Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 950 | 18 September 2026

Light lunch

 

 

In this issue...

 

We’re celebrating our very own Joni Emery, who has won the Rising Star Award at the 2026 Third Sector Awards!

Joni’s achievement recognises her leadership, commitment and contribution to the voluntary sector. It also highlights the importance of ensuring people with lived experience are heard, valued and platformed when sharing their experiences of the criminal justice system.

Joni is currently leading the development of Clinks’ upcoming Lived Experience Network, which will create opportunities for people with experience of the criminal justice system to connect, share their insights and help shape Clinks’ work.

Interested in becoming a member or finding out more about the network? Contact Joni at joni.emery@clinks.org.

See the Third Sector Awards 2026 winners here

Clinks has published a guest blog by Recoop, drawing on its evidence to the independent review of the prison system to highlight the challenges posed by England and Wales' growing older prison population. It is also part of a series of blogs highlighting specific areas within Clinks' voluntary-sector led manifesto. The blog argues that prisons are not adequately equipped to meet the complex health, social care and resettlement needs of older people, and calls for reforms including improved assessment processes, specialist care options, better multi-agency coordination and enhanced staff training.

Read the blog here.

Clinks is piloting a new influencing and connecting group for voluntary sector leaders in Greater Manchester whose organisations support people with prison and probation experience. [28 September | 10:00 - 12:00 | Co-operative Bank, 1 Balloon Street, Manchester | free]

The group has been developed in response to feedback from people with lived experience, who highlighted the need for the voluntary sector to connect, collaborate and work together to address systemic challenges.

The pilot will provide a space for leaders to build relationships, share insight and strengthen the collective voice of the voluntary sector.

Book here: support@clinks.org

Join us for Clinks’ 28th Annual General Meeting [11 November | 11:15 - 12:45 | online | free]. The AGM provides an opportunity for Clinks to carry out essential organisational business, including giving members the opportunity to elect our trustees and comment on our work and priorities for the year ahead. 

A members’ pack will be published ahead of the event. 

Find out more and book here

Join our Wales Area Engagement Criminal Justice Forum, bringing together voluntary and community sector organisations and wider partners working across the criminal justice system in Wales [22 September | 13:30 - 15:00 | online | free]

The forum is an opportunity to share experiences, learn from others, discuss challenges and successes, offer peer support and explore practical solutions. It is open to anyone from organisations working with, or alongside, people affected by the criminal justice system in Wales. 

Find out more and book here

Join us for our North East, Yorkshire and Humber Area Engagement Criminal Justice Forum, bringing together voluntary sector organisations working across the criminal justice system [30 September | 10:00 - 11:30 | online | free]. The forum is an opportunity to meet the team, hear updates on our area engagement and policy work, and learn more about engaging with local partners such as prisons and probation. 

Commissioning and Partnership Managers from both the North East and Yorkshire and Humber Probation Service will also share area priorities and support discussion on improving engagement between HMPPS and the voluntary sector. Attendees will have the opportunity to network, share good practice and discuss challenges facing organisations delivering criminal justice services. 

Find out more and book here

Join us for our London Area Engagement Criminal Justice Forum, bringing together voluntary sector organisations working across the criminal justice system [28 September | 10:00 - 11:30 | online | free]. Hear updates on our area engagement and policy work, alongside HMPPS representatives who will share how they work across London in practice.

The forum is an opportunity to discuss local priorities, strengthen engagement between partners and the voluntary sector, share good practice and discuss challenges organisations are facing in delivering criminal justice services.

Find out more and book here

Join the Clinks Families Network for a session exploring the value of shared knowledge, research and lived experience in building better support for children and families affected by the imprisonment of a family member [29 September | 10:00 - 12:00 | online | free]. Professor Kevin Woods and Dr Stephanie Scott will discuss children affected by parental imprisonment, the importance of training prison staff on the impact imprisonment has on families, and new research exploring a whole system approach to support.

The forum is open to Families Network members.

Find out more and book here

MEMBER FOCUS: Mokkha CIC

Mokkha CIC is a lived experience-led Community Interest Company working across the criminal justice system to support people facing multiple disadvantage, including offending histories, homelessness, addiction, poor mental health, domestic abuse and social exclusion.

Founded by people with direct lived experience, Mokkha provides trauma-informed, relational support that bridges the gap between statutory services and the communities they serve. Their work includes through-the-gate prison support, probation and Approved Premises engagement, peer mentoring, women’s wellbeing programmes, digital inclusion and community reintegration support.

Find out more here

JUSTICE has published its response to the Independent Review of the Prison System’s call for evidence, setting out recommendations for the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of prisons in England and Wales.

The response focuses on three broad areas: managing demand on prisons through measures including reform of recall and investment in community alternatives; making reducing future harm a central purpose of custody through treatment, education, employment and preparation for release; and investing in a stable workforce alongside relationship-based sentence management.

Read here

Advance has published a blog about a House of Commons event it co-hosted with the Mayor of London’s Violence Reduction Unit, showcasing its work to prevent violence against women and girls through engagement with young men and boys. The blog explains how pilot workshops and a new animated film, Group Chat, are being used to help young people explore healthy relationships, consent, respect and harmful online behaviours, reflecting Advance's belief that preventing violence against women and girls requires working with boys and young men as well as supporting girls and young women.

Read the blog here.

Prison Advice and Care Trust (Pact) has published a blog, co-authored with Dr Rhian Croke and Aimee Hutchinson, highlighting a new briefing on children affected by parental imprisonment in Wales. The blog argues that around 5,000 children in Wales have a parent in prison but are not routinely identified by public services, leaving many without support, and calls on the Welsh Government to introduce a statutory system to identify and support these children in line with its existing duties on children's rights and wellbeing.

Read here

Alliance for Youth Justice (AYJ) has published a statement as part of the End Child Imprisonment Campaign, expressing concern that children have been largely absent from recent public discussions and policy decisions relating to the justice system. The statement argues that children are likely to be adversely affected by these developments and reiterates the campaign's call for the government to fulfil its commitment to close prisons for children and pursue alternative approaches.

Read their full statement here.

The Ministry of Justice is hosting a series of online presentation and networking events for organisations interested in Women’s Community Support Services. The sessions are designed to help potential Lead Bidders and Supply Chain Partners connect, understand where organisations are currently positioned in the market and explore opportunities to build supply chains.

Presentations will include information on providers’ current market position, contact details, the geographical areas they operate in and other information that may support prospective partnerships.

Lead Bidder presentation session 1 [6 October | 10:00 - 14:00 | online]

Lead Bidder presentation session 2 [8 October | 10:00 - 14:00 | online]

Lead Bidder presentation session 3 [13 October | 10:00 - 14:00 | online]

Supply Chain Partner presentation session 1 [15 October | 10:00 - 14:00 | online]

Supply Chain Partner presentation session 2 [20 October | 10:00 - 14:00 | online]

Supply Chain Partner presentation session 3 [22 October | 10:00 - 14:00 | online]

Friends, Families and Travellers is hosting a webinar sharing findings from its latest co-produced research with young Romany Gypsy and Irish Traveller adults in prison [5 October | 11:00 - 12:30 | online]. The research draws on engagement across 20 prisons in England and Wales and explores barriers to equality, trust, engagement and positive outcomes. 

The session will cover issues including identity disclosure, peer support, education, racism and discrimination, family and faith, communication, parole and release. It will also introduce new co-produced guidance and resources for prison staff and voluntary and community sector organisations, alongside practical examples of more culturally responsive practice. 

Find out more and book here

The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, in collaboration with the University of Birmingham, is hosting a workshop exploring what has been learned six years on from the introduction of Violence Reduction Units [20 October | 13:00 - 16:00 | online and London]. 

Drawing on local evaluations, collaborative research and national evidence, the session will examine the impact of Violence Reduction Units on violence, challenges around implementation, and where the evidence is strongest as well as where important gaps remain. Online attendance is available, with limited in-person places at the Centre’s London meeting facilities. 

Find out more and book here

This Good Employment Week event will explore the employment of people with criminal records and the role employers can play in creating fairer access to work. [7 October | 15:30 - 18:00 | Manchester | free] The session will consider barriers faced by people with convictions, approaches to recruitment and disclosure, and how inclusive employment practices can support rehabilitation and reduce exclusion. 

Find out more and book here

The Centre for Justice Innovation is hosting an online workshop exploring new research on Sex Work Liaison Officers and their role in police engagement with sex workers [1 October | 12:30 - 13:30 | online]. The session will look at how specialist officers can help build trust and improve investigations into crimes against sex workers, while also examining the risks and limitations of these roles. 

Drawing on work with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and police forces across the UK, the workshop will share practical learning and consider how the findings could inform wider policing practice. 

Find out more and book here

The Centre for Justice Innovation is hosting an online workshop with Birth Companions exploring why the first 1,001 days, from conception to a child’s second birthday, matter for women in the criminal justice system [21 October | 11:00 - 12:30 | online]. 

The session will look at Birth Companions’ specialist probation-linked service in London and the South East, alongside its campaign for a new approach to pregnancy and early motherhood across the criminal justice system. The workshop will be delivered by Kirsty Kitchen, Director of the Birth Companions Institute, and Deepa Moodgal, Community Support Coordinator. 

Find out more and book here

HMPPS’s Mental Health Casework Section is hosting an online introduction to the Restricted Patient System [5 November | 11:00 - 12:30 | online]. The session aims to give attendees a greater understanding of the Secretary of State for Justice’s functions under the Mental Health Act 1983 and the responsibilities of the Mental Health Casework Section.

The session will cover Hospital Orders and Restriction Orders, transfers from prison to hospital and Hospital Directions, making it particularly relevant to organisations working across health, mental health and criminal justice.

Find out more and register here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: Plans reported to double up people in single-occupancy prison cells

The Guardian reports that HMPPS is considering placing two people in some Rapid Deployment Cells originally designed for single occupancy across 10 Category C prisons. The proposal could create hundreds of additional prison spaces as the government continues to respond to capacity pressures across the prison estate.

Prison governors and officers have raised concerns about the reported plans. The Ministry of Justice told the Guardian that no final decision has been made.

Read here

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: New Families and Significant Others strategies published

HMPPS has published Families and Significant Others strategies for HMP North Sea Camp and HMP Morton Hall, setting out how the prisons support and maintain relationships between people in custody and their families and significant others.

The strategies cover approaches to family engagement and maintaining relationships, with the HMP Morton Hall strategy also covering areas including safeguarding, services and partnership working.

Read the strategies here:

HMP North Sea Camp

HMP Morton Hall

FUNDING: Frontline Network Training Fund

The Frontline Network is offering grants to help frontline workers access training relevant to their work with people experiencing homelessness. The Training Fund is available for those who do not have sufficient budget through their organisation to cover the cost of training.

Grants of up to £500 are available towards an individual training course, or up to £1,500 for group training, helping frontline workers and organisations develop the skills and knowledge needed to support people experiencing homelessness.

Find out more and apply here

PUBLICATION: Probation Quarterly Issue 41

The Probation Institute has published Issue 41 of Probation Quarterly, exploring some of the key issues shaping probation and criminal justice today. The latest edition considers the human side of probation, including hope, identity, relationships and rehabilitation, alongside how practitioners can better understand and support change by looking beyond behaviour to people’s experiences and circumstances.

The issue also looks to the future of probation practice, exploring evolving interventions, sentencing reform, evidence-based practice, and the opportunities and risks presented by artificial intelligence.

Download the latest issue for free here

PUBLICATION: INQUEST updates deaths in prison statistics

INQUEST has updated its statistics on deaths of people in prison, providing data on deaths across the prison estate in England and Wales. The resource includes figures on self-inflicted deaths, homicides and non-self-inflicted deaths, alongside demographic information and data showing trends over time.

The statistics provide a useful evidence source for organisations working across prison safety, mental health, healthcare, safeguarding and bereavement.

Read here 

Homeless Link is inviting homelessness organisations, volunteers and frontline staff to contribute evidence to help shape its National Homelessness Skills Framework. 

They have published an accompanying blog, outlining that they are seeking information on specialist frontline roles, including those linked to prison release, domestic abuse, mental health and resettlement, as well as volunteer case studies, to ensure the framework accurately reflects the diversity of skills, roles and experience across the homelessness sector workforce.

Read more here.

OPPORTUNITY: Hibiscus is Seeking new Trustees and a Treasurer

Hibiscus is seeking new Trustees and a Treasurer to join its Board and help guide the organisation's future work. 

They have published an accompanying article which explains that the charity, which supports Black and minoritised migrant women involved in the immigration and criminal justice systems, is looking for board members to provide strategic leadership, governance and financial oversight while helping advance its mission of promoting rights, justice and long-term change.

Read more here.

OPPORTUNITIES: Share experiences of women’s remand and recall

Revolving Doors is conducting two research projects for HMPPS exploring women’s experiences of remand and recall. They are looking to speak with women who have been recalled and/or remanded to custody within the past 18 months to hear about their experiences and views.

The research will help inform changes to the support women receive while in custody and upon release. Organisations working with women who may be interested in taking part are also encouraged to get in touch.

Find out more by contacting Lauren Bennett, Head of Evidence & Impact at Revolving Doors here

Change for Good is seeking an experienced and committed Executive Director to lead them through an exciting stage of growth [£41,000, full time, London]. You will lead the strategic direction and day-to-day delivery of a charity supporting prisoners and ex-prisoners through resettlement, mentoring and rehabilitation programmes. Working closely with the Board, you will drive organisational growth, oversee programme impact, develop funding opportunities, lead and inspire staff and volunteers, and build strong stakeholder relationships across the criminal justice sector. We welcome experienced charity managers seeking their first Director role or established leaders with a passion for supporting vulnerable people and advancing positive change. Find out more and apply by 2nd October here   

Talent Enablement Coordinator with Save the Family Ltd [£33200, Hybrid - Farringdon, London / Home-based, Full Time]; Trustee with National Appropriate Adult Network [N/A, N/A, Part Time]; Night Support Coach with Social Interest Group [£28800, London, Full Time]; Women's Services Senior Practitioner - Outreach with Doorway Women's Service (Part of The Magdalene Group) [£28000 to £30000, Norwich, Part Time]; Assertive Outreach Recovery Coordinator with Change, grow, live (CGL) [£28557 to £32802, HMP Guys Marsh, Full Time]; Prison In-Reach Recovery Coordinator with Change, grow, live (CGL) [£28557 to £32802, Coventry, Full Time]; Team Leader with Change, grow, live (CGL) [£36101 to £38114, HMP The Verne, Full Time]; Team Leader with Change, grow, live (CGL) [£36101 to £38114, HMP Liverpool, Full Time]; Executive Director with Change for Good [£40000 to £45000, Stockwell, London, Full Time]; Prison Facilitator - HMP Bure or HMP Norwich with Shannon Trust [£29264, HMP Bure OR HMP Norwich, Part Time]. 

For more information about these vacancies, and many more, click here

READS OF THE WEEK:

EXTRA INFORMATION:

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