On Friday 13 September 2024 individuals and teams working with prisoners, ex-prisoners or those sentenced to community punishments in the North East came together to recognise efforts to support rehabilitation and reduce re-offending, and celebrate the winners of this year’s Nepacs Ruth Cranfield Awards.
The charity Nepacs is well known and highly regarded for its work within criminal justice, having worked in this field for 142 years. They also reach out and provide services in the community, to children and adults from all walks of life including those individuals with care experience.
Nepacs has been making these awards throughout the region for 19 years to highlight the work of exceptional individuals and teams who deserve particular recognition for their work. The awards are given to those working across multiple disciplinary teams with the aim of supporting people going through difficult times in their lives and being aspirational to make their own choices and life changes.
This year’s awards and certificates were presented by guest speaker Helen Judge, area executive director HMPPS North East, Yorkshire and Humber at an event on 13 September 2024 at Emirates Riverside, Chester-le-Street.
The four main awards were presented to:
• Emma Betts, Prison Offender Manager, HMP Low Newton for her passion and commitment to rehabilitation and desistance of women within HMP Low Newton and in the community. Emma provides pioneering programmes in the national Prison, Me? No Way! scheme dispelling myths around imprisonment, taking prisoners to address and interact with pupils in local schools. As a family liaison officer she has worked with cases involving women who are unwell, supporting them and their families throughout health crises and hospitalisation. Emma is also, in her own time, volunteer operational staff lead with the Shannon Trust’s peer-to-peer reading scheme.
• Tanya Cleary, Dart Recovery Co-ordinator, Humankind, HMP Kirklevington for her excellent understanding of the needs of those in recovery, continually bringing innovative, exciting ideas for delivery which not only benefit prisoners but also inspire and support colleagues. This has led to her developing exciting new opportunities, most recently taking a group of prisoners on ROTL to compete in the NHS Recovery Games at Hadfield, a great success despite complex problems. Similarly she has developed many connections with outside agencies, in particular with Middlesbrough’s membership of the Recovery Cities programme, and delivering AA and NA meetings inside the prison.
• Stephen Harding, Peer Worker, NHS Secure Outreach Team for using his own experience and insight in interpersonal skills as an ex-service user to show real and inspirational understanding with patients and their families, assisting at twice weekly interview panels and supporting individuals and families to get the care they need. He has on his own initiative created a package detailing his own journey, instilling hope that change is possible, and demonstrably decreasing aggression through sessions with those discharged from secure services. Stephen has also added immeasurably to staff training, delivering his story within development days and at Teesside University, where he gives professionals a wealth of insight and compassionate understanding into the patient journey.
• Kay Richmond, Probation Officer, Redcar, Middlesbrough and Cleveland for her work as the senior practitioner on the complex female concentrator team, which specialises in working with the most difficult-to-reach females with numerous complicated needs. In the field of Unpaid Work her capacity to relate on a human level with the females engaged has increased attendance and compliance, enhancing its effectiveness on supporting a life beyond offending. In her work at HMP Low Newton she has also strengthened custody to community transition, and by including women’s voices in settlement plans has given them a feeling of agency and increased their confidence in the possibility of a new future.
Fifty one certificates of high commendation were also presented to the following:
Daniel Crisp, Mikaela Crawford, Stephen Dawson and Louise Moore, Officers at HMP YOI Deerbolt
Allison Moran, Officer, Transitions Wing, HMP YOI Deerbolt
Rachel Greaves and Spectrum Healthcare Champions, HMP YOI Deerbolt
Sue Clark, Officer, Induction Unit, HMP Durham
Emmaleigh Cranswick, Employment Coach, HMP Durham
E Wing, First Night Centre Team, HMP Durham
Peter Elliott, Band D Officer, HMP Durham
Family Liaison Team, HMP Durham
Helen Hindmarch, Reading Specialist, HMP Durham
Healthcare Inpatient Team, HMP Durham
ISU, HMP Durham
Staff Care Support Team, HMP Durham
Sandy Tarn, Safer Custody Hub Manager, HMP Durham
John Wheatley, Supervising Officer Reception, HMP Durham
John Winter, Supervising Officer, HMP Durham
Muhammad Zaman, Chaplain, HMP YOI Deerbolt and HMP Durham
Programmes Team, HMP Holme House
Duncan Barker, Industries Manager, HMP Kirklevington Grange
Nia Collins, Employment Lead, HMP Kirklevington Grange
Michelle Danvers, Safer Custody/Equalities Officer, HMP Kirklevington Grange
Gary Martin, PEI, HMP Kirklevington Grange
Holly Claydon, Parental Rights in Prison Co-ordinator, HMP Low Newton
Holly Danby, OMU Hub Manager, HMP Low Newton
Maddy Hauxwell, Counsellor, Believe Project. HMP Low Newton
Nicola Stephenson, Strategic Housing Specialist, HMP Low Newton
A Way Out Criminal Justice Team
Open Clasp Theatre Company
North East Enhanced Reconnect Team
Cleveland Divert, Custody and Diversion Scheme
Leanne Hopper and Darlington Young People’s Engagement and Justice Services
Durham Tees Valley Mental Health Treatment Requirement Team
Simon Honeysett, Occupational Therapist, NHS Secure Outreach Transitional Team
Linzi Storey, Peer Mentor, Ingeus
Jill Anderson, Case Manager, Ingeus
Durham and Darlington IOM Team
Cleveland IOM Team
Jodie Brown, North East Probation
Elaine Cooper, Chloe Derbyshire, Neville Tobin & Becky Cowen, North East Probation
Durham Probation Female Hub
Barbara Randall, North East Probation
Daniel David French, North East Probation
Chris Riley and Lorraine Jones, North East Probation
Alison Hopson, North East Probation
Julie Norfolk, North East Probation
Nepacs trustee Sheila Seacroft, who organises the awards on behalf of the charity, said: “The Nepacs Ruth Cranfield Awards highlight and celebrate examples of exceptional work by our partner colleagues in the North East in supporting rehabilitation and reducing the risk of reoffending. Our aim is to celebrate good work and to ensure innovative practice and ideas are broadcast as widely as possible so that they can be replicated elsewhere. It’s a pleasure to give recognition to those whose work is so often unseen and undervalued throughout our society.
“I would like to congratulate and thank everyone who received a certificate of commendation and all our award winners for going above and beyond to make a difference to the lives of people involved in the criminal justice system who want to turn their lives around. All of our winners and recipients of certificates have gone the extra mile to help support a positive future for their clients and offer hope for the future.”
Helen Judge, area executive director HMPPS North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “I am thrilled to be celebrating the brilliant work that has been recognised at these awards. People working in criminal justice are changing lives every day in a hugely challenging context, often quietly and behind closed doors. I am glad that they are getting their well-deserved moment in the spotlight and I am especially pleased that we are recognising teams, partners and individuals. Their work is helping to keep communities safer and giving hope for the future.”
For further information on the Nepacs’ Ruth Cranfield awards and previous winners visit www.nepacs.co.uk