State of the Sector 2023 | Executive Summary
This is the tenth year that Clinks has carried out research into how criminal justice voluntary organisations are faring. State of the Sector 2023 reflects the views of organisations in the sector and provides a snapshot of the 2022/23 financial year.
Read the full report here
The report looks at the profile of the sector, its finances, its future, and the changes it wants to see from the government that wins the expected upcoming 2024 election.
For the sixth consecutive year, Clinks has partnered with the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) who collected and analysed data as part of this project. Clinks then authored this report, based on our analysis and knowledge of the sector, built through our ongoing engagement and dialogue with voluntary organisations working with people in contact with the criminal justice system across England and Wales.
Key findings 2023
Three key themes emerged from our 2023 research:
- The voluntary sector working in criminal justice is continuing to operate in a challenging environment.
- Organisations expressed a clear preference for grant funding over contract arrangements, including for future government commissioning processes.
- Organisations were confident about their financial sustainability over the next two years, but in focus groups, this was qualified by uncertainty as to what service delivery might look like two years later.
In anticipation of the next UK General Election, expected to take place in 2024, we asked organisations and funders what they would like to tell the incoming government. Organisations and funders said they want to tell a new government to focus on:
- Investment in prevention and rehabilitation
- Leaning on the expertise of voluntary organisations
- Empowering local organisations to deliver in their communities.