Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 878 | 25 April 2025

Light lunch

In this issue...

CLINKS NEWS: RR3 SIG - Drug and alcohol services report

Clinks has published a report exploring the current challenges in providing drug and alcohol services in the community and provides recommendations designed to mitigate the challenges. The RR3 convenes Special Interest Groups (SIGs) to advise on specific areas of policy and practice as the need arises. The Community Provision SIG, comprising 28 voluntary organisations, explored the resourcing and modelling of community provision for people in contact with the criminal justice system. Read the report here

CLINKS NEWS: Justice Committee inquiry on rehabilitation and resettlement

Clinks has published its response to the Justice Committee inquiry on rehabilitation and resettlement. This response is informed by our work with members and the wider sector, including RR3 Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and a roundtable on purposeful activity. Read the response here

CLINKS EVENTS: Upcoming in May

Our upcoming Clinks events in May are listed below:

Visit our events page to view upcoming training opportunities or events.

MEMBER FOCUS: Standing Together 

Standing Together against domestic abuse is a national charity bringing communities together to end domestic abuse. Their aim is to support organisations, working in partnership to identify and respond effectively to domestic abuse, ensuring survivors receive the best possible support to live free from abuse. Find out more here

CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: Resetting the approach to women’s imprisonment

The Prison Reform Trust (PRT) has published a report titled; Resetting the approach to women's imprisonment, highlighting that many women in prison are victims of more serious crimes than those they are accused of. Alongside the other statistics, the findings show:

  • Custodial sentences for women vary drastically across geographic regions
  • Over a quarter of women in custody are on remand, with almost nine out of ten considered to be of low or medium risk of serious harm to the public
  • 26% of self-harm cases were by women who were being held on remand
  • 61% of recalls were for women serving a sentence of less than 12 months, with only 17% of recalls resulting in further charges
  • Women from minority ethnic groups are overrepresented at every stage of the criminal justice system.

Read the report here

CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: Prisoners Abroad plan ahead

Prisoners Abroad has launched its new five-year strategy and priorities to 2030 titled; Support. Action. Hope. Developed over the last year in partnership with many stakeholders - including those with lived experience of overseas imprisonment - the strategy has three key threads running throughout its priorities: lived experience; collaboration and partnerships; and speaking up, with, and for people. They are keen to hear ideas from others about working together, so visit the page below for more information, to read the strategy, and get in touch with them. Read their five-year strategy here

CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: From policy to practice

In a recent blog; From Policy to Practice: Turning Recommendations into Real Change, the Zahid Mubarek Trust (ZMT) reflects on how it bridges the gap between national recommendations and everyday prison life. With violence in prisons rising, ZMT's Equalities Advocates Course equips prisoners with tools for conflict resolution and empathy-building, turning inquiry recommendations into practical, measurable change. The charity’s work shows how policy can be person-centred and transformative. Read the blog here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: Probation Dynamic Framework onboarding

HMPPS previously paused the evaluation of the Probation Dynamic Framework (DF) due to the upcoming CRS recomissioning being commissioned via a different platform however they have decided to start all evaluations again due to several more competitions going live in the next few months. All outstanding submissions will be evaluated in the next few weeks and notification will be provided through the DF once opportunities become available.

Organisations interested in competing for contracts should onboard onto the Probation Dynamic Framework. HMPPS can't guarantee the number of competitions in the coming weeks, but are aware of 3 opportunities in the following Categories and areas:

  • Probation DF.04 Dependency and Recovery, (South Wales)
  • Probation DF.04 Dependency and Recovery and Probation DF.07 Emotional Wellbeing, (Southwest)
  • Probation DF.06 - Lifestyle and Associates (East Midlands).

It should be noted the Probation Dynamic Framework will not be utilised for the large core funded contracts; it is for smaller regional requirements. Clinks has guidance on our website to assist organisations to onboard.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: Women's Rehabilitative Services (CRS) Recommissioning

HMPPS are soon to commence market engagement for the recommissioning of Women's Rehabilitative Services for people in prison and the community. There is an indicative competition launch date of October 2026, an indicative award date of August 2027 and an indicative go-live date of January 2028. Please note that all key decisions including budgets and contract length are yet to be approved through internal governance.

HMPPS is establishing a stakeholder advisory forum. They would like to include representation from organisations driven by lived experience to help shape future service designs, market engagement and procurement strategies. Forum members will receive information before it is shared with the market, so organisations interested in bidding for future services cannot join to avoid conflicts of interest.

Participants must sign a "Declaration of No Interest", agreeing not to partake in future service procurement, and non-disclosure agreement. Interested organisations should contact Jenny Morris at Jennifer.morris1@justice.gov.uk with their name, role, organisation, and mission/purpose.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-Sentence Reports) Bill 2024–25

The House of Commons Library has published a briefing on the Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-Sentence Reports) Bill 2024–25, which aims to prevent sentencing guidelines from referring to personal characteristics such as race, religion or belief, and cultural background when advising on the necessity of pre-sentence reports.

This bill responds to proposed changes by the Sentencing Council that suggested pre-sentence reports should normally be considered necessary for certain groups, including individuals from minority ethnic, cultural, or faith communities. The briefing notes Clinks' statement on racial disparities in the criminal justice system (p.20). Read the full briefing here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: Reducing reoffending evidence synthesis

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has published a synthesis that provides an overview of evidence on what works to reduce reoffending, updating evidence previously published by the MoJ in 2013 and 2014. It revisits some of the same areas as the previous reviews, including more recent evidence and incorporating new areas such as debt and community ties. Read the synthesis here

CLINKS MEMBER’S EVENT: an inspirational afternoon of music and collaboration

The Lullaby Project showcase features parents with experience of the criminal justice system.

Originally devised by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute in the US, the Lullaby Project invites participants to work with professional musicians to write a personal lullaby for their children. As part of a special collaboration between the Irene Taylor Trust and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra supported by Arts Council England, parents with experience of the criminal justice system from ITT’s Sounding Out programme and Clean Break will be performing their songs, backed by an ensemble of RPO musicians [23 May, 14.25, Rich Mix, London, free].

Join in person for this special family-friendly event at Rich Mix, or view via the livestream. There will be British Sign Language interpretation and live captioning via the livestream. Find out more and register here

NON-MEMBERS’ EVENTS AND TRAINING: BAME families of prisoners

Join Himaya Haven for their 'Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME)' Families of Prisoners Evaluation report launch [21 May, 10:30-15:30, BCFC Foundation Hub, Birmingham, £15.00]. The BAME Families of Prisoners Evaluation report will provide a powerful insight into the challenges, experiences, and support needs of BAME families impacted by the criminal justice system. The launch will disseminate the findings of the evaluation of Himaya Haven’s work with BAME families of prisoners conducted by a researcher from Birmingham City University. The launch serves as a platform to share insights, successes, and areas for improvement in the work Himaya Haven does to support BAME families and the wider community. Register here to attend

FEATURED VACANCY: Young People's Circles Co-ordinator   

Circles South West is seeking suitably qualified person with experience of working with young people with harmful sexual behaviour to join their team as Dorset Young People's Circles Co-ordinator [£32,000-£38,640 pro rata, part time]. Working with public protection, social care and education partners, you will coordinate Circles of Support and Accountability, and provide one-to-one interventions for young people, enabling young people to make safe choices; better understand and take responsibility for their behaviour, engage in positive activities, improve social connections, and enhance their self-worth. You will recruit, train and supervise small groups of volunteers and co-deliver training around working with people who have harmed sexually. Flexible working is required Find out more and apply by 2 May here

FEATURED VACANCY: Actor/Groupworker 

Geese Theatre Company is looking for one Actor/Groupworker [£24,500-£35,000, full time, Birmingham] to play a range of male characters as part of their team of theatre practitioners delivering projects across criminal justice and social welfare settings. Geese Theatre Company champions equality and is committed to creating a culture that respects and values diversity, inclusivity, and equality. They welcome applicants from all sections of society and positively encourage applications from people who are underrepresented in our sector, including those from working class and ethnically diverse backgrounds or who experience racism, care leavers, people who are neurodivergent, people with disabilities and people from the LGBTQ+ community. Find out more and apply by 2 May

CLINKS MEMBERS’ VACANCIES:

Volunteer Distance-Learning Tutor with Criminon UK [voluntary, working from home, part time]; Philanthropy Manager with Prisoners Abroad [£41,560, Finsbury Park, full time]; Mentor Advocacy (Finance, Benefit & Debt, Cumbria and Lancashire) with The Wise Group [£25,664, flexible working across Cumbria and Lancashire, full time]; Reading Strategy Coordinator – HMP Hewell with Shannon Trust [£28,274, HMP Hewell, full time]; Key Worker with The Growth Company [£27,500, Merseyside, full time]; Senior Grants and Bids Manager with St Giles Trust [£45,000, hybrid working, full time]; Senior Caseworker (Peer Circles) – Maternity Cover with St Giles Trust [£30,000 FTE, Kensington & Chelsea, part time]; Women’s Wellbeing Support Worker with Imagine Independence [£23,870, Crosby (Liverpool), full time]; Prison Facilitator – HMP Aylesbury / HMP Bullingdon with Shannon Trust [£28,274, HMP Aylesbury and HMP Bullingdon, full time]; Prison Resettlement Keyworker with The Nelson Trust [£25,000–£27,000, Swansea, full time].

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

READS OF THE WEEK:

EXTRA INFORMATION:

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