Tuesday 16 April 2013

David Honeywell - Criminologist, Author, Writer : Beyond Youth Custody publishes literature review

David Honeywell - Criminologist, Author, Writer : Beyond Youth Custody publishes literature review: Beyond Youth Custody (BYC) has released a new narrative literature review today highlighting how resettlement can significantly reduce the...

Beyond Youth Custody publishes literature review


Beyond Youth Custody (BYC) has released a new narrative literature review today highlighting how resettlement can significantly reduce the reoffending of young people leaving custody. It explores how the needs of young people can be effectively addressed when services receive sufficient investment and collaboratively work together with the secure estate. The review also highlights some emerging principles of effective practice and sets out the under-researched areas and unanswered questions that should steer future research.

Beyond Youth Custody is a five year, England-wide youth justice research and evaluation programme. Led by Nacro and funded by the Big Lottery Fund, it aims to improve outcomes for young people leaving custody. Academic institutions ARCS, the University of Salford and the University of Bedfordshire are also partners. The programme will compare and contrast models of service delivery and engage with key stakeholders to raise awareness of best practice, influence policy decisions and bring about lasting change in practice.

BYC’s website has also been launched today and will act as a forum for engaging practitioners and policy makers in debate about the programme’s findings and practice implications.  It will also provide an online hub for publishing findings of the research as well as programme updates, information and resources about resettlement, news and details of events.

Nacro chief executive, Paul McDowell, said:

‘Over the last decade, there has been a decline in youth custody rates, but reoffending rates remain extremely high for young offenders leaving custody - 73% reoffend within 12 months of being released. We must do more to break the destructive cycle of crime that some young people fall into and struggle to get out of.

‘Beyond Youth Custody brings together a wealth of knowledge and experience from these different partners. Together we will challenge, advance and promote better thinking, and ensure that young people are supported in their transition from custody to their community and are finally able to put their offending behind them.’

Sunday 24 February 2013

Home Group failing the elderly?

And yet another disgraceful example of how local organisations treat their elderly customers. Home Group didn't feel that my mother having all her sinks blocked was an emergency job and that she'd be okay for four days washing and preparing food in the kitchen with a blocked sink full of dirty water, because "she has onother sink in the bathroom" said one of your customer service's people.

(Obviously he never does the washing and cooking in his house and I wonder if his Mrs would have accepted that?). Thankfully I found a local plumber to do what he thought was certainly an emergency and has listed all the faults Home Group has made to my mother's property which caused all this.

I telephoned Home Group' repair line and was told that, "if they did call the job as an emergency and the plumber didn't think it was life threatening, then she would be charged a lot of money."

She is 83-years-old and after already leaving her with no hot water and heating for 13 hours following an emergency call on Wednesday morning, I thought I'd give you the benefit of the doubt and perhaps I was wrong thinking you didn't give a damn about you pensioner tenants! This is going to press (my job) and you're getting the plumber's bill!