Roll of honour 2008
Congratulations to those nominated for a Local Justice Award
in Wiltshire and Swindon
The quality of entries show just how hard teams and individuals across our criminal justice system are working to deliver justice and cut crime.
The teams nominated include:
The LPSA Working Group, which was nominated in the category of Partnership of the Year and received a national Justice Award as well as a Wiltshire local Justice Award.
The group works to reduce domestic violence.
Members are from a wide range of partner agencies, including the WCJB, HM Courts Service, Wiltshire Police, Wiltshire County Council, Army Welfare, Probation, Crown Prosecution Service, Splitz and Victim Support.
The MARAC Development Team was awarded a certificate for its Outstanding achievement in caring for victims.
The successful development of the Wiltshire Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) was largely due to the commitment and hard work of this small team.
The first MARAC was held in July 2007, since when 143 cases have been reviewed with a cumulative repeat review rate of only 3%.
The team has persevered to overcome demographic and capacity issues, and monthly MARACs are now attended by an average of 27 participants from a wide range of agencies including Police, refuges, Probation, mental health services and the voluntary sector.
Team members involved Acting Detective Chief Inspector Caroline Evely, Wiltshire Police, Hayley Mortimer, domestic violence reduction co-ordinator for the Wiltshire Community Safety Partnership, and Emma Harrold, domestic violence support officer for the Wiltshire Community Safety Partnership.
The CJS Polish Fact Finding Planning Group received an award for Outstanding contribution to engaging local communities.
The first of its kind by multi-criminal justice agencies, the trip was designed to give key staff in Wiltshire an insight into what Polish people expect from their criminal justice system.
Poles make up one in 10 of the population in some parts of Wiltshire, so agencies wanted to understand the differences that may affect their reporting of crime, and their interaction with criminal justice services in Wilts.
They met senior and frontline Polish police officers, probation staff and representatives from the courts and prison services in Krakow and Elblag.
The trip was organised by Steven Taylor, from the Wiltshire Criminal Justice Board. Other eam members were Chief Inspector Sarah Bodell, Wiltshire Police, Kim O’Neill, from the Crown Prosecution Service, Monica Dillon, Salisbury Probation, and Trevor Okill, from Her Majesty's Courts Service.
An Outstanding achievement in caring for witnesses award was given to the Witness Garden Team, which came up with the idea to provide a relaxing environment for witnesses of crime while they wait to give evidence in court.
The project was originally suggested by Crown Court Manager Linda Thompson and Kim Swinden, Senior
Co-ordinator of Witness Service, Victim Support.
A total of £1,300 was spent on the garden. Whilst a chunk of the funding came from Swindon Rotary Club there were a number of donations from other organisations.
Other people involved were Swindon District Judge Byron Carron; Karen Neal, Swindon College, Nicky Alberry, Swindon Rotary Club; and Nicky Jupp, Victim Support, Wiltshire Area Office.Swindon Youth Offending Team were given an award for their Outstanding contribution to tackling youth crime.The Youth Offending Team in Swindon has demonstrated consistent high performance both in terms of reducing offending and are measured against a range of indicators of performance in areas connected with use of restorative justice and many more.
Notable too is the determination and enthusiasm of individual team members who work long hours to change the behaviour of young offenders, as well as instigate initiatives designed to engage young people in the community.
This nomination is for the whole team, with special emphasis on knife crime, and the production of a film which follows the journey of a young offender through the criminal justice system.
Swindon YOT were also honoured for their Outstanding contribution to engaging local communities.
One Swindon YOT project gave young offenders an opportunity to put their views across to adults, and promote a better image in the local press.
Working with Kath Brownlee from YOT, three young people wrote articles for the main Swindon newspaper in August/September 2008.
They wrote about anti-social behaviour, drugs, alcohol and relationships. They spent ages pulling together all their material and gave the newspaper three articles to show young people in a more positive light and what adults can do to help all young people in Swindon.
Individual awards
Arron Gibbings, Wiltshire Users Forum: Outstanding contribution to engaging local communities
Arron Gibbings is a young man with a long history of alcohol and drug abuse, whose entry into treatment was through the criminal justice system.
It was while he was in treatment that he came into contact with the Wiltshire Users Forum in 2005. He quickly became involved in the Forum as an active volunteer, supporting his peers and working with commissioners to influence improvements in the treatment system at both an operational and strategic level.
In October 2007, Arron moved back into paid employment as Wiltshire’s Drug and Alcohol User Involvement Worker.
Since then, Arron has channelled his passion and commitment for improving the lives of people with drug and alcohol problems, into expanding and developing the role of the Wiltshire Users Forum.
Carole Johnson, Wiltshire Youth Offending Service: Volunteer of the Year Carole has been both a volunteer Appropriate Adult and referral order panel member for the past three years.
She has given a great deal of time and dedication to the work of the team with young offenders.
Her work is immensely professional and she has the respect of all those who work with her – in the Youth Offending Team and in the Police.
Because of her experience she has helped with the training of other volunteer appropriate adults.
Elaine Marston, Wiltshire Youth Offending Service: Volunteer of the Year
Elaine has been an Appropriate Adult in Wiltshire since the inception of the scheme some seven years ago.
Her work in this area has been exemplary and she has contributed greatly to the development of the scheme.
Three years ago, she expanded her activities into the Referral Order Scheme, and, once again, became a dedicated and committed member of the scheme.
Because of her considerable experience she has assisted in the training of other appropriate adults.
Francis Wakem, Victim Support: Outstanding achievement in caring for victims
Francis has been a volunteer member of the trustees of Victim Support Wiltshire for ten years.
His unrelenting support and steering as Chair of the Board has been a fantastic support to the staff and volunteers at Victim Support.
Francis has successfully raised much needed funds for the charity when it nearly closed due to a lack of funds, has spoken at many debates and talks about the work of the charity and has continually gone beyond the role of Chair.
He continues to support the new Victim Support organisation following the merger of all the independent Victim Support charities and has already provided funding for personal alarms, cross shredders and UV pens.
Kate Morris and Sharon Treasure, Wiltshire Youth Offending Service: Outstanding contribution to tackling youth crime
Kate and Sharon are reducing the risk of reoffending with young people they have worked with, in particular extremely vulnerable girls and young females with complex needs who are looked after in residential care homes in Wiltshire.
They are able to engage with these hard to reach young women who have very low self-esteem and see little reason or motivation to co-operate. In doing so, they have contributed to a reduction in re-offending, while safeguarding and helping these youngsters improve their life chances.
They have built on the confidence of the care providers to deal with these young women’s challenging behaviour without resorting to the criminal justice system, using restorative justice approaches.
Liz Pike, Wiltshire Youth Offending Service: Outstanding contribution to working with offenders
Liz has been a volunteer for two years and has worked as a volunteer Referral Order Panel member.
She has shown a real capacity to engage positively with young offenders and their parents,
She has a calm presence in any situation and knows what to say and in what circumstances to contribute to a positive outcome.
Matthew Bywater, Wiltshire Youth Offending Service: Outstanding contribution to tackling youth crime
On two separate occasions over the past three-and-a-half years, Matthew has covered two lots of maternity leave and sickness that have gone on for over a year on both occasions to cover the role of ISSP co-ordinator for both Wiltshire and Swindon.
This has been on top of his substantive role as the senior YOT officer in Salisbury.
Matt has ensured that the ISSP scheme that generally deals with the critical few high risk and persistent young offenders has not only kept running but has grown under his leadership.
He has undertaken all of this while studying for a management qualification which will lead to an MBA.
Nicky Manners, Wiltshire Youth Offending Service: Outstanding contribution to tackling youth crime
Nicky is an admin worker and a lot of the YOS team at Melksham would say she makes their job in working with young people who offend or are at risk of offending that much easier.
Nicky has a ‘can do’ approach. She has taken a leading role in improving the administration of referral orders in north and west Wiltshire. This has involved liaising with referral panel volunteers to ensure they all get a fair crack of the whip in terms of the panels that are offered to them and arranging the actual panels themselves.
Rod and Julie Newbury, Wiltshire Youth Offending Service: Outstanding contribution to tackling youth crime
Julie and Rod have been remand foster carers for the past four years. During that time they have had a huge number of young people in their care on both criminal and welfare grounds.
They are fair with young people and help them think about consequences and choices.
Many young people benefit hugely from the support and wise counsel given to them and are able to use it as a platform to begin to turn their lives around and stop offending.
One of the first young people placed with them stole their car and caused a lot of damage as a result. Many would have been deterred by such behaviour but to their immense credit Rod and Julie have stuck with it and continue to care for vulnerable young people in Wiltshire who need it.
Sally Robertson, Wiltshire Youth Offending Service: Outstanding contribution to working with offenders
Sally is often a first point of contact for visitors and callers to the service. Her calm and respectful manner towards young people, volunteers and other agencies sets the tone for their experience of a youth offending team.
Her contact with volunteers in setting up Referral Order Panels and arranging Appropriate Adults contributes to engaging the local community in the work of the YOT.
Sally has been working towards a wireless link to the local court and supports practitioners in their use of IT. This is vital.
Frontline services could not function without the valuable input from experienced administrative staff like Sally.
Sharon Dell, Witness Care Unit: Outstanding achievement in caring for victims
Sharon showed particular sensitivity when dealing with a domestic violence case. The violence was taking place within a Muslim marriage and in front of a young child.
Following this particular incident, the victim left the family home and was staying in Lincolnshire with her son.
Sharon liaised with staff to arrange the victim to give evidence through a remote video-link at the local court to the refuge.
She also worked with the CPS to complete a detailed application for special measures providing a comprehensive report of the circumstances and why the use of the remote video-link was necessary.
Sharon always put the needs of the victim first.
The use of the video-link was granted.
Lois Bennett, Swindon Youth Offending Team: Outstanding contribution to working with offenders
Lois is exceptional as a volunteer in terms of her commitment and enthusiasm for her support of young people and the work of criminal justice agencies.
She is committed to the cause of changing a young offender’s life, encouraging them with considerable skill and patience to feel better about themselves.
Lois is unstinting and unselfish, and 100 per cent reliable.
Between January and June 2008, she attended 16 callouts amounting to more than 50 hours as well as training courses to keep her knowledge and skills up to date.
Lois is now trying to increase her volunteer hours, to act as a mentor under the YOT’s mentoring scheme.
She gives up her time, weekends and evenings, and is an exemplary ambassador for volunteering.