends, family, next of kin, and staff in prison – please share this message as wide and as quickly as possible”.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: Female Offender Strategy Dashboard

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) published its Female Offender Strategy Dashboard, presenting key metrics outlined in the Female Offender Strategy Delivery Plan via a web-based data visualisation tool. This resource allows custom analysis by factors such as locality, ethnicity, and age. It offers data on four priority areas of the strategy: reducing female entries into the criminal justice system, curtailing short custodial sentences for women, enhancing outcomes for women in custody, and bolstering public safety through improved post-release outcomes. The dashboard summarises headline metrics for recent comparisons, while detailed information reveals trends over five years. Performance shows mixed results across eighteen areas, with improvements in some and deteriorations in others. View the dashboard

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: National Regime Model update session

Clinks will be running a session [25 April, 13:00-14:00, online, free] alongside Chris Gunderson (Head of Transforming Organisational Delivery & National Regime Design at HMPPS) to update on the new National Regime Model in prisons. Chris will be giving an update on the rollout of the new model and there will be an opportunity for questions. To express interest in attending this discussion please contact bronte.jack@clinks.org.

CLINKS MEMBER’S EVENT: the climate emergency and reproductive justice

Birth Companions and Wen (Women's Environmental Network) will be hosting a Lunchtime Webinar [17 April, 12:30, online, free], to celebrate the publication of their new joint paper looking at the implications of the climate emergency for reproductive justice in the UK. Join the webinar to hear:

• Birth Companions and Wen discuss recent collaborative work on climate and reproductive justice
• Reflections from exciting guest speakers
• Q&A session on reproductive justice and the climate emergency

The climate and biodiversity emergency poses severe challenges to reproductive, maternal, infant, and child health. We are already seeing the substantial effects that air pollution, toxic chemicals, extreme heat, climate migration, food insecurity, and other factors can have on our ability to conceive, sustain healthy pregnancies, and birth and parent our children in safety. Women facing poverty, inequality, and disadvantage, and those from Black and Brown communities disproportionately bear the impacts of these factors. Register for your place here 

FUNDING: research project to map funding flows

Making the case for better partnership between government and philanthropic funders. 

Voluntary organisations working across Criminal Justice need support in mitigating a complex funding landscape in order to support some of the most vulnerable people in our society. This project will map and explore funding flows from government and philanthropy to voluntary organisations taking beneficiaries characteristics and lived experience and the purpose of the funding into account. The aim of this project is to better understand and improve funder practice and partnerships. 

This research project is funded by Lloyds Bank Foundation who are working in partnership with CLINKS, Ministry of Justice, AB Foundation on joint solutions with support from Cortson Independent Funders Coalition. Find out more through the CJS funding flows ITT

RESOURCE: Clinks Evidence Library webinar available on youtube

Clinks recently co-hosted an online webinar alongside Russel Webster on best practice in working with people with mental health problems on probation. This was part of our “A matter of fact: what the evidence tells us” series, giving delegates the chance to ask their own questions of leading academics talking about the latest research on an important criminal justice topic. During this webinar Professor Charlie Brooker and Dr Coral Sirdifield discuss best practice in working with people with mental health problems on probation. Charlie and Coral have provided an in-depth written evidence review alongside this webinar.

PUBLICATION: youth diversion, special needs and disabilities

The Centre for Justice Innovation has published a new research report, 'How is youth diversion working for children with special educational needs and disabilities?'. Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) are hugely over-represented at all points in the criminal justice system and evidence suggests that 70-90% of children in the justice system have some form of SEND. Youth diversion offers many children a pathway out of the criminal justice system. However, given the range of barriers that children with SEND face in navigating the criminal justice system, they may be less likely to receive diversion.

This research draws on the experiences of children with SEND and practitioners from both police and youth justice services to explore how diversion processes are working for these children and what can be done to ensure they have the appropriate access to diversion. Read the report

FEATURED VACANCY: Influencing Internship

Switchback are looking for an Influencing Intern on a short-term basis [£23,933 FTE, Full-Time and Part-Time available, London Hybrid] with lived experience of the criminal justice system who is excited about using their journey to create change in the system. This opportunity has been designed around what Switchback can do for you, instead of what you can do for Switchback. You do not need any prior experience in policy or communications for this role, just enthusiasm and excitement. It is also important that you can demonstrate a commitment to learning something new. It would be a great opportunity for someone who wants to start a policy or communications career but not necessary. [Find out more and apply by 15 April here]

FEATURED VACANCY: Circles Coordinator - Gloucestershire and Wiltshire

Circles South West is looking for a Circles Coordinator in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire [3 or 3.5 days per week, £32,000-£38,640 pro-rata, working from home in Glos/Wilts or nearby] to join their dedicated regional team of 12 staff and 180 volunteers working towards the vision of 'No More Victims' of sexual abuse. Circles of Support and Accountability contribute to risk management in the community, preventing sexual re-offending. You will have experience of working with people who have sexually harmed and understand how volunteers can contribute to their safe integration in the community. You will work closely with public protection agencies and be skilled in the management and support of volunteers. Complementary opportunities for groupwork and training. [Find out more and apply by 24 April here]

CLINKS MEMBERS’ VACANCIES:

Band 5 Substance Misuse Nurse - HMP Highdown with The Forward Trust [£28,407 - £34,581, HMP Highdown, full time]; Senior Specialist Housing Advocate with ADVANCE (Advocacy and Non-Violence Community Education) [£30,000 - £32,000, Hammersmith, full time]; Specialist Housing Advocate with ADVANCE (Advocacy and Non-Violence Community Education) [£28,000 - £31,000, Hammersmith, part time]; Band 6 Substance Misuse Nurse - HMP Highdown with The Forward Trust [£35,392 - £42,618, HMP Highdown, full time]; Senior Band 6 Substance Misuse Nurse – Surrey with The Forward Trust [£39,005 - £42,618, UK-Surrey-Sutton, full time]; Band 7 Clinical Nurse Manager - HMP Downview/HMP Highdown with The Forward Trust [£43,742 - £50,056, HMP Downview/HMP Highdown, full time]; Band 7 Non Medical Prescriber - HMP Highdown / HMP Downview with The Forward Trust [£43,742 - £50,056, HMP Highdown / HMP Downview, full time]; Band 5 Substance Misuse Nurse - HMP Bronzefield with The Forward Trust [£28,407 - £34,581, HMP Bronzefield, full time]; Domestic Abuse Caseworker with ADVANCE (Advocacy and Non-Violence Community Education) [£26,000 - £28,000, Hammersmith /Westminster, full time]; Band 6 Substance Misuse Nurse - HMP Bronzefield with The Forward Trust [£35,392 - £42,618, HMP Bronzefield, full time]

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

READS OF THE WEEK:

EXTRA INFORMATION:

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