REACH

This page gives an in depth history to the formation of REACH.  It exposes our vulnerabilities and strengths in the hope that it will assist others when setting up a Social Enterprise.  Much of the text below was written during REACH’s development so will not necessary apply to it now.  It has been provided to help people setting up an enterprise see how we have developed.

Background
Definitions
Aims
Establish
Income
Evaluate and Report
Management Structure
Targets
NOMS Requirements

Background

The Monastery garden at Prinknash is a 1.82 acre walled garden.  Rare due to its circular design, its redbrick wall surrounds the garden reaching 18 feet high in places. Designed to feed the manor’s Victorian residence ,with fresh vegetables, fruit and fish.

Over the past few years it had been becoming apparent that Brother Anthony at the age of 85, was no longer able to maintain the garden.  The Monastic Community at Prinknash (Charity Registration number 232863) were keen not to see the garden left idle, and lacking the manpower to work the land themselves, invited Matthew Haynes (Volunteer) to Project Manage the garden in the hope that it could become a useful space once more which serves the greater community while providing an income for itself and if possible, in the long-term supporting the Monastery itself.

In March 2008 a small team of volunteers commenced forming an organisation ‘The Monastery Garden’ and Gloucester Probation Service was approached for help. The Volunteers stripped the garden of weeds, the paths were made good, greenhouses made safe and put to use.  Once the garden was deemed ‘safe’ for Community Payback workers to enter, work started in earnest; derelict sheds removed, paths raked and reseeded, trees pruned, stones picked, beds dug, patios re-laid.

The Monastery Garden centres itself on three aims:  Education, Recreation and Rehabilitation

Volunteers and Community Payback Supervisors now supervise offenders, restoring the garden whilst working towards their rehabilitation. Achievements include : To date over 6,000 hours of Community Payback work have been undertaken; Offenders achieving education awards, and the partnership being awarded Gloucestershire Criminal Justice Board 2009, Partnership of the Year Award.

This document specifically focuses on ‘Social Enterprise’:  A partnership between The Monastery Garden, and Gloucestershire Probation Area.

With the creation of a Social Enterprise, the project will move from not only focussing on the Monastic Garden, to utilising woodland, and expanding skill training and health inputs.

6 months ‘Seed funding’ has been given by the National Offenders Management Service in order to create the Social Enterprise – a partnership between the Monastery Garden and Gloucester Probation Service.  During this time it is expected that the aims outlined in this document are fulfilled or a strategy initiated where practicable, however, a key goal within the next six months is monitoring and evaluation so, no matter how successful it is, it will provide a useful resource to future projects.

Definitions:

Social Enterprise (SE)
An organisation or venture (within an organisation) that advances a social mission through entrepreneurial, earned income strategies.

Gloucestershire Probation Area (GPA)
A government body which carries out detail assessments of offenders, advising courts on appropriate punishments. Supervises people who have been given community sentences. Strives to rehabilitate offenders, encouraging them to recognise the way their behaviour effects others.

Local Area Agreement (LAA)
The Local Area Agreement is an agreement between the government and a partnership of local public and voluntary organisations, led by Gloucestershire County Council.  It sets a range of improvement targets aimed to help partners concentrate on working to achieve their top priorities and to make a real difference for local people.

National Indicator (NI)
Method of measuring national priorities that have been agreed by Government organisations such as the Health Service, Police, Criminal Justice Service etc.

SARA (scanning, analysis, response, and assessment)

A model of problem solving, law enforcement agencies can address crime in particular areas of a community. The SARA model helps police reduce the crime rate, as well as the fear of crime among citizens.

ASB

Anti Social Behaviour - acting in a manner which causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household as himself.

National Offender Manager Service (NOMS)
Bridges the divide between custody and community and is committed to  protecting the public, transforming the way we punish and manage offenders, reducing re-offending, cutting crime.

Educational Training and Employment (ETE)
A department (Headed by Dave Berry) within the Probation Service which delivers educational and training services. Community Payback services are subcontracted to Gateway Consultancy ltd.

Learning Skills Council (LSC)
Working to improve the skills of England’s young people and adults to ensure we have a workforce of world-class standard.

Service user
People who seek, use or receive services from the organisation.

Not in Employment Education Training (NEET)
Reducing the proportion of 16- to 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) is a priority for the Government. Being NEET between the ages of 16–18 is a major predictor of later unemployment, low income, teenage motherhood, depression and poor physical health. No single agency holds all the keys to reducing NEET; Local Authorities, schools, the Learning and Skills Council, youth support services and employers all have key roles to play.

The Seven Reducing Re-offending Pathways

1. Accommodation
2. Education, training and employment
3. Health
4. Drugs and alcohol
5. Finance, benefit and debt
6. Children and families
7. Attitudes, thinking and behaviour

RISE
A membership organisation open to anyone who has an interest in the social enterprise agenda and is based in South West England, offering you a range of discounts to publications and events.

Aims

Develop a Social Enterprise with the purpose to reduce re-offending; improve health; address social exclusion and promote employment, training and education. Working with offenders and vulnerable adults.

We aim to

R     Rehabilitation:   Reducing reoffending, criminal behavioural, substance abuse.
E     Education:   Training and employment for service users (via ETE) including employer mentoring.
A     Accommodation:  Assist service users in sorting out accommodation issues.
C     Co-ordination:  Bringing together organisations working towards LAA goals.
H     Health :   Provide health education platform for service users e.g. Healthy eating, smoking, STDs.

• Allow service users to view food production through the whole production chain emphasising health benefits.
• Service users should be allowed to steer and advise the organisation (SE) and its activities, They should have a say in the election of Board members.
• Support targets within the Gloucestershire Local Area Agreement (www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/laa).
• Establishment and development of a Social Enterprise between Gloucestershire Probation Area and The Monastery Garden managed by a board of advisors. Once established forming partnerships within public; private, voluntary community and faith sectors bringing together experienced business; probation and community leaders.
• To create a suitable work place for Offenders from Gloucestershire Probation Service and local prisoners suitable for unsupervised release (Offenders and Prisoners both vetted for suitability) Minimum of 21 Service users  per week. 
• Utilisation of local, regional and national expertise in developing social enterprises and businesses.
• Create a wealth of knowledge and experience that includes evaluation, acting as a resource for prospective Social Enterprises allowing them to ‘view work in progress’. Establishment of a web site that documents the development of the Social Enterprise.

Establish

Establishment and development of a Social Enterprise between Gloucestershire Probation Area and The Monastery Garden . Once established forming partnerships within public; private, voluntary community and faith sectors bringing together experienced business; probation and community leaders.
• To create a suitable work place for Offenders from Gloucestershire Probation Service and local prisoners suitable for unsupervised release (Offenders and Prisoners both vetted for suitability) Minimum of 21 Service users  per week. 
• Utilisation of local, regional and national expertise in developing social enterprises and businesses.
• Create a wealth of knowledge and experience that includes evaluation, acting as a resource for prospective Social Enterprises allowing them to ‘view work in progress’. Establishment of a web site that documents the development of the Social Enterprise.

Income

• Start generating income by growing vegetables and plants, and being awarded grants.
• Cooking and catering courses with offenders. Courses generate income from Learning Skills
• Reward grants given by ‘Local Area Agreement’ agencies, for their achieving NI and agency targets.
  Examples:
    NHS: Public Health targets; Stop Smoking; Improve sexual health; reduced use of alcohol, improving access and use of health services by marginalized communities.
    Learning Skills Council: targets for ETE, including NEET
    Gloucestershire County Council: educational awards; independence for vulnerable groups, and use of volunteers.
• Donations by visitors to the gardens, who will be able to view the work of the offenders.

Evaluate and report

• Gain experience of securing funding, engaging contracts, and commissioning services then monitor evaluate and report for future NOMS projects use.

• The Management Board
• NHS Gloucestershire
• Gloucester First
• Gloucestershire County Council
• National Offender Manager Service
• Stroud District Council

Targets

• Legally for the Probation based Social Enterprise
• Ensure planning permissions are in place
• Meet with estate residents and local police
• Become a member of RISE
• Start networking partners contacting organisations such a Councils, Businesses, NFP advisors, Health Organisations, Rehabilitation Organisations, Housing Organisations, Criminal Justice Organisations
• Evaluation and report on progress of the Social Enterprise
• Engage the services of a professional fundraiser in order to apply for grants
• Apply for planning permission for a class room within the garden
• Plan a ‘Employer mentoring’ meeting inviting local businesses
• Active involvement of Service Users
• Evaluation and report on progress of the Social Enterprise

NOMS requirement

Monitoring

Provide NOMS with a monitoring update by 1st November, 1st January and 1st March addressing the following areas:-

• Project activity (including partners engaged, offenders on project)
• Business progress (update on development of business stream)
• Financial return
• Progress on intended outcomes

Evaluation

GPA should deliver the evaluation activity detailed in the application form  ( section 7 ) In addition, by  15th March 2010 GPA will return to NOMS a report detailing progress and evaluating success in meeting the objectives.  This will also include an update on future plans and developments as to the sustainability of the project. Whilst maintaining any commercial confidentiality, it should also include information for NOMS and social enterprise on the lessons from the pilot relevant to overall ongoing engagement. More guidance on the evaluation report will be provided nearer the date of its completion.

GPA agrees to take part in NOMS evaluation of the pilot progress and Social Enterprise Reducing Re-offending Programme.  Whilst retaining commercial confidentiality, this will include sharing information between pilot partners and promoting awareness of social enterprise within NOMS.  As well are contributing information for documents and articles, this could include presentations at meetings and conferences.  Any cost incurred by GPA will be borne out of project management costs already allocated.

The evaluation report will be sent to NOMS prior to wider dissemination.  NOMS and GPA will agree on the methods of dissemination prior to any action being undertaken. NOMS retains the rights to intellectual property relating to the outcomes of this project and any publicity regarding the findings of the pilot must be authorised by NOMS in advance of any action being undertaken.