Social Firms UK

 NOMS (National Offender Management Service) is asking the social enterprise sector to develop innovative approaches to delivering key services. Bids will be invited for funding to help develop and test approaches for supervising offenders in Unpaid Work (Community Payback). Social enterprises are also being asked to develop training and employment opportunities within green technology or other sustainable industries.

The European Social Fund has provided c£400,000 for the above initiatives, with individual awards of up to £50,000 for the right projects. Further details will be announced shortly.

Yesterday's Nacro conference, The Future Role of the Voluntary Sector in the Criminal Justice System, was a missed opportunity for Labour to set out their agenda for the role of the Third Sector in the CJS; unfortunately the spokesman seemed to be more preoccupied with the overstretched Legal Aid budget.