Recovery of Justice Programmes

COVID-19 has placed huge pressure on our supply chain of partners delivering resettlement and rehabilitation services across the five Purple Futures CRCs. They continue to be agile and responsive to the changing environment, delivering the best services possible within the changing restrictions, crucial as their service users probably need their help and support even more at this time. Despite the difficulties in rapidly shifting to new ways of working, they have done this against the backdrop of a spike in demand for support and a potential reduction in staffing levels as a result of the pandemic.

Following the cessation of several of the probation based support services in March 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, it is good to see a return to delivery for many of the organisations. Recovery has meant finding new ways of working and meeting rigorous health and safety requirements. 3SC has worked in collaboration with the CRCs and their delivery partners to support partners to develop new ways to deliver services and to agree safe operating procedures for external service delivery and in CRC offices.

Below are some examples of the excellent work being delivered by our partners across the country both during the pandemic and in the recovery phase.

The recovery of Envisage Arts in West Yorkshire

Following the cessation of the Envisage Arts Unpaid Work service services in March 2020, the service has started again. Recovery has meant that the service has had to have rigorous risk assessments to ensure that the site is COVID safe. 3SC worked in collaboration with the West Yorkshire CRC and Envisage Arts to ensure communication, that has been paramount to the recovery phase, was clear and this enabled the service to start again smoothly and quickly.

Envisage Arts worked with the CRC to ensure that as part of the service recovery all service users and staff have the appropriate PPE equipment and fully understand the rules around hygiene and social distancing. This is all now part of the new Induction and Placement Pack Forms. The CRC, 3SC and Envisage Arts continue to have regular communication as the COVID-19 situation in WY is fluid with Government guidelines changing on a regular basis.

Envisage Arts are currently only working with a small number of service users to meet the current Government guidance during lockdown. The service has been outdoor over the last few months but current discussions are focussing on how Envisage Arts can implement indoor work to ensure the service is kept running during the Winter months once lockdown is hopefully eased in December.

The recovery of services in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight

It is good to see a return to delivery for 4 of the 5 organisations that were forced to stop their services in HIOW due to the pandemic. Tower House Horses Equine Therapy were the first of the four to return and are commended for their hard work in arranging a work environment that includes personal stationery containers, cleaning stations in stables and adapting the sessions to ensure safe working distances could be adhered to.

Sandy Teal’s autism service and Linda Bolland’s beating anger programme for women have both been prioritised by the HIOW CRC as part of its plans to open up its offices as a safe environment for face to face work. Equally, Sandy’s and Linda’s work is recognised as essential support for service users who are amongst the most vulnerable.

Last but not least, Hampshire Cultural Trust’s (HCT) Creating Change Programme is about to return following HCT putting together a virtual training presentation. This will enable them to deliver the final part of their service for CRC staff in the coming weeks.

Nine other organisations delivering support services to offenders across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight immediately adapted their services to ensure service users continued to receive support through the lockdown. Those adaptions included virtual delivery, doorstep services, linking with service users through third party charities and sending workbooks through the post. 3SC are proud to be working with a supply chain in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight who have been proactive and successful in supporting the needs of service users through an unprecedented period.

The recovery of supply chain services in Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside

2 of the 3 organisations in CGM and Merseyside that were forced to stop their services have now restarted. Both Adelaide House and Tomorrows Women Wirral were open for service users during the pandemic but their UPW projects had to halted due to the nature of the unpaid work projects – pick up and drops offs and safe working distances need to be adhered to. The UPW projects started again in September 2020 and women are now able to start and complete their UPW assignments at Adelaide House and Tomorrows Women Wirral’s locations.

PSS are still delivering an incredibly high number of interventions remotely on a 1-1 basis with 320 interventions, wellbeing calls, 1-1s and counselling sessions delivered in the month of September 2020. PSS staff started returning back to their offices in September unless there was a medical reason why they could not. Further discussions will be taking place with Merseyside CRC’s Interchange Manager to work out the operational details, but it is likely that the only face to face contact will be based on risk assessments and be on a 1-1 basis. Group delivery is unlikely to recommence as the group training rooms will need to be used for 1-1 appointments.

TWW’s first socially distanced course “Alcohol and Me”, started in early August 2020. Eight Merseyside CRC women attended and TWW report that it went well. TWW have also started face to face 1-1 domestic violence (DV) interventions. Women selected are based on a risk assessment of the service user and is generally where the service user is living with the DV perpetrator.

Excellent feedback has been received by TWW from two CRC Case Managers:

“I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your valued input with the anger management sessions with D. We have worked together, including Merseycare, to ensure she is given those additional tools to help her reduce re-offending and make health and lifestyle improvements. Good examples of collaborative working particularly during covid-19. D has commented on the benefit of these sessions and feeling relaxed with your delivery of this intervention”

“I would just like to take a moment to feedback to you the very positive comments made by my service users following interventions with yourselves, particularly during Covid-19 measures. In terms of the latter [alcohol and me], some feel they have done all they can do in addressing alcohol, then comment that Lisa’s 1:1 input has enabled them to open up and be honest about their dependency with someone who understands, as AA is not for everyone….Thank you very much both of you, not only for your positive feedback when I am in the office, but the opportunity to work together to help build confidence and trust and empowering these service users to make the right decisions, ultimately reducing the risk of reoffending”

Many organisations delivered support services across Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside immediately adapting their services to ensure service users continued to receive support through the first lockdown and continue to do so.

Across the Purple Futures CRCs virtual services include virtual delivery, doorstep services, linking with service users through third party charities and sending workbooks through the post. 3SC are proud to be working with supply chain partners who have been proactive and successful in supporting the needs of service users through an unprecedented period in time.

Elaine Colleran, Head of Justice, 3SC