Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 322 | 29th November 2013

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In this week's edition....

    CLINKS BLOG: Will TR ensure suitable services for all?

    In the latest in our series of 'TR So Far' blogs, Clare Hayes from Clinks' Policy Team has written a blog on equalities. Clare argues that it would be very unwise for any Tier 1 provider to regard equalities as an optional add-on to their daily business and questions what we know so far. We want to hear from Clinks members about the groups of service users that you work with and what the TR agenda means for them. Read the blog and have your say here

    CLINKS EVENT: Will small charities be squeezed out of Transforming Rehabilitation?'

    Clive will be speaking at the next All Party Parliamentary Penal Affairs Group [3rd December, 5pm, Committee Room 5, House of Commons] on whether or not small charities risk being squeezed out of Transforming Rehabilitation plans. Clinks Members and supporters are welcome to attend; do arrive early in order to get through security in time.

    CLINKS GUIDANCE: involving staff in monitoring and evaluation

    Effective monitoring and evaluation depends on the active contribution of staff/volunteers. There are three ways in which staff may be involved: They can contribute to an organisation's overall approach to monitoring, evaluation and learning; They may be asked to collect data from service users; They may be treated as ‘monitoring and evaluation subjects’. 'Achieving staff/volunteer commitment and participation in monitoring and evaluation' is a new Clinks and NPC guide that examines each of these. Download it here

    CLINKS PUBLICATION: latest State of the Sector report

    Our latest survey of the VCSE working in criminal justice found the situation for many organisations remained unchanged – financial uncertainty; focused on delivering one project at a time; middle-sized (10 – 50 employees) being the most affected financially; redundancies continuing across the Sector and a growing use of volunteers. More worrying are the number of organisations (now 50%) who are not achieving full cost recovery and the increasing number (65%, up from 58%) who are using their reserves to meet costs. Download the latest report here

    CLINKS PUBLICATION: IOM with young adults in Wales

    'Integrated Offender Management Cymru - all Wales youth to adult transition model' is a new report following broad consultation with practitioners across Wales on the use of IOM for young adults (16-25 years old) in the Criminal Justice System. The report contains recommendations for the development of IOM for this group and would be applicable to other areas outside of Wales. Download it here

    CLINKS BRIEFING: NOMS Commissioning Intentions from 2014

    NOMS have published its commissioning intentions from 2014, along with a companion document; NOMS Evidence and Segmentation. The intentions cover services that are commissioned by NOMS in line with government policy and provides the basis of negotiations with providers of offender services. NOMS have introduced 6 overarching intentions for commissioning and state a commitment to maintaining community based service delivery as agreed for 2013-14. This briefing summarises the key information within both of these documents. Read it here

    CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: highly commended in awards ceremony

    Congratulations to The Zahid Mubarek Trust (ZMT) who received the Longford Trust Highly Commended Award 2013. Established by the family of Zahid Mubarek following his death in 2000 whist in custody at YOI Feltham, the ZMT serves to benefit society by fulfilling a unique role in challenging racism and discrimination and advocating for reforms within the Criminal Justice System. Find out more here

    CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: new Chief Executive for DrugScope

    The DrugScope Board of Trustees are pleased to announce that the charity’s new Chief Executive will be Dr Marcus Roberts, currently the charity’s Director of Policy. Edwin Richards, Chair of the DrugScope Board of Trustees, said: “We are very pleased that Marcus Roberts will be DrugScope’s new Chief Executive, after Martin Barnes steps down at the end of December. Marcus brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and expertise to the role. From a very strong field of applicants, Marcus impressed the Trustees with his passion, clear understanding of the opportunities and challenges for the sector and the charity, and his setting out of an inspirational and compelling vision for DrugScope’s future. Through his current role, Marcus is widely respected in the drug and alcohol and other related sectors.” Find out more here

    CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: delivering outcomes for offenders

    The Kainos Community Challenge to Change Programme (CtC) was observed in a prison by Forensic Psychologist in Training, Ciara Wild. Ciara has written an article which reflects upon the outcomes of CtC, demonstrated through the impact on proven re-offending rates for programme completers and inmates' own experiences. The article reflects upon the potential of such programmes to deliver good outcomes for offenders. Download it (bottom left of page) here

    CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: NOMS equalities report

    NOMS have published their annual Equalities report, which reports on race, age, religion etc. of those in the Criminal Justice System. Janet Edden from the MoJ's VCS Criminal Justice Group says: "There are lots of diagrams, and it's very interesting, especially information about the age of the prison population which shows a marked reduction in those under 30 and the increase of 30 and above. The largest single group –  over a quarter – are in the decade of 30-39." Download the full report here

    CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: statistics released on the impact of employment on reducing reoffending

    The second set of Justice Data Lab statistics has been published, reporting on the impact of statutory, private and VCSE Sector employment and skills services. A statistically significant reduction in reoffending was found in 9 out of 10 services, whilst statistically significant results couldn’t be produced for the 10th scheme or for any of the other services or projects for which reports have been published this month. In the majority of cases this was because many of the service users in the samples had not been released by the end of 2010 when reoffending data is available to. Russell Webster provides good analysis in his short blog here

    FUNDING: for small charities - deadline tomorrow!

    The Woodward Charitable Trust funds small registered charities with a turnover of less than £300,000. Grants of between £100 and £5,000 are available from their small grant fund and grants over £5,000 from their large grants fund. Projects they will fund include work with: children and young people at risk of anti-social behaviour; minority groups including refugees, gypsies and travellers; prisoners and ex offenders; disability projects; homeless projects; arts outreach for the disadvantaged; and environmental projects which are also educational. The next deadline for applications is 30th November. Find out more here (Source: NCVYS)

    FUNDING: for small charities in areas of high deprivation

    The Archer Trust supports UK charities for whom a grant of between £250 and £3,000 will make a big difference. It supports organisations which provide aid or support to a defined group of needy or deserving people, for instance those with physical or mental disabilities or the disadvantaged. It prefers to support organisations working in areas of high unemployment and deprivation. Find out more here (Source: NCVYS)

    COMMISSIONING: supporting the Sector to understand the legalities of TR

    Grants of up to £200,000 are available to build the capacity and capability of VCSE Sector organisations to understand key legal aspects of the Transforming Rehabilitation programme. The successful bidder will develop contract guidance that offers general advice on the meaning and potential impact of the different terms within an industry standard contract. They will also organise access to a legal support function to build the capability of VCSE organisations to understand key legal aspects of the Transforming Rehabilitation Programme. Access should be available to organisations who have registered as potential Tier 2 or Tier 3 providers, but not those who have also registered as Tier 1 and have been successful at PQQ. The grant is intended to be awarded in January 2014, for work to be completed by 31st March 2014. The deadline for submitting proposals is 11th December. Find out more here

    CLINKS MEMBER'S EVENT: gender, race and restorative justice

    'Listening to Community Evidence: Gender Race and Restorative Justice' is IARS' annual conference [6th December, London, £80] that will focus on race & the Criminal Justice System, gender & abuse, and restorative justice & rehabilitation. The conference will open with keynote speeches which will then be complemented with three expert panels structured around IARS 2013 research programmes. Book your place here

    NON-MEMBERS' EVENTS AND TRAINING

    • 'Musical Pathways Research Symposium Report Launch' | 9th January, Bristol, free | Details
    • 'Next steps for offender management - implementing the new framework for probation, resettlement and rehabilitation' | 28th January, London, from £96 | Details
    • 'All-Party Parliamentary Group for Victims and Witnesses of Crime' | 18th December, London, free | RSVP to kaylee.wildman@victimsupport.org.uk
    • 'Transforming Young Adults in Custody MoJ consultation event' | 10th December, London & 12th December, Birmingham | Book London or Birmingham
    • 'Participatory film in action: prisons' | 5th December, London, free | Details

    AWARDS: empowering homeless and vulnerable people through digital technologies

    Are you involved in a project that helps to empower and enhance the lives of homeless and vulnerable people through digital technology? Lemos&Crane, working with Thames Reach and the LankellyChase Foundation, are currently accepting entries to the LankellyChase Digital Empowerment Awards. A total of £2,500 prize money is offered for any UK projects which utilize the growing potential of digital technologies such as the internet, social media, apps and SMS for the improvement of the lives of homeless and vulnerable people. Projects will be celebrated for helping to give vulnerable people a voice, enhancing and expressing different people’s capabilities, facilitating peer-to-peer support and making services more personalised and enabling. Find out more here

    PUBLICATION: PCCs and BAME communities

    V4CE ask 'What have the Police and Crime Commissioners done on their watch over the first year in post and what does it mean for Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugees (BAMER) communities and the Sector, particularly outside London?' Read their review here

    PUBLICATION: showing dedicated drug courts work

    The Centre for Justice Innovation and nef (new economics foundation) have launched a case study of the West London Drug Court. It briefly describes how the pioneering practitioners in West London have improved on standard court based practice for drug-related offending by ensuring: drug-misusing offenders are exclusively dealt with at a dedicated drug court; there is consistent sentencer supervision; and strengthened collaboration between the range of agencies involved in supervising the offender. The case study highlights how innovative practices can be incorporated into a mainstream court at little cost. Download it here

    CONSULTATION: employability for disadvantaged groups

    As part of the Active Inclusion Learning Network, NOMS are asking for information on practices in the field of social inclusion of disadvantaged people. The network hopes to identify established tools and strategies for helping disadvantaged individuals in order to understand and overcome the realities and challenges of the labour market. They are particularly interested in practices in the following areas: disaffected youth, marginalised in communities and troubled families. If you would like to contribute, you can request a questionnaire by emailing craig.georgiou@noms.gsi.gov.uk

    OPPORTUNITY: ex-offender skills placements in North London

    London Wildlife Trust's New Roots Project aims to reduce re-offending by giving ex-offenders the opportunities to gain new skills in the wildlife conservation sector. The project is based in North London at Camley Street Natural Park and is looking for groups who are based in Camden Council. At the moment they're at development phase, aiming to invite participants for the first session in their nature reserve in January 2014. The project will give participants the opportunity to take part in a six month structured programme of learning and development focused on conservation skills. If you have potential participants for the project, get in touch with klgogol@wildlondon.org.uk

    OPPORTUNITY: internships for young people in London

    LifeSkills is Barclays’ free programme that gives young people skills, information and opportunities to get ready for work. They are looking to offer two people the chance to manage LifeSkills’ social media. Interns will gain experience in social media management, creating and curating their own content and moderating multiple channels. The internships are based in London three days a week (21 hours flexible to other commitments), £14 per hour and are for an initial 3.5 month contract. Applications close midnight on Monday 2nd December. Find out more here

    OPPORTUNITY: for an organisation specialising in work and health

    The Department of Health, Public Health England and NHS England want to appoint an additional partner from the VCSE Sector to join the Health and Care Voluntary Sector Strategic Partner Programme for 2014 to 2015. The partner will have expertise in the impact of work and worklessness on health and wellbeing. They will have access to up to £200,000 for activities and work throughout the year. The deadline for applications is 10th January 2014. Find out more here (Source: NCVYS)

    CLINKS MEMBERS' VACANCIES

    Member vacancies this week include: a Children’s Worker with Foundation [Redcar], a Digital Communications Officer with Prisoners Abroad [London], Support Workers x 10 with Nacro [Manchester], a Multiple Needs Caseworker with Elmore Community Services [Oxfordshire] and a Christian Community Chaplain with Feltham Community Chaplaincy Trust [Feltham]. For more information about these vacancies, and many more, click here

    TIPS OF THE WEEK

    • Tip of the week I: If you're doing your Christmas shopping online, make sure you use Topcashback. It's free and gives you money back, paid by BACS into your bank account, for doing your normal online shopping. Details
    • Tip of the week II: Get flights, three nights' accommodation and half board on the Algarve for £99 per person between now and March. Details
    • Tip of the week III: An overnight stay at the boutique The Richmond in Liverpool is now £99 per room (40% off normal rates). Includes bottle of wine and £25 restaurant credit. Details
    • Tip of the week IV: For £45, get 40% off a half day spa, inlcuding facial and champagne at Feversham Arms, North Yorkshire. Details

    EXTRA INFORMATION

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