Civil Service in the news
Butler Trust Award winners announced
The annual Butler Trust Awards recognise excellence and innovation by people working with offenders across the UK. We spoke to award recipients about their winning contributions.
Sue Kennedy, principal psychologist for HMPS women's and young people's group, won the Wates Foundation Award for work with female offenders.
After eight years of pioneering forensic psychology practice at HMP Holloway, Sue took on the task of developing CARE (Choices Actions Relationships and Emotions), the first holistic programme brought up to accreditation standard especially for women in prison. CARE works with women who are addressing multiple personal and social issues and has been designed for women with complex needs.
Piloted in Downview Prison in Surrey, the programme is delivered by a multi-agency team and combines psychological therapy with independent mentoring and advocacy. Sue's dedicated work has helped many women and the communities to which they belong.
Sue said: “We are working with a hope that many of us share - the hope that life can be lived differently. The women have a willingness to engage with us and also find it difficult to trust sometimes. This is human resilience - the ordinary magic that I love about people - finding a way to trust when you're frightened of being hurt and to hope when things can seem hopeless.
“The Butler Trust Award allows us to share our hope that CARE is a thoughtful and practical step forwards.”
Jill Cotgrove, Assistant Chief Officer for Avon and Somerset Probation and with the Probation Service for 38 years, won the 2008 Award for Excellence.
She received the honour for her outstanding personal contribution locally and nationally in the field of public protection by effectively managing extremely high risk and high profile offenders who had attracted significant media attention.
“One of the best things about winning this award, has been the messages of encouragement from people, some of whom I last met years ago”
- Jill Cotgrove, winner of the 2008 Award for Excellence
Staff care and support are integral to Jill's work. At a time of great national television interest in Avon and Somerset probation hostels, which accommodate high risk offenders, she used her calm approach and expertise to reassure alarmed community groups and ensure that staff and residents were protected from threats of vigilante action.
She said: “One of the best things about winning this award has been the messages of encouragement from people, some of whom I last met years ago. Public protection work is always aspirational, and never finished, and the award is a sharp reminder of that.
“Shared responsibility is the key to preventing further serious crime – not just the shared responsibility of the police, prison, probation and other agencies to communicate with one another and act harmoniously, but the role of the public in being well-informed and taking responsibility for the vulnerable,” she adds.
Ewan Easton, a music instructor at HMYOI Thorn Cross, won the Helen Hamlyn Trust Award for Education and Skills Training Work with young offenders.
Ewan's enthusiasm and exceptional personal skills overcame several potential barriers to develop an exciting and innovative partnership between the Hallé Orchestra, Britain's longestestablished symphony orchestra, and Thorn Cross.
A principal tuba player in the orchestra, Ewan set up a 12-week rolling project teaching young offenders how to play brass instruments, read music and perform simple repertoires.
As a result, nearly 200 trainees have learned a new skill over the last four years and have been motivated by Ewan's inspiring leadership to perform at major concert halls in front of their proud families and local dignitaries.
Ewan said: “I have always had an interest in education and people with learning difficulties. One day I was driving past Thorn Cross and wondered what it would be like to teach young offenders to play instruments.”
It took Ewan a year to raise enough money for the instruments to get the project started, but since then he has never looked back.
“It's hard to measure success, but you suddenly see something in their eyes when they realise they can do it. Most of the lads in here just need some decent support and parenting. I am very proud of what they have achieved and their behaviour is always impeccable.”
Andy Stelman, Assistant Chief Officer for Merseyside Probation, has worked for the Probation Service for 34 years, and won the 2008 Diversity Award for his exceptional contribution to combating race hate crime.
Andy has led the multi-agency race hate crime strategy for the Merseyside Criminal Justice Board. He developed a 15-week programme called 'Against Human Dignity', which challenges attitudes of racially motivated offenders and focuses on victim awareness.
He also introduced an anti-arson package and distributed panic alarms to women in minority communities who were being racially harassed.
He said: “Race and faith hate crimes can act like a virus, quickly spreading fear and terror amongst every member of the community that victims represent.
“The Butler Trust Award will enable Merseyside to expand its work on such crimes to cover every sort of hate crime, helping to make all members of vulnerable communities feel safer.”
