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Clinks Training: Working and volunteering in prison

9th August York from £75

Are you new to working in prison? Do you want to work in prison but not sure where to begin?
This one day course aims to raise awareness of the prison environment and enable voluntary sector staff and volunteers to have meaningful and professional engagement with prisons, in their shared care of those in custody. This highly participative day led by an experienced trainer covers a wide range of topics. It will combine: theory, individual reflection and practical guidance on working in prison and with prisoners.
What does it cover?

• Discuss why you want to work in a prison and any worries you might have
• An introduction to the criminal justice system
• Prison environment and population
• Reducing reoffending
• Safe and responsible working
• What to expect in your first month.

Local support for complex needs

Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM), a coalition of Clinks, Homeless Link and Mind, is inviting applications for free support to improve local services for people with multiple and complex needs. The deadline is 31st July. If your area has started to build a cross-sector partnership, is able to self-fund an intervention and is ready to try a new approach to working with multiple and complex needs, MEAM would like to hear from you.
Find out more

Clinks State of the sector 2017

The Clinks State of the sector report launched last week, presenting the best information we have on voluntary organisations working in criminal justice and shining a light on what support organisations need to enable them to thrive.
During continued political change, voluntary organisations remain resilient and innovative but the safety net is shrinking and the people our sector supports are finding it harder to access the help they need. Voluntary organisations play an essential role in people’s lives, but the challenges they experience are significant and ignoring them is not an option.

The report looks at the results from a survey of over 200 voluntary organisations working in criminal justice, the financial analysis of 752 charities and 220 companies (social enterprises and community interest companies) and 10 in depth interviews. This year we've worked with NCVO to develop our methodology.

Read the State of the Sector report

Updated: The health and care system, for the voluntary sector working in criminal justice:

Navigating the health landscape in England

This resource provides an overview of the health commissioning landscape, explaining the roles of organisations with direct commissioning responsibilities as well as key organisations in a commissioning support role.  It covers the commissioning arrangements in secure settings, as well as for people with convictions in the community, and highlights where voluntary sector organisations working with people in the criminal justice system and their service users can influence health and care provision.
Download the guide

Collaborative commissioning of mental health provision for children and young people in contact with the justice system

14 September 2017 10am-4pm Radisson Blu, Durham

The NHS England Health and Justice Team in Cumbria and the North East is hosting a collaborative commissioning event focused on improving mental health provision for children and young people who are in, leaving, or at risk of entering the justice system. 
What is the purpose of the event?

• Hear from the national NHS England Health and Justice Programme Team on improvement of CYP mental health services for this cohort.
• Learn about local innovations, good practice examples and service user experience.
• Understand the current provision of mental health services for this cohort of children and young people in Cumbria and the North East
• Understand gaps in the system and identify opportunities for improving services, experience and outcomes for this cohort.
• Provide an opportunity to prepare for the development of collaborative commissioning plans to bid for available funds.

Register your place on the event

Hidden Sentence Training

21st September 2017, Stockton, 9:30 - 4pm

Hidden sentence training gives you a clear overview of the offender’s journey, its impact on the family from arrest to release and a range of strategies and resources to help offer you support.
This training course is for professionals whore work in the community brings them into contact with families or prisoners including health workers, school staff, local authority staff or voluntary/community workers.

Book and pay by end of August for a reduced cost of £35 + VAT per person.
To register a place on this training email training@nepacs.co.uk