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Community Programmes Awards - Winners 2007

Schemes of Special Merit

Another Way Service - Sacro
‘Another Way’ provides a support and referral service to drug-using street sex workers facing prosecution for prostitution in Edinburgh.  The service aims to encourage sex workers to engage with drug treatment and other services and if possible to exit prostitution.  It enables the courts to defer sentence on those found guilty of prostitution offences for a period of time whilst the person is offered the option of engaging with a service worker.  The service also acts as a diversion from prosecution, whereby an accused person can be referred directly instead of facing prosecution.  The service provides information and advice relating to treatment services; harm reduction measures, housing, employment and social services relevant to women working in the sex industry.  The service provides an intense level of support to counter the chaos and mistrust of authority that very frequently characterise the lives of these women. 

Access Team - Nottinghamshire Probation Service
The Access Team is the Nottinghamshire Probation Service resource to work with unemployed offenders, offering a flexible, creative and realistic approach to remove barriers to employment, training and education.  Services provided include information, advice and guidance sessions, CV-building, job seeking and securing funding opportunities.  The programme helps offenders to get back into employment, training and education. Interventions are delivered through group work or one-to-one sessions which in addition to the core content, foster offenders development of social interaction skills, improve communication skills, build self-esteem, positive attitude, develop confidence and signpost access for on going support. 

The Community Service Unit Team - Dorset Probation Service
The Community Service Unit has been involved with the Tank Museum at Bovington Camp for the past four years.  The aim of this programme is to increase the employability of service users and reduce re-offending of offenders on Unpaid Work Orders.  Service users can achieve awards in literacy, numeracy, and develop engineering skills, which help to rehabilitate offenders into the community and improve their vocational skills.  The Community Service Unit seeks an alternative approach by introducing ‘valued added’ skills to offenders sentenced to the new Enhanced Community Punishment regime.

Outstanding Schemes

Sheffield Unpaid Work Lunch Clubs - South Yorkshire Probation Service
Probation Lunch Clubs in Sheffield was formed as a direct request from Social Services to help run a lunch club that could no longer cope with the growing demand.  The club caters for around 300 old age pensioners around Sheffield, running seven lunch clubs per week, which estimates to be around 320 unpaid work hours.  Offenders, who are completing unpaid work hours as part of their community sentence, travel with their supervisors to the clubs, where they are taught how to prepare, cook and serve meals.  The programme also allows all offenders the chance to complete an NVQ level 1 in catering.  The club offers offenders a chance to gain qualifications and gain work experience.

A New Direction - Sunderland Youth Offending Team
This project engages with some of the most challenging young offenders in developing work and vocational skills in painting, decorating, plastering and tiling.  It has attracted publicity that challenges public perceptions of young offenders within the community.  As well as teaching young people skills to secure employment, the project enables effective working relationships, helps to develop their interpersonal skills, build confidence, enhance self-esteem and introduce concepts of victim awareness.  The Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme (ISSP) is a direct alternative to custody.

Lodge Hill Challenge - Lodge Hill Trust and West Sussex Youth Offending Service
The Lodge Hill Challenge has been running for over eight years and is completely reliant on charitable donations. All the youngsters involved (some 170 each year) are required to attend the scheme as part of a Court Order or via the local Youth Sentencing Panel.   The scheme recognises that young people at risk of offending and anti–social behaviour are often excluded from participation in pro-social and residential experiences. The Lodge Hill Challenge aims to divert these young people away from crime and to address their anti social behaviour.  The Lodge Hill Trust work in partnership with the West Sussex Youth Offending Services to provide a four stage programme that focuses on communication, confidence building and personal development, which will prepare young people to re-engage in education, employment or training. 

Warbarth - Working Links and Devon & Cornwall Probation Service
The aim of the Warbarth project is to provide an effective programme for unemployed ex-offenders form the community, and on release from prison, the programme is voluntary and free.  The project provides a range of practical help to access employment, training or education programmes.  The project aims to help the offender to reintegrate into the working life of society by providing basic skills and qualifications. The programme is voluntary and free.

Offenders and Nature Schemes - Forestry Commission
The Offenders and Nature Schemes involve offenders working as volunteers on woodland sites, working one or two days per week.  The schemes are seen as reparative work benefiting the public and providing experience of teamwork, life and skill training to offenders.  What is unique about this scheme is that it is physically demanding compared to other conventional schemes that are academic based.  The Offender and Nature projects offer placements in line with the aims of the Home Office’s ‘Reducing Re-Offending Alliances’ and the ‘Community Payback’ drive, through finding employment opportunities for offenders in either the environment or horticulture sector.

Resettlement & Aftercare Provision (RAP) - Sandwell Youth Offending Service
Resettlement and Aftercare provision provides services for young offenders who are on Community Orders, or as part of their Detention and Training Order who have a substance misuse and/or mental health issues.  Young people work with their mentors to build more positive relationships and agree a resettlement plan for release.  They can meet as often as needed and up to a maximum of 25 hours per week.  The resettlement plan can include education, training, basic skills and health issues.  The scheme works with a range of agencies in order to meet the needs of young people, which allow appropriate specialist support to be offered to the offender.  Restorative principles of punishment are central to such a scheme, as it makes individuals aware of the consequences of their actions and makes them take responsibility.  The aim of this scheme is to make offenders to think of their actions and choose a more positive path for the future.

Domestic Abuse Groupwork (DAG) and Women & Children's Services - Sacro
Sacro Domestic Abuse Group is part of a community-based intervention system, which aims to reduce the risk of men being violent and abusive to women and children.  Men convicted of violent or abusive offences against their partner or ex-partner and who have shown some insight into their behaviour and a willingness to address it attend the programme.  DAG offers a structured personal change programme for male domestic abuse perpetrators, in partnership with the Criminal Justice Service.  It provides a structured environment where service users can explore their domestically abusive behaviour and the impact of this on themselves and others with a view to encouraging positive, achievable change.  The programme place the safety of women and children at the forefront of any work undertaken with the men by providing a comprehensive support service to female partners and ex-partners of service users that links the men’s programme.  The programme provides men with support and allows them to make positive changes.

 


Detailed information on the award winners can be found in the Community Programmes Handbook which identifies positive, creative and effective community programmes from across the UK. This is an essential read for practitioners and students as well as those commissioning and designing services.