Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 301 | 7th June 2013

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In this week's edition.....

CLINKS NEWS: register on our site

Come and register on the Clinks website to comment on our blogs, manage your subscriptions, and update your contact details. It's really quick to register here 

CLINKS BLOG: what does desistance mean to you?

Nicola, Policy Assistant at Clinks, has written a blog post exploring what desistance theory means for the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector. She is also in the process of writing a guide to desistance theory and would like to hear your thoughts on the following: What does desistance theory mean to the Sector? Has knowledge about desistance theory influenced/changed the way your VCSE organisation works? And what would help you to use desistence theory in your work? Read Nicola's blog post here 

CLINKS OPPORTUNITY: register on our Partnership Finder

Are you interested in commissioning and contracting opportunities?  Clinks are developing a new web portal to allow commissioners and prime providers to identify Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations working in criminal justice and rehabilitation. Users will be able to search hundreds of organisations by service provided, size, geographical area, and track record to find their perfect VCSE partners. Look out for more information in future editions of Light Lunch.  Registration for the new portal will be linked to our Directory of Offender Services, so take the first step by adding or updating your entry on the Directory now, and register for the MoJ's Prior Information Notice (details below). 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: register with MoJ for contracting opportunities

Clinks is encouraging all organisations that may wish to become a provider under the new Transforming Rehabilitation arrangements to register their organisation on the MoJ's Prior Information Notice (PIN).  This is not restricted to potential primes, and Clinks would therefore urge any of its members who may wish to provide services to offenders as part of one of the new contracts – whether as a prime, in a consortium or as a Tier 2 or Tier 3 subcontractor - to register as soon as possible. Registered organisations will receive all further communications relating to the proposed reforms, including more detailed information on the design of the new contracts. Register here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: consultation on payment mechanism for Transforming Rehabilitation

The Ministry of Justice have put out their 'Straw Man' payment mechanism for consultation. As widely anticipated, the mechanism includes a fee for service and payment by results element, set against a 'clawback' penalty for underperformance. The document also proposes "large financial deductions" for increases in reoffending rates across your cohort, and a learning curve discount in payments to "drive continuous improvement". Read the full proposal and repsond to the consultation here 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: Disclosure & Barring Service

Disclosure & Barring Service have issued a notice that from last week they have removed certain specified old and minor offences from criminal record certificates. The filtering rules, together with the list of offences that will never be filtered, are available here. Clinks Member Unlock say the filtering doesn't go far enough in lots of ways; read their reaction here 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: yearly statistics

'Criminal justice statistics quarterly update to September 2012' is a MoJ report that presents the key trends on the latest twelve months (to September 2012) of activity in the Criminal Justice System. In the 12 months ending September 2012, there were 97,500 persons sentenced to immediate custody, a decrease of 4.7 per cent. In the 12 months ending September 2012, the Average Custodial Sentence Length (ACSL) was 14.9 months, an increase of 0.6 months. Fines were down 5.8%, community sentences down 14%, and a 12.8% redution in the number of entrants to the Criminal Justice System. Download the full report here  

CLINKS MEMBER'S EVENT: Gamelan music performances

To celebrate Clinks Member Good Vibrations' 10th Anniversary, and to highlight the incredible power of gamelan (Indonesian percussion music) Southbank Centre and Good Vibrations are organising 'Sharing Good Vibrations' [17th - 20th October, London], which will explore, debate and celebrate the value of the arts in reducing reoffending and in generating wider social benefits. They are inviting people to join them for 4 days of workshops, presentations, debates and performances as they highlight the creative, important and inspiring work done with gamelan - and other art forms - in criminal justice and the community. There will be loads of high profile speakers including Nick Hardwick, Michael Spurr and Gerard Lemos. To find out more and book your place contact Good Vibrations here 

CLINKS MEMBER'S EVENT: Transforming Rehabilitation in London

London Safer Future Communities Network is hosting an event [24th June, London] looking at the challenges, opportunities and options for the VCSE Sector in London under Transforming Rehabilitation. The panel includes MoJ (tbc), London Probation, 3SC, and BidCo, with Q&A, discussions and networking lunch.  For more information and to book your place, click here  

CLINKS MEMBER'S EVENT: informal gate mentoring

'The Path to Informal Mentoring' is a Cementafuture conference [2nd July, High Wycombe, free] to learn and explore the 'Informal Gate Mentoring Project' and hear from Cementafuture and their EU partners. Find out more and book your place here  

NON-MEMBER'S EVENTS

'The CPS’ treatment of vulnerable victims of crime' | 25th June, House of Commons | RSVP 

CLINKS MEMBER'S TRAINING: supporting prisoners' families

'Hidden Sentence' is a training course [10th June, The Mount and 21st June, Stansted Mountfitchett, £55], from Action for Prisoners' Families, for all professionals who support prisoners’ families, including children’s centre workers, school staff, play workers, health visitors, and family intervention teams. The course gives a clear overview of the issues facing prisoners’ families and provides a range of strategies and resources to help you support them. There's also a train the trainers version [5th July, London, £80]. Find out more and book your place here 

TRAINING: for homelessness practitioners

The Forum provides free monthly briefing sessions for practitioners working in homelessness and other related fields, including criminal justice. The June session [14th June, 2.30pm-4.30pm, Southwark, London] is on Digital Exclusion, and more information can be found here 

PUBLICATION: secret privatisation of magistrates courts

Penelope Gibbs has written a report that claims the Government are in the process of privatising both court buildings and administrative staff: "no-one is willing to speak on the record about it. I’m disturbed both by the secrecy and by (the) idea. The courts are public assets, or should be. As it is, magistrates’ courts have lost the local accountability they had before 2003 leading to weaker local links and disenfranchised magistrates." The report suggests magistrates courts should be controlled locally by PCCs or local authorities. Download it here 

RESOURCE: criminal justice information for schools and community groups

'Where Do You Stand?' is a package of authoritative and engaging information and materials aimed at non-experts aged 16 and above, on which to base discussions about prison and community sentencing in schools and community groups. Download it from Prison Reform Trust 

RESOURCE: children affected by imprisonment of a family member

Barnardo's have produced a handbook to support schools to develop good practice around working with children affected by the imprisonment of a family member. The resource covers the main research, giving examples of good practice and providing checklists to ensure this group are considered in all aspects of school. Download it here 

RESOURCE: latest Inside 'n' Out magazine & Prisoner Info Guide now available

Issue 18 of Inside 'n' Out magazine features training & development opportunities for offenders, support for prisoners families, a trans gender project plus more. The Prisoner Info Guide focuses on prison communication and features cheaper phone calls, emails and initiatives such as Storybook Dads. Find out more here 

RESOURCE: evaluating effectiveness of youth justice programmes

'Innovation and Evaluation in Youth Justice: Advice and Resources' is a new resource, from the Youth Justice Board, designed to provide practical advice to assist youth justice practitioners in developing programmes and interventions based upon the principles of effective practice, and measuring their effectiveness using basic evaluation techniques.  The resource also includes information for commissioners about research-proven programmes in youth justice. Find out more here 

OPPORTUNITY: free course for ex-offenders

Clinks Member Back on Track is running a free course for ex-offenders [5th July, Hackney, London, free] that will highlight some of the traps that can cause re-offending, give you practical tips, and help you to devise plans and goals to overcome these issues. Areas covered include: stereotyping, communication, change, and support structures. To secure a place contact alison.kakande@learningtrust.co.uk or call 0208 820 7086 

OPPORTUNITY: contribute to new information hub on offenders' families

i-HOP, run by Barnardo's and POPS and commissioned by DfE, will provide a national online knowledge/information hub, to support professionals working with offenders’ children and families. To submit research, support service details, practice examples, case studies, training programmes, events etc, email i-hopsubmit@barnardos.org.uk for a submission form. 

OPPORTUNITY: award for young people making a difference

Department of Health are seeking nominations for their British Empire Medal (BEM) award, which was reintroduced in 2012, to reward people who have done something exceptional early on in their career. It targets mainly younger people who have achieved or contributed to a very "hands-on" service to the community in a local geographical area. This might take the form of sustained commitment in support of very local charitable and/or voluntary activity; or innovative work that has delivered real impact but that is relatively short (three to four years) in duration. Nomination forms and guidance are available here 

CONSULTATION: for organisations providing commissioning support services

Primary Care Commissioning are conducting a survey of commissioning support services offered by Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sector organisations working in health and social care. The results of the survey will provide a picture of activity in this market which you may find useful in developing your business. Take part here 

CAMPAIGN: quality contact for children with a parent in prison

Europe-wide prisoners' children organisation Eurochips have launched a petition as part of European Prisoners' Childrens Week urging EU member states to promote the human right of children to have contact with their imprisoned parent. Sign it here 

MEMBER'S VACANCIES

Criminal justice vacancies posted by our Members recently include: Marketing Communications Officer for Pact (London), a Programme Manager with Kainos Community (HMP Haverigg), a Project Manager with Langley House Trust (Bradford), a Circles Co-ordinator with Humbercare (Hull) and a number of Family Key Workers with CRI (Brighton, Eastbourne, Hastings, West Sussex) 

TIPS OF THE WEEK

  • This Sunday is Open Farm Sunday, an annual event where hundreds of farms all over the UK open their doors (or gates) to the public for one day. They put on events like tractor rides, scarecrow making, piglet racing and sheep shearing, as well as selling homemade food and drinks. Find your local farm here
  • The British Red Cross has launched a new, free Baby & Child First Aid app after findings showed that more than 85% of UK parents haven’t attended a first aid course for children. It's available for Android and Apple devices and will remain free indefinitely. 
  • Stay in an 18th-century manor in Dartmoor for £99 per room. Details

 

EXTRA INFORMATION

 

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