Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 324 | 13th December 2013

In this week's edition.....

CLINKS REQUEST: office space in London needed

We're on the move! We are looking for office space in Central London from April 2014. Our preferred locations are Kings Cross, St Paul's, Farringdon, Holborn or Old Street. We're looking for at least 2,000 square feet, kitchen facilities, and access to a large meeting room. If you have space, or know of anyone who might have, please get in touch with jean.coates@clinks.org

CLINKS BLOG: learning from the energy price row

In his latest blog, Clinks Director Clive Martin talks about reputational risk, public confidence and the role of the private sector in public service delivery. Clive says: "It’s worthwhile trying to get it right at the outset through a combination of the power that commissioners have to set the navigation points for the course ahead, and the private sector’s undoubted willingness to demonstrate how it can act to combine both corporate and public interests". Read more here

CLINKS NEWS: become an Associate Consultant Member of Clinks

Clinks have launched a new membership offer for consultants who wish to promote their services to VCSE organisations working in criminal justice. All Associate Consultant Members will be included in a new directory of consultants which will be available to browse through the Clinks website from early 2014. Consultants can use the directory to promote their services and highlight their areas of expertise to over 2000 VCSE organisations, as well as receiving additional member benefits. For more information and to apply, click here, or email luke.martin@clinks.org

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: don't punish children for being children

Standing Committee for Youth Justice (SCYJ) are calling on the Government to retain the current definition of anti-social behaviour and not broaden it to 'conduct capable of causing nuisance or annoyance'. SCYJ explain: "A ten year old could get an IPNA for doing something as harmless as playing football or climbing a tree, just because someone finds their behaviour annoying. And the punishments aren’t trivial either. An IPNA can lead to a prison sentence." Support their petition here

CLINKS MEMBER'S NEWS: volunteer team awarded

Congratulations to the volunteer team from Pact's Basic Caring Communities project, who received a certificate at the recent Mayor of London’s Volunteer Awards for ‘exemplary contribution’ to volunteering in London. They were also nominated for the Best Team Award.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: consultation on Out of Court Disposals

The Government launched a formal consultation on Out of Court Disposals in November. The consultation will close on 9th January 2014. Alongside it, the review team is also using open policy making techniques to engage a wide audience, including a website where the team will be posting challenges for the public and practitioners. The site will close for contributions on Sunday 22nd December, so register and contribute here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: restorative justice becomes statutory

Coming into force today, the Crime and Courts Act 2013 gives the courts the power to defer the passing of a sentence so that a Restorative Justice activity can take place. The Act places pre-sentence Restorative Justice on a statutory footing for the first time. Find out more about this and restorative justice from Clinks Member Restorative Justice Council here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: closing high-performing prisons

National Audit Office (NAO) has published a new document on managing the prison estate. NAO report that "the strategy for the prison estate is the most coherent and comprehensive for many years, has quickly cut operating costs, and is a significant improvement in value for money on the approaches of the past. However, the Agency urgently needs to improve new prisons and look at ways to close fewer high-performing ones in the future. The new larger prisons are bringing economies of scale but the Agency does need to understand the consequences in terms of performance of building very large prisons." Read more here

FUNDING: independent living for disabled people

A single grant of £5 million is available for a VCSE-led UK-wide research project that will build better evidence about approaches that enable disabled people to live independently. The research will explore the degree to which disabled people are able to live independently and make their voices heard in the context of poverty and social exclusion, and their ideas on where and how change might be brought about. These ideas will be tested out in pilot projects. The findings from the research and the pilot projects will be used to inform policy and bring about practical improvements to disabled people's lives across the UK. Organisations that do not have the capacity to be a lead partner but are interested in being part of the programme could still be involved by sending their details to Big Lottery Fund. The deadline for applications is 7th March 2014. Find out more here

NON-MEMBERS' EVENTS & TRAINING

  • 'Commissioning Offender Health' | 15th January, Manchester, free | Details
  • ‘Understanding the Criminal Justice Process’ | 22nd & 23rd January, Manchester, £149 VCSE | Email for details

PUBLICATION: prisoner learning

'Smart Rehabilitation: Learning how to get better outcomes' is a new report from Prisoner Learning Alliance which sets out three key principles for the future of prisoner learning: it should be outcome-focused, joined-up and value-driven. The report follows consultation with the Alliance's 16 members and over 50 teachers, prisoners, ex-prisoners, Governors, officers and other stakeholders. Download it (from the right hand column) here

PUBLICATION: big society needs radical review

'The Big Society Audit 2013', published this week by think-tank Civil Exchange, finds the Government’s big society project is in need of a radical review to prevent millions of the most vulnerable being left behind. The report says funding for charities that support disadvantaged groups has been the most affected since the coalition came to power, and warns that many public services now lie in the hands of a virtual monopoly of unaccountable mega-corporations, such as Serco and G4S, despite government promises to diversify and make public services more accountable and responsive. Read more here

RESOURCE: support rough sleepers

StreetLink is a website and telephone service which enables individuals to alert local authorities in England when they are concerned about someone sleeping rough. Set up by Clinks Member Homeless Link, StreetLink aims to offer the public a means to act when they see someone sleeping rough and is the first step someone can take to ensure rough sleepers are connected to the local services and support available to them. Find out more here

RESOURCE: share your learning and development materials

A new online network has been launched by Skills for Justice aimed at helping offender management employers work together more closely in their quest to reduce reoffending. The Offender Management Learning Network has been designed to support employers across the public, private and voluntary sectors by encouraging them to share their learning and development materials online. Skills for Justice is inviting organisations to become members of the network and provide their opinions of the network using the feedback functionality on the website. Find out more here

GOVERNANCE: total return approach to investment

New legislation, which comes into effect on 1st January 2014, will amend the Charities Act 2011 and allow the trustees of permanently endowed trusts to adopt a total return approach to investment without seeking prior permission from the Commission. The regulator has today published the Regulations which set out in detail the rules that charities must follow to adopt and operate a total return approach. Find out more here

OFFENDER HEALTH: accessible NHS services

NHS England has begun a programme of work to develop and implement an Information Standard – a framework of requirements which health and adult social care organisations should follow – in order that disabled patients, service users and, where appropriate, carers, receive information in formats that they can understand, and that they receive appropriate support to enable them to communicate. They are consulting organisations on how this should look. Have your say here

CLINKS MEMBERS' VACANCIES

Member vacancies this week include a Housing Support Worker (Youth Offending Team) with Foundation [Kirklees], an Outreach Worker and a Cook with Changing Lives [Chester le Street], a WomenMATTA Project Coordinator with Women in Prison [Manchester], a PRS Housing Caseworker with St Giles Trust [Camberwell] and a Director of Services with Pact [London]. For further information about these and other vacancies click here.

TIPS OF THE WEEK

  • Tip of the week I: “I will take time out this winter to look in on an elderly friend or neighbour to make sure they are warm and coping well.” Sign up to the NHS Choices pledge here
  • Tip of the week II: Get accommodation and meals for two in East Yorkshire (£69), Hertfordshire (£99) or Northumberland (£99). All deals valid until Spring. Click on the prices for details.
  • Tip of the week III: Enter the code 'LMCS' online at Thorntons by Sunday 15th Dec and you'll get 25% off all items, including discounted items and other offers. Details

EXTRA INFORMATION

Get involved Become a Member | Follow Clinks | Join Mailing List

Contact Us www.clinks.org | info@clinks.org | 0207 248 3538

 

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