In today's episode, we will be discussing Jobcentre Plus, the punitive approach that we have been seeing when it comes to supporting people back to work, and what this says about the UK's welfare policy. In Catch22's manifesto, we are calling for the government to revolutionise Jobcentre Plus so that, alongside other employment related services, they become a place where people are supported into careers rather than placed into ‘any job.’ Joining Stella to discuss the issues around...

The debate around fixed term recalls reflects the broader tensions within criminal justice policy between punitive and rehabilitative approaches, and between the imperatives of public safety and individual rights. These debates are particularly important when we are thinking about the context of rising prison populations in the UK, with concerns about the sustainability of the current system and the effectiveness of existing policies in reducing reoffending rates and supporting the...

Charity campaigning will never be as well-resourced as lobbying by the private sector. However, with increasing government cuts and the current cost-of-living crisis, the charity sector is working under increasing financial constraints, meaning charitable organisations have to be even more strategic in how they try to influence government policy.  In this episode, Stella is joined by Babs Williams, CEO of Frontline, and a public policy analyst, to explore different strategies for influencing...

In Catch22’s Manifesto, we are calling for the government to invest in ‘digital skills for work’ programmes for the UK workforce, to ensure that every person is equipped for the future world of work. In today’s episode, Stella is joined by Carolina Saludes, a Global Campaign Strategist at PwC, to explore the current challenges and opportunities in the UK job market, why digital skills and training and upskilling are needed for the future of work, and the use of AI in the wider labour...

In today's episode, Stella is joined by Dr Elisabeth Carter, a Criminologist and Forensic Linguist. Dr Carter analyses communications between fraudsters and victims to understand how people can become victims of this crime, and uses her findings to improve victim support. Stella and Dr Carter discuss what romance fraud is, the tactics used by criminals, the impact it has on its victims, and who should be responsible for protecting the public from this crime....

In today's episode we will be focusing on how AI (artificial intelligence) is used in public services and the hiring process; the challenges, the dangers, and of course, the opportunities. Joining Stella to discuss is Rachel Coldicutt, Executive Director of Careful Trouble, and Magid El-Amin, Director of Evidence and Insight at Catch22. With the recent release of our manifesto: 22 ways to build resilience and aspiration in people and communities, our fourth season focuses on some of our...

In this episode of Catch22Minutes, we’ll be exploring the problem with short term prison sentences. Last month, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, announced that there will be a new legal presumption that offenders facing jail sentences of under 12 months will instead be given a community sentence. This is welcome news for many working in the Criminal Justice sector, as removing short term prison sentences has been at the top of the agenda for many organisations and politicians. Joining Stella...

In this episode of Catch22Minutes, we’ll be discussing the campaign to make care experience a protected characteristic under the Equalities Act 2010. Many care experienced people face discrimination, stigma, and prejudice in their day-to-day lives. Public perceptions of care experience centre on the idea that children are irredeemably damaged and that can lead to discrimination and assumptions being made. We want to see the next Government commit to supporting care experienced young people...

In this episode of Catch22Minutes, we’ll be discussing the topic of green skills. As we say in our manifesto, we want to see the next government commit to ensuring the UK is a true skills hub, identifying the skills required for jobs of the future and equipping the workforce to meet those needs. Specifically, we are asking the government to increase the number of green skills training courses and amend more courses to be green, such as lifetime skills, boot camps and apprenticeships.  To...

The fourth series of Catch22Minutes focuses on policy and is presented by Catch22’s Head of Policy and Campaigns, Stella Tsantekidou.  Our episodes will look at topics from our manifesto such as green skills, restorative justice, and care experience. Learn more about our manifesto: https://bit.ly/3F7KCf3

For millions of people in the UK, drug taking is a normal day of everyday life, from drinking alcohol or caffeine, to taking a paracetamol for a headache. For some though, drug taking is a serious problem, often having a devastating effect on the individual’s life and the lives of those around them. Latest statistics show that over 20% of people the age of 16-24 have taken an illicit drug. Around 7% are known to have taken a Class A drug, deemed to be the most dangerous, and around 18% have...

In this episode of Catch22Minutes, we take a look at how we can rethink the approach to young people's mental health services through one of our own services, The Hive. The Hive is a free mental health and wellbeing service that supports all young people age 16-24 in London. Based at The Hive building in Camden, they support young people with mental health, personal development, health and wellbeing, sexual health, employment and education, and substance misuse. The Hive delivers support in a...

In this episode of Catch22Minutes, we’ll be exploring what safeguarding actually means in practice and why it’s so important. We’ll also be looking at the inequity that can occur in safeguarding and ask why some groups are sometimes safeguarded better than others. Safeguarding involves taking measures to protect the health, wellbeing, and human rights of individuals. This allows young people, children, and vulnerable adults to live free from abuse, harm, and neglect. When safeguarding goes...

In this episode of Catch22Minutes, we’ll be discussing county lines. For children and young people who are victims of county lines activity the impact on their lives, and the lives of those around them, can be devastating. We know that grooming techniques are becoming more advanced, and that escaping the clutches of these perpetrators can be incredibly difficult. What techniques are perpetrators using to lure children into county lines activity? Why are victims seemingly getting younger? What...

In this episode of Catch22Minutes, we'll be discussing the topic of online harms. The online world presents huge opportunities for finding purpose, connection, and community. Our world heavily relies on the internet in order to find work, to connect with services, to be entertained, to keep in touch with loved ones. But the online world can also present significant risks for children and young people. It’s a fast moving space, and the threat of online grooming and exposure to harmful content...

In this special episode of Catch22Minutes, we take a break from our third series to discuss constructive resettlement. Constructive resettlement is an evidence-based framework that empowers practitioners to support children and young people on their own personal journeys, enabling them to shift their identities away from crime and towards a positive, pro-social future. In this episode, Judah Armani, our partner from public service design practise, interviews Helen Dyson and Naomi McGrath;...

In this episode of Catch22Minutes, we'll be discussing the topic of care-leavers and criminalisation. Why is it that while care-leavers aged 16-18 make up less than 1% of the under-18 population, estimates suggest that over 25% of young offenders, and over 50% of people in secure children's centres have been in care. What are the factors that mean young people in care are more likely to be criminalised than those outside the care system? What support is available to them? And ultimately, how...

In this episode of Catch22Minutes, we explore how and why children go missing, how it can be prevented, and the signs that a missing episode may be linked to exploitation. We cover what to do if you’re worried that a child is missing, and discuss the response to missing children, including the good, and not so good, practice that can make a real difference as to whether a child goes missing again. We are joined by Josie Allan, Senior Partnerships and Policy Manager at Missing People, and...

Catch22 traces its roots back to the late eighteenth century and lays claim to the initiation of a range of public services from education to probation. For many of the statutory services we know today, they started off as ideas and then became services delivered by private and voluntary organisations – such as Catch22. Today host Josie Cochrane is joined by Catch22’s former CEO Chris Wright. From his early days as a social worker to leading Catch22 through the immense changes for nearly two...

‘Hidden victims’ are people who do not access victim services, even though these services are free and independent of the police. Hidden victims are not included in official crime statistics. From those dealing with homelessness or domestic or sexual violence to those who are very young or elderly, their under-reporting means funding does not get sufficiently allocated to these groups of particularly vulnerable groups.  At the same time, the term ‘victim’ too often feels disempowering to...

4.6 million people are affected by fraud each year and around 700,000 will go on to suffer profoundly as a result of its impact. As incidences of fraud continue to grow, as do the sophisticated methods behind different types of fraud, so too will the impact on people’s lives. Joining today’s episode is Kevin McGetrick, Head of Victims Services and Commissioning at the Hertfordshire OPCC, and Neil Postins, Service Delivery Manager for the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit,...

COVID-19 has accelerated the use of technology across the justice sector - from virtual court hearings to video support visits. The challenge now is to ensure innovation continues. We know good people and a purpose are key to helping prison leavers rehabilitate into our communities, so how do we do all this while ensuring human relationships remain the priority? Hosted by Josie Cochrane, joining us today is James Levy from Socrates360 and Code4000’s Jim Taylor. Socrates are developers of...

Restorative justice gives victims the opportunity to be heard and the offender the chance to  repair the harm done – all through a supportive, controlled environment. It can involve an in-person facilitated discussion, letters or recorded messages between the victim and offender. Research also suggests it results in at least a 14% reduction in the frequency of reoffending, and an 85% victim satisfaction rate.   In this episode, Catch22Minutes host Josie Cochrane is joined by Detective...

Effective service design and delivery is essential in public services. Whether it is improving outcomes for prison leavers or transforming the education system, we all want to create meaningful impact. Joined today by Cell Workout creator LJ Flanders, and Head of Social Impact Challenge Lab, Judah Armani, we discuss the challenges with co-creation and how we can overcome these to better innovate public services across the entire justice sector.  Hosted by Catch22 Communications Manager Josie...