Business Development Lead, Street Cones
In the 2019-20 Annual Reporter, Tom Jackson, Community Justice Glasgow, introduced Street Cones and the work that we were doing to contribute to Community Justice objectives, particularly around giving voice to those who have lived experience, in his article ‘The Road to Change is Always Under Construction’.
Giving voice to those who experience justice services is key to planning and shaping those services to best achieve the City’s ambitions around reducing re-offending – who knows better than the people who have lived experience what is needed to help them move away from offending?
For some of the evidence around why this is important you can CLICK ON FIGURE 1 below and go straight to page 50 – Why Service User Voice.
Figure 1 – Community Justice Outcomes Improvement Plan (2018-2023)
Our work is now also contributing to the objectives around Community Justice Structural Outcome 4 – Effective Interventions are delivered to Prevent and Reduce the Risk of Further Offending – as set out in Community Justice Glasgow’s Outcome & Performance Improvement Reporting Framework 2018 – 2023. You can CLICK ON FIGURE 2 BELOW to see the full framework.
Figure 2 – Outcome & Performance Improvement Reporting Framework 2018 – 2023
This year I was asked by our board to reflect on the last year and what it has been like for Street Cones. It was only when I sat down to write something that I really got a sense of the scale of transformation we have been through.
This herculean effort would not have been possible without the commitment from our board of trustees, back office and delivery team (who are all either voluntary or freelance). Also, our clients and our project participants – without them we have nothing.
Like most charities we had to react to the first wave of restrictions or risk closing our doors. The board moved quickly, and the decision was taken that we should do everything we could to survive. Our work was too important to put on hold even on the brink of a global pandemic. We went on to explore ways we could continue offering our services with a particular focus on technology. Thankfully we not only discovered new opportunities but also technology applications that previously hadn’t existed.
Participants serving community sentences started to move online through our flagship ROAD TO CHANGE workshops. We helped to reduce the growing backlog of unpaid work caused by the pandemic. A total of over 3000 workshop hours, first in Glasgow and then across Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Highland, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire & West Dunbartonshire.
As part of our ongoing commitment to lived experience we developed our PRIVILAGED ENVIRONMENT. This gives participants the opportunity to do some deep exploration in a non-triggering environment always using fiction as a safety net. For the purposes of these workshops no one reveals any personal details including what is fact or fiction as it relates to their own lived experience.
In response to the lifting of restrictions our workshops have become a more blended model with a mixture of in person and online offerings. The format of each workshop is the same – but they usually have different themes dictated by the participants. A selection of showcase films and panel Q&As from these workshops can be found on our youtube channel, CLICK ON THE FILMS BELOW TO WATCH:
Film 1 – Suicide is Preventable – Sink or Swim (Film & Panel)
Film 2 – Veterans & Justice System (Film & Panel)
Film 3 – Females & the Justice System (Film & Panel)
Film 4 – Second Chances (Film & Panel)
In close collaboration with Police Scotland, Social Work & Community Justice Glasgow we launched SOMETHING TO SAY a project giving supported young people the opportunity to say something they feel passionate about using the Arts. To date these groups have been delivered in Glasgow, East Ayrshire, & South Lanarkshire. Sample behind the scenes film/panel link BELOW.
Film 5 – Youth & Police (Film & Panel)
Our growing catalogue of CONVERSATIONS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE are all available on our YouTube channel and include a varied mix of inspiring and informative 1-2-1 interviews
PAUL BRANNIGAN , KARYN MCCLUSKEY , PAUL BOGGIE , BRENDAN BONAR , GERRY KEOGH (More to come please subscribe)
We continue to produce short films on behalf of clients with a particular focus on lived experience. Recent additions include the Community Sentence themed SOMETHING TO LOSE the film was LAUNCHED ONLINE followed by a panel Q&A. Also the dispelling of myths around the justice system MYTHBUSTERS.
In closing let me just say that the Street Cones family are committed to continue our recent expansion with a range of strategies being considered. Our trustees and back office will do everything we can to support our dedicated delivery team. We are determined that through the Arts we can support even more individuals and communities on behalf of our clients.
More info www.streetcones.org
