'Our greatest assets are those we seek to give a voice'

Chris Dossett

31/10/2013

‘What’s your story’ the youth wing of User Voice was born in 2011 following a consultation with over 740 young people across England. True to the principles of User Voice, young people themselves took their experiences directly to key decision makers, presenting their findings to Members of Parliament. The organisation has since evolved, engaging with well over 2000 young people with functioning youth advisory groups across the country; most of which I have had the privilege to be involved in. As we enter 2014 there has never been a more important time to give services users a voice and I believe User Voice is the most equip to do so.

The successive government now admits “we did a great job punishing people, we did a great job with crime going down and we did a poor job reforming people. We need to make sure there is mentoring, a buddying system, giving probation the autonomy they need.” – Sadiq Khan Shadow Justice Secretary (2013). Currently, under Justice Secretary Chris Grayling the criminal justice system is being privatised, untested on a scale not seen anywhere else in the world. Therefore, it is now more important than ever to monitor impact on services users. User Voice is the mechanism in which to do so as it exists to bridge the once vacuum between those who decide policy and those that experience it. Offering some of the most excluded people in our society to have a say over decisions that affect their lives.

Having worked across the youth service, youth offending service and on the troubled families agenda, as well as studying participation; never have I seen such genuine empowerment as witnessed since joining User Voice 6 months ago. I contribute this to our model of engagement and that User Voice lives its values as an organisation; employing those who have been through the criminal justice system. This is unique as it is apparent through the entire organisation from the CEO, to management, right to the front line. In doing so User Voice has developed a team with genuine expertise and experience of the problems we seek to solve, creating genuine passion and understanding which lacks in other organisations. 

With a democratic progress of engagement I have witnessed young people empowered and able to offer some of the most insightful understanding to offending I have ever heard. With such strong values through our organisation I see our staff motivating institutions and our many partners within the criminal justice system; enabling them to better understand the experiences of the very people they are employed to work with.

Whilst I remain optimistic, not everyone believes in giving us a voice, nor anyone who has ever offended. Our journey as an organisation must continue as we produce growing evidence that our model works and we continue to challenge the very culture of our institutions and society.

I would like to conclude by stating that our greatest assets are those we seek to give a voice, those who are turning their experiences of crime into positive, beneficial and lasting change for others. I feel deeply privileged to have the opportunity to learn from them every day. 

The Pressures of Making a Quick Buck...

Peter Nzekwu
25/10/2013

I come from a place where most of the illegal activities I was involved in were usually done for one reason and one reason only...money! Immigration problems stopped me from working and making money legally so I had to find as many other ways of doing so as possible.

Understanding that most young people are confronted with situations unique to each person, and that that is what leads them into a life of crime, is very important.

Some offend for money, some offend to look cool and others offend just because they don't feel like there's anything better for them to do.

What it is that we need to get through to these young people is that: easy come, easy go!

Young people are very impressionable and will usually see something they like, admire or want, but underestimate how much actually needs to be done in order to achieve their goals.

The concept that anything worth doing is worth doing properly, is one that young people can greatly benefit from.

The key is not to expect too much of young people but rather to hope that they broaden their horizons, as they are still developing as a person and need room to learn from their own mistakes. 

The ones who are more mature in their attitude towards life and the idea of volunteering should, in my opinion, be rewarded for this with paid opportunities. Mainly because young people need financial stability just as much as adults.

Provide young people with more to gain and I guarantee our young people army grows faster than imagined.

'We are like a family, we look out for one another and work as a team, helping others have a voice'

Gail Bland

14/10/2013

My name is Gail, I am an ex-offender and I have worked for User Voice since January 2012 as a Programme Manager setting up and developing a service user council within probation. Also, I deliver a peer mentoring accredited training programme to service users who will then mentor other service users.

Employment for people with criminal records is very difficult especially in today’s current economic climate.  Employers seem to shy away from employing ex-offenders, very often their CV’s go straight in the bin; they don’t seem to be able to look beyond the offence.

I committed a crime 12 years ago and received a 12 month sentence suspended for 2 years.  My experience of probation back then was not a very good one, there was help available but the organisations giving this help and support only seemed interested in ticking a box to say that they had worked with an ex-offender, they often classed a conversation as support.  I often think what if User Voice had been around 10 years ago, personally I wish it had.  I have seen a change in probation's attitudes towards service users.

I was fortunate that I was able to keep my job after being given my sentence, my problems started when this organisation went into administration.  I was out of work for 2 years, applying for all sorts of jobs, the rejection was terrible, this left me feeling depressed and worthless.  When I did get an interview they focused on my offence, and then I heard nothing from them.

I was given a break by an old work colleague who knew all about my offence, this made me feel great again; it was with a charity that trained and gave work placements to ex-offenders and those coming to the end of their prison sentences.  At last a job to help others in a similar position, or so I thought.  Some members of staff gave me a hard time, they went to the board asking that I be finished as I had a criminal record how ironic when these were people supposedly helping offenders and ex-offenders, they did not get their way.  I will never ever forget that experience and don’t want to see others experience it.  I stuck it out and I left when I wanted to leave I did not let them force me out.

I am really privileged and honoured to work for User Voice, the staff all have a vast amount of experience, knowledge and passion and the one thing that really sticks out for me is nobody judges you, we are like a family we look out for one another and work as a team, helping others have a voice.  I love my job, and the service users I work with are fantastic, it's great to see them gaining confidence and belief and becoming stronger each day.  

'It's fair to say if you do the crime you do the time, but how the time is spent will determine whether or not they will serve further time in prison'

Tanayah Sam

09/10/2013

For the past 20 months I’ve had the privilege of being a Programme Manager for User Voice. 

I facilitate three Prison Councils, which requires me to work inside those establishments four days a week. The job at times can be challenging but even more rewarding. User Voice Prison Council is not just a means for Prisoners to have their voices heard, but also at times it has enabled prison staff to have their voices heard also. 

It’s been three years since I was released from prison having served a 9 year prison sentence. The irony of it is the jail for which I received the 9 year sentence is the jail I now spend two days a week in facilitating the User Voice Prison Council and its Director was the Governor of one the jails I served time in on that sentence.

Since my release I’ve always had a strong desire to be involved in an organisation that pushed for a service user response within the criminal justice system. Facilitating space for co-production, enabling the service user and service provider to have dialogue to create better opportunities for rehabilitation and showcase desistance. 

It’s fair to say if you do the crime you do the time. But how the time is spent for many will determine whether or not they will serve further time in prison in their future. Only offenders can stop offending so the service user should have a voice in how best services can provide a meaningful service to help them break the cycle.