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 the South East.
As the largest NOMS region, the South East places a huge emphasis on effective partnership working – it is critical to what we all want to achieve. We have focused not only on forming direct links with new partners but also on linking with existing forums to communicate the reducing re-offending agenda to as wide a range of organisations as possible.
For example, strong links with the Government Office for the South East have allowed us to access a pool of expertise with a huge number of contacts across a variety of fields, putting reducing re-offending onto a number of organisations' agendas.
As well as our offender management partners and existing cross-organisational partnerships such as Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships and Local Criminal Justice Board, the South East team deals directly with such bodies as:
- Supporting People
- Learning and Skills Council
- Jobcentre Plus
- The NHS National Treatment Agency and South East Development Centre for Mental Health
- Youth Justice Board
- RAISE
The Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) plays a significant role in the South East, with representatives working on each of the pathways to reduce re-offending (new window) and on our Reducing Re-offending Delivery Board. Our VCS partners are too many to name here, and their role can only expand as the Faith and Voluntary Alliance takes off in the South East.
Successful partnerships in the South East
Sussex Probation - Education, Training and Employment / Basic Skills Project
Sussex Probation, together with partner organisations, has developed this project to provide education, training and routes into employment for offenders.
The National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (NACRO) provides the Basic Skills service.
The project’s work is well-integrated into the case management of offenders, and is a fine example of strong partnership working, based on trust and focussed on a positive outcome.
Housing and Homelessness - Demonstration Projects
Partners from both the statutory and voluntary sectors are working together to build two demonstration projects in the region.
- The Thames Valley demonstration project will focus on delivering successful housing outcomes for offenders and improving the flow of information on offenders between partners.
- The Kent project will focus on housing outcomes for female offenders and will require close collaboration with the London Regional Offender Manager's team.
These projects require close partnership working and will prove powerful examples of how supporting offenders with housing problems can help achieve a reduction in re-offending.
Voluntary, Community and Faith Alliance Steering Group
After a successful bid to the central NOMS' Community Integration Unit for funding, the South East team has been able to take on a voluntary sector secondee, Sally Wentworth-James from NACRO, to lead the Voluntary, Community and Faith Alliance (VCFA) Steering Group.
The Steering Group will set the strategic direction for the Faith and Voluntary Alliance and seek to maximise voluntary and community sector involvement across the pathways to reducing re-offending (new window) and in the delivery of services for offenders.
It will also aim to increase the role of the voluntary and community sector in the other Alliances, particularly in the Corporate Alliance.
Want to get involved in a pathway reference group or Alliance in the South East?
For each Pathway to reduce re-offending, Boards have been set up to take the work forward. These boards have set memberships, but will also have broad reference groups to maximise input of knowledge and expertise into the Boards.
If you would like to become involved with the reference groups for any of the pathways or alliances, please contact us with an informal proposal of what your organisation can do to help reduce re-offending. Contact Matt Osborne, Service Delivery Administrator on:
Email: romsdu@justice.gov.uk
