NOMS regions

Working in partnership

We are working together with a wide range of regional, sub-regional and local stakeholders to reduce re-offending and protect the public in Yorkshire and Humberside.

Effective partnerships across statutory, private and third sector organisations are central to the work of NOMS in Yorkshire and Humberside, and are critical to achieving success in reducing re-offending.

Partnerships in Yorkshire and Humberside

Reducing Re-offending Delivery Board

Responsibility for the delivery on the Reducing Re-offending Action Plan (new window) rests with a multi-agency Board, underpinned by the principle that 'crime is everyone's business', involving senior representatives with influence, representing organisations such as Jobcentre Plus and the Learning and Skills Council.

Pathway working groups

Nine working groups drive improvement within the work streams of the Reducing Re-offending Action Plan (new window), chaired by influential senior players. For example, the Legal Services Commission Regional Director chairs the work stream addressing poverty and debt.

Chairs are supported in the work by a small Reducing Re-offending team (new window) within NOMS, which is jointly funded by the Prison Service, Probation Service, Learning and Skills Council, Police forces and Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber (GOYH).

Local Area Agreements

NOMS is working to influence local policy and deliver a co-ordinated cross-region approach to reducing re-offending.

We work with the Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber to ensure Local Area Agreements (partnership agreements between local Authorities and the Government) deliver outcomes which will lead to safer communities.

Multi-agency Public Protection Arrangements

Multi-agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) provide a route to reduce the risk of harm from the offenders assessed as presenting the highest risk.

These are partnerships at sub-regional and local level involving all agencies with an interest in effective risk management. Responsible authorities are the Probation Service, Police and Prison Service, and other local agencies have a duty to co-operate. With the assistance of lay members representing local communities, a joint approach is critical to success.

Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships

Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) at a local level have responsibility for delivering reduced re-offending by the most prolific offenders.

NOMS is co-ordinating a regional approach to link national and local policy and ensure the offenders who present the highest risk of re-offending are effectively managed.

The Alliances

We want to work with partners in the community in Alliances, to ensure we obtain the best services for offender management.

Within Yorkshire and Humberside we're currently developing the three Alliances as follows:

Yorkshire and Humberside Corporate Alliance

The Corporate Alliance aims to engage with business and commerce in delivering a workforce skilled to meet market need.

The Alliance is developing a coordinated approach to support offenders into work and to develop a consistent business case for employers which addresses barriers to the employment of offenders.

A Practitioners’ Toolkit: Working with Employers to Reduce Re-offending (new window) has been published by Yorkshire and Humberside, in partnership with NOMS headquarters. It was launched by Gerry Sutcliffe on 3 May 2007 at Carillion’s offices in Leeds.

This work has the full support of 4 Probation Areas (South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire & Humberside), the Prison Service, Business in the Community, Yorkshire Forward, Government Office, Sector Skills Development Agency, Learning and Skills Council, Jobcentre Plus, West Yorkshire Employer Coalition and the National Employment Panel.

A Job Developer has been appointed to work in Doncaster for a twelve month pilot period. Four Employer Engagement Managers have also just started in the 4 Probation Areas, funded by EQUAL, to assist with the co-ordination of activity.

For further information on the Corporate Alliance and the Employment, Learning and Skills Pathway, contact Julie Wallace.

Email: julie.wallace@justice.gov.uk

Yorkshire and Humberside Civic Alliance

The Civic Alliance aims to work with community partners to re-engage offenders as valued citizens.

Local Authorities, third sector and other civic partners co-ordinate housing advice services to prevent offender homelessness.

A cross-region Prison Service contract with Shelter for housing advice increases the links between offenders in custody and local housing and support providers.

West Yorkshire Probation Board has attracted direct funding from Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships for work with Asian offenders and an alcohol misuse initiative.

South Yorkshire Probation Area has developed significant single placement opportunities with civic partners, for offenders undertaking unpaid work in local communities.

Doncaster Prison are developing a significant community project at Penistone, and involving community members in the development of resettlement outreach opportunities.

Yorkshire and Humberside Faith and Third Sector Alliance

The Faith and Third Sector Alliance aims to strengthen the contribution of faith and third sector organisations within the Criminal Justice System and to involve service users in setting the strategic direction of work to reduce re-offending.

The Step Change initiative (new window) was a pilot project in the region funded through the Cabinet Office with the aim of increasing the number of significant projects and services delivered to offenders by VCS providers. The final report (new window) from this project contains a number of recommendations to take forward regionally and nationally. Regional recommendations have the full support of the ROM and are being taken forward by the reducing re-offending team and its partners.

The Prison Service Area Community Partnerships Manager post makes an enormous contribution to developing VCS engagement in prisons and increasing the effectiveness of establishment level VCS Coordinators (which are full time posts in some prisons).

NOMS is supporting prisons and probation areas to increase partnership arrangements with Third and Faith sector organisations to meet offenders needs and reduce re-offending.

Significant initiatives, led by VCS delivery partners, are in development in the region, bringing in additional money for services targeting women offenders and support to reduce re-offending by offenders on bail in the community.

Prison based chaplaincy teams offer a strong lead working in a way which promotes inclusion and acceptance.

A multi-faith approach is evident and the work of prison chaplains from a range of faiths ensures that the religious needs of all prisoners can be met.

West Yorkshire Community Chaplaincy Project (WYCCP) provides a model of work, incorporating resettlement advice, links with local communities. http://www.wyccp.org.uk (new window)

Many Faith groups and organisations are already working with offenders, ex-offenders and families, and the Director of the Regional Faiths Forum, a multi-faith regional strategic body, has given support to developing the NOMS faith alliance to better co-ordinate this work. With the support of Clinks National Community Chaplaincy Development Officer, NOMS is committed to maintaining communication and engaging in dialogue with key faith based groups and organisations in the region. http://www.clinks.org (new window)

For further information contact Emma Godley: