NOTA News Newsletter July 2018 1

More documents

Recommendations

Info

and encourage someone to do something under their own steam is equally effective and more likely to increase feelings of accomplishment and self-worth. Importantly, SCAs also support each other as a team. They get to know all of the people who need assistance and are not limited in who they help, so they are able to assist each other and cover when necessary. Flexibility is a key attribute to being an SCA. Some SCA comments include: “I for one believe in the SCAs and all they stand for. Prison is not easy for anyone, and to have an illness or disability makes things a little more difficult, which is why we have SCAs here. I feel it runs so well that it should be rolled out to all the prisons that don’t already have a similar scheme.” “I’ve found the job very rewarding in lots of ways. As a team we work well together and are always on hand for the people we assist, even if it’s for something as simple as a listening ear. But when I’m asked about what I like about being an SCA, the answer is simple—it’s the feeling I get when I’ve empowered others and the fact it can be done in many different ways.” “We had a new person move onto the wing where I work as an SCA, and one morning, after a bit of a chat, I asked him if he felt up to giving his cell a bit of a clean. I told him that if he needed me to I would stand in the doorway, just in case ...He was more than happy to have a try and, once he had finished, I told him that he had done a better job than I could have. The look on his face spoke volumes and I could see how proud he was of himself.” Parallel Visits Day Parallel Visits Day at HMP Whatton is a day for those residents who may not have had a visit for some time – perhaps because they are estranged from, or are no longer in contact with, their family and/ or friends, or may be visits are out of the question because of age, infirmity, finances or distance from the establishment. There are plenty of possible reasons for the lack of a visit but the consequence is always essentially the same – a sense of loneliness and separation for the individual here. Parallel Visits Days seek to offer something of the visiting day experience – including different food, a change of scenery, something else to do or just a change of conversation – to those who do not normally receive visits. The criteria for applying to attend one of these special days is that a person must not have had a domestic visit for at least the previous 12 months (through no fault of their own). Spaces are limited. Although many of the staff faces in attendance may be familiar, their function at such an event is different, as they take a much more informal role and join in with various activities. It is also likely that residents will come across other inmates they have not previously met or spoken with in any depth, so this becomes an opportunity for those in similar situations (regarding visits) to chat and socialise. Maybe attendees will offer empathetic support or perhaps they’ll find that they are not the only one in their given circumstance; whatever happens, they will certainly benefit from the interaction. A recent Parallel Visits Day began with a welcome and brief introduction to attendees, which was followed by an icebreaker exercise involving participants being paired at tables for two minutes to introduce themselves and ‘speed chat’ (without mentioning prison life), before moving on to another table. This eventually introduced everyone to each other. Lunch was pre-ordered and paid for by inmates from their own money (to a maximum of £6). It was a change from normal prison fare – more in keeping with the variety of food available during the regular prison visiting system. Afternoon activities included a quiz, a couple of bingo games and informal talks by various department heads, before the whole thing was wound up with tea or coffee and general conversations. One attendee commented, “I would like to thank all of the staff and inmates who took the time and made the effort to make it an enjoyable afternoon for people who don’t normally get visits ... looking forward to the next one in the near future.” It is very easy to “write off” a prisoner in response to their crimes and this is an ethos prisoners have perceived in other establishments. HMP Whatton does not, however, condone or support such a philosophy. Instead, a new and positive sense of self and one’s place within a community is encouraged, and achievable goals for the future are set for both within, and beyond, the prison environment. As an inmate who has been here for nearly two years, and as the prison magazine editor, I have been able to see and report on successes and works-in-progress, whether it’s for one-off or day-to-day activities. The thread that connects all of them is that they have been suggested, designed and instituted through a careful process – involving staff and inmates – to ensure they are beneficial not only to residents but also to the officers, civilians and visitors. All the activities or events are then followed up with evaluations from all quarters, which ensure there is continual growth and improvement, in line with HMP Whatton’s culture of rehabilitation. Peter, inmate at HMP Whatton 14 | www.nota.co.uk conference@nota.co.uk @notaevents
Changes to the NOTA Blog – Kieran McCartan The Prevention blog (www.notaprevention.co.uk) has been running since June 2016, almost 2 years, with approximately one blog per month. The original aim of the blog was to highlight sexual abuse prevention work and facilitate discussions around the prevention of sexual abuse; however, over the last couple of months we have decided to broaden the remit of the blog beyond prevention to encompass the wide range of work that NOTA members partake in. A broadening in the remit of the blog means that we can look at treatment, policy, policing, criminal justice issues, preparation and victimology as well as prevention. In line with this content shift it has also been decided that the blog will move towards weekly publishing over the next couple of months. In order to support this we have formed an alliance with both NOTA News (to reproduce some of the content from the publication) and The Journal of Sexual Aggression (to enable us to highlight content from the journal). Examples of how we do this will include reproduction of editorials, think pieces based on articles, summaries of articles, author Q & A, etc. The collaboration between the blog, Journal and NOTA news will allow non-NOTA members to see the work, research and policy that NOTA members are involved in; hopefully enabling greater engagement with the organisation from other external professionals, practitioners, policy makers, members of the press and the public. Thus making NOTA more visible! If you would like to contribute ideas or written pieces (usually 800 words) to the blog please contact me. Thank you for engaging with the blog over the last couple of years and we look forward to hearing from you about the content and future direction of the blog! The piece below, by Supporting Maggie Professionals to Prevent Sexual Abuse Brennan, is an example of a blog published online on 10th April 2018. Professor Kieran McCartan University of West of England Supporting Professionals to Prevent Sexual Abuse Maree Crabbe Making Violence Sexy? Pornography, young people and sexual abuse prevention NOTA and NSPCC: Monday 17th September, (9:30 registration) 10am – 4pm Barnardo’s 1 Long Lane, London SE1 4PG (Holloway Tube) Cost: Members: £100 | Non-NOTA Members: £120 Book online at: www.nota.co.uk/training/list-of-events or contact Gill Riley notaoffice@nota.co.uk www.nota.co.uk conference@nota.co.uk @notaevents | 15
Page 1 and 2: NEWS NO.85 JULY/AUGUST 2018 Support
Page 3 and 4: Contents 3 Editorial 4 Chair’s We
Page 5 and 6: From the General Manager The NOTA I
Page 7 and 8: and a lot of universities across th
Page 9 and 10: little about the aetiology of past
Page 11 and 12: in here”. This was a powerful dri
Page 13: Life at HMP Whatton - Peter Peter i
Page 17 and 18: featuring an additional problematic
Page 19 and 20: Sexual Exploitation (CSE). The Mini
Page 21 and 22: is only relatively recently that it
Page 23 and 24: The particular conditions of custod
Page 25 and 26: Supporting Professionals to Prevent
Page 27 and 28: that they are believed (by statutor
Page 29 and 30: wouldn’t have conversations about
Page 31 and 32: Branch News NOTA Northern Ireland O
Page 33 and 34: Branch News NOTA Wales Branch News
Page 35 and 36: Recent Press Releases and Reports:
Page 37 and 38: delivery on improving local respons
Page 39 and 40: -18 about online safety issues. The

NOTA News Newsletter July 2018 1

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?