Partnership Finder

ADVANCE Minerva delivers advocacy and support to women who have committed crime, or young women aged 16-24yrs at risk of committing crime. We work with London CRC to support women subject to Supervision, as well as offering support to women subject to short custodial sentences, including Through the Gates work. We offer one-to-one key-work to support women experiencing issues such as debt, family breakdown, social isolation, inadequate accommodation, poor physical and mental health, substance misuse and domestic or sexual violence. We run structured group-work programmes to increase confidence and self-esteem, plus diversionary activities to reduce social exclusion and surgeries with partner agencies to improve knowledge. Our aims are to offer a range of support to address the needs that lead women to offend, thereby reducing re-offending, and enabling women and children to live safer, violence free lives so that they can flourish and actively engage in society.

Chance 2 Change is an 8 session group based programme, using the cognitive behavioural therapy to reduce negativity and marginalisation in our communities. Each group works intensively with up to 10 clients and seeks to nurture good where otherwise negative behaviour can become prevalent. We aim to make other interventions more effective and responsive by creating a solid foundation of emotional strength upon which other services can be used to build a complete and robust package of support.

Without tackling the underlying causes of why marginalisation exits in the first place it is very difficult to bring about lasting change and therefore it is necessary to alter the thinking patterns of participants before addressing the practical issues otherwise their underlying emotions will always cause conflict both in themselves and others. We believe and have demonstrated that change must start from within and we are best placed to deliver this.

Birth Companions is a unique charity which supports women experiencing severe disadvantage during pregnancy, birth and early parenting. We are the UK’s leading organisation working in this area, with widely acknowledged expertise in the needs of pregnant women and new mothers facing severe disadvantage both in prison and the community.

The women we support face a range of issues and challenges including mental health problems, substance misuse, a history of domestic and sexual violence, trafficking, experience of detention and human rights violations overseas. They are particularly vulnerable during their pregnancies due to the effects of poor health, poverty, lack of support from family and friends as well as isolation.
Our overall aim is to empower women and help them to give their babies best possible start in life.

We also seek to raise awareness and to influence changes in policy and practice to improve conditions for the women we work with.

BLAST Foundation is a Christian "Through The Gate" Resettlement organisation, working with prisoners and ex-offenders and their families of all faiths and no faiths. BLAST aim to be provider of choice, for prisons and probation trusts wishing to reduce recidivism and improve resettlement for prison inmates who want to transform their lives and break their cycle of re-offending. BLAST achieves this through our transformation, employability & business programmes delivered in prison. These programmes combine and are supported by BLASTs mentor and resettlement services, to support ex-offenders and their families in the difficult task of re-integrating in society

Choice for Change provides an unplanned-pregnancy advisory service and counselling support for pregnancy and child loss including child separation support. This service is available currently in two women's prisons, HMP Bronzefield and HMP Downview. The organisation also provides the 'I AM Project', a relationships and sexual health education course for offenders, ex-offenders and other vulnerable groups. We work closely with other psychological therapies within the prisons and other voluntary and statutory agencies.

Choices Islington normally delivers a counselling project at female prisons; Choice for Change supports women with pregnancy and child loss or child separation concerns, (inlcuding unplanned pregnancy support). During Covid-19 crisis, we have switched our services to providing remote counselling for ex-offenders in the community looking for therapy support around family issues especially child separation and general adjustment to life post-release during the Covid-19 crisis.
The mother charity, Choices Islington, is still delivering its Befriending Project including deliveries of baby clothing and equipment to local families, one to one befriending support remotely and a remote attachment-based parenting support programme. More info at www.choicesislington.org

Clean Break uses theatre for personal and political change, working with women whose lives have been affected by the criminal justice system. The company's theatre-based education and training programme enables women offenders and those at risk of offending to develop personal, professional and creative skills leading to education and employment. We deliver a year-round theatre education programme with holistic support for women from across the 33 London boroughs. We also deliver theatre and playwriting residencies in women's prisons and leadership training for professionals working in the criminal justice system. We tour short plays on the theme of women and crime to cjs and related settings - conferences, training events etc with accompanying workshops to explore themes and issues affecting women offenders/women at risk. The plays are performed by women graduates of our theater education programme.We are also a professional touring theatre company taking plays to theatres and prisons

We aim to reduce reoffending through education. We deliver Middlesex University-accredited basic counselling skills courses and interpersonal communication skills courses to inmates and ex-offenders, as a first step towards rehabilitation and to reintroduce inmates to mainstream learning. We also run partners' sessions for inmates about to be released. Our community courses (Person to Person, learning to get on with the people you live and work with) are for those at risk of offending as well as ex-offenders.

Criminon UK is a registered charity delivering distance learning life skills courses in many UK prisons. We are members of LASER Learning Awards (formerly the Open College Network South East Region), and have four courses accredited. Our accredited course "Understanding and Overcoming Addiction", aligns with learning outcomes of the NOCN National Qualification Unit's 'Introduction to Drug Awareness', Level 1. Our other accredited courses deal with literacy at Entry Level 2 and Level 1 and a simple guide to better living and self-respect at Entry Level 2. Further life skills courses we offer deal with Parenting, Communication and Personal Integrity. We also offer a Mentor Course which gives the offender the skills to help others with their literacy and allows them to give something back, helping them achieve greater confidence and self-respect.

Family Links is a national charity and training organisation dedicated to the promotion of emotional health at home, at school, and at work.

We offer high-quality training and resources for professionals working with families, school and university staff, and employees in the workplace.

Our vision is for every child and adult to be able to realise their individual potential, enjoy positive relationships and live healthy and fulfilled lives.

Geese Theatre Company is a team of professional theatre practitioners who present interactive drama and facilitate workshops, staff training and consultation in prisons, secure mental health settings, young offender institutions, and in the community with probation services, youth offending teams and related agencies. A registered charity based in Birmingham, Geese works throughout the UK and overseas and has gained an international reputation for innovative work with vulnerable and socially excluded groups, becoming widely acknowledged as one of the key organisations championing the role of arts in the criminal justice system and wider social welfare arena. Our work provides solutions to a range of criminogenic issues, primarily focussing on attitudes, thinking and behaviour and addressing themes such as domestic abuse, sexual offending, violence, resettlement, substance misuse and offending, self-efficacy, and employability.

Working in Wales, we support women to rebuild their lives after a prison sentence or conviction. Our aim is to empower these women to lead meaningful lives in the community and to reduce the number of women locked up; we achieve these objectives through innovative diversion schemes.

Mind in Camden works alongside people experiencing voices, visions, unusual beliefs, anxiety, hopelessness and extremes of mood, stimulating development in mental health services by providing and partnering in services that increase self-esteem and hope, promote peer support and co-production and challenge stigma and prejudice.

Our Prisons project has developed a network of peer support groups for people in prison who hear voices or have other unusual sensory experiences (linked to trauma, mental ill health, drug use and/or emotional issues). We co-facilitate groups, and train/support staff prisons to improve outcomes for prisoners and ex-offenders who hear voices.
- We co-ordinate the London Hearing Voices Network and run an innovative projects developing peer support for young people who hear voices (Voice Collective) and groups for people struggling with paranoia.
- Our Mental Health Day Service is co-produced, enabling service users to plan and provide their own services.

MTC works in probation, custody and consultancy to transform lives through rehabilitation, build safer communities and break the cycle of reoffending.

We work to organise a network of pastoral support for Muslim Chaplains and staff; to prepare, produce and recommend teaching materials and accredited courses; to provide mentoring and job shadowing services for Muslim Chaplains; and to engage the communities for the resettlement of prisoners and help to reduce reoffending. We also raise funds in order to pursue the MCA's activities.

No Limits helps young people to help themselves through the provision of information, advice, counselling, advocacy & support services to children & young people (aged under 26) and their families. We operate through drop-in centre's )Southampton), weekly drop-in sessions & education programs in schools & FE Colleges (Southampton & Eastleigh)& specialist support in Hampshire, Portsmouth & Southampton including Floating Support, Resettlement of Young Offenders, Advocacy & Independent Visiting for Looked After Children (including Swanwick Lodge Secure Unit), Sexual Exploitation service, Mentoring - young parents, care leavers, young carers & those coming out of YOIs, Substance Misuse services, LGBT project, Private Rented Sector Tenancy scheme, Family Workers (Troubled Families).
We support 6000 young people a year, 50% of whom are vulnerable eg young offenders, homeless, mental health issues, care leavers etc.

No Offence! facilitates open access to and exchange of crime and justice information, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

No Offence! is a social enterprise, community interest company, not driven by private profit.

Our innovative and engaging approach facilitates the sharing of this information by instigating, supporting and encouraging communication and debate, which promotes wider understanding of complex criminal justice issues across society. By challenging barriers to positive change and influencing future policy, our objective is simple: to make a difference.

We have created a criminal justice information exchange service, which has become a centre for excellence, for the significant benefit of all who engage within the criminal justice sector.

Pecan is a Peckham based charity working to tackle the causes of poverty and multiple disadvantage. Within Pecan, the Southwark and Lewisham Women's Hubs provide support for women affected by the criminal justice system and experiencing complex needs. The hubs enable women to access 1:1 advocacy from a Women's Advocate, a safe space to access information and advice, as well as a programme of holistic activities which promote improved wellbeing and mental health. We work in partnership with probation, as well as other voluntary sector organisations providing support to women in the borough.

As an organisation, Pecan has been serving people through a variety of local projects for over 30 years.

Positively UK is the leading provider of peer support for people living with HIV. We strongly believe that people who understand the implications of living with the condition are best placed to develop and deliver services and policies that effectively support the community. Founded by two people living with HIV, today all our front line staff and volunteers are themselves HIV positive. We support Over 1,400 individuals living with HIV each year, enabling them to make informed choices around their health and social care, live well with HIV, and achieve the best physical, emotional and social well-being. We do this through the provision of one-to-one support, group work and information. Our work complements clinical care, and our peer workers are integrated into clinics and prison across London.

In 2013 we published a review of support for people living with HIV in prison entitled HIV behind bars: http://www.positivelyuk.org/published_reports.php

Pact is a national charity that provides support to prisoners, people with convictions and their families. We support people to make a fresh start, and minimise the harm that can be caused by imprisonment to people with convictions, to families and to communities.

Pact works in over 65 prisons and 8 CRCs and provides prison-based family engagement workers, Visitors’ Centres, visitor support, supervised play, catering and family activities, relationship and parenting education programmes, court and community family support, ‘Through the Gate’ family resettlement support and community based mentoring and befriending programmes.

We also run the HMPPS contracted national Prisoners' Families Helpline which can be reached seven days a week on 0808 808 2003.