Novus - Foundations for Change

It was great to see Novus Gower | Novus Gŵyr featured in FE News this week, for hosting their first-ever teaching and learning conference! Novus Gower is a partnership between Novus and Gower College Swansea, providing the learning and skills provision at HMP & YOI Parc. The conference was held at the Swansea. com stadium and served as a platform to recognise the hard work and dedication of teaching colleagues at HMP&YOI Parc, while providing them with new opportunities for professional development. Well done to everyone involved! To read more about the event, take a look at the FE News article below: https://lnkd.in/gsmba7tG

Yesterday, we hosted the We Roar showcase event at City Campus Manchester to share and celebrate the fantastic outcomes of the We Roar Project, as well as share the power of creative enrichment as a rehabilitation tool. Novus colleagues, stakeholders and external partners were invited to celebrate and browse the outstanding artwork produced, as well as hear about the impact creative enrichment has on learners from Peter Cox, Faye Claridge, founder of the We Roar project, Sarah Hartley, National Lead for Creative Arts and Enrichment, and a former Novus learner who took part in the initial project ‘We Bear’ who is now a mentor on the We Roar programme. The event was a huge success, and it was great to be able to showcase the fantastic artwork produced and celebrate and recognise the importance of creative enrichment in prisons through projects like We Roar. To read more about the event, click on the link below:  https://lnkd.in/eh93jNvU

Today we are hosting the We Roar Showcase Event at City Campus Manchester where we will be sharing the power of creative enrichment as a rehabilitation tool. Visitors will have the chance to see the outstanding artwork produced and hear about the difference it has made to prison learners. We Roar, the Transatlantic prison project devised by Faye Claridge, in partnership with Novus and the Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP) at the University of Michigan (USA), supported learners in 20 prisons across England and America to create artwork and poetry. The artwork produced by learners was then collated into an exhibition and toured across UK prisons that were involved in the project, visiting multiple prison sites that Novus operate in. Projects like We Roar, benefit learners in a variety of ways positively contributing to their rehabilitative journey. The We Roar project provided learners with a positive outlet to express themselves and develop emotionally, as well as expanding their Cultural Capital through having access to the exhibition. We can’t wait to showcase the fantastic artwork produced and celebrate and recognise the importance of creative enrichment in prisons. To learn more about the impact We Roar has had on prison learners, take a look at Faye Claridge's We Roar video below. https://lnkd.in/ebKZem7d

In October, Novus education departments across establishments have been hosting events and activities in celebration of Black History Month. Not only does this give learners the opportunity to showcase their skills and knowledge but also helps them to develop their Cultural Capital by learning about different cultures and communities, as well as developing empathy and tolerance towards peers. HMP High Down hosted a Black History Carnival whilst HMP Hewell commemorated the month-long celebration through their reading strategy. To learn more read the article below:  https://lnkd.in/e8BndWby

Earlier this week our MD, Peter Cox attended the launch of Greene King's Brewing Ambitions Report. Working with Greene King in recent years has made a real difference to so many of our learners, helping them to thrive on release thanks to the chance of a sustainable career. Forming collaborative partnerships has enabled us to ensure that our education offer fits the needs of organisations like Greene King and has included innovations like the Greene King training academy that has been developed at HMP Thameside. Sustainable career opportunities like those with Greene King help the individuals, their families and communities, along with making a difference to wider society thanks to a reduction in reoffending and its associated costs. Prison leavers are are source of untapped potential and can be a real asset to your organisation, if you are interested in working with us, please get in touch.

At the start of October, the Novus Functional Skills Team at HMP Thameside attended the Tes SEND Show 2024. The team had the fantastic opportunity to meet with innovative companies that are developing amazing technology and resources to support our learners with neurodiverse needs. Additionally, the team heard from teachers, SENCos, head teachers, and parents about their experiences navigating SEND in mainstream education. Despite the focus being primarily on schools, there was still so much valuable information to gain and everyone that the team spoke to were eager to see how they could provide support in a prison environment! The team from HMP Thameside came away from the event with valuable information and resources and hope to bring some of this innovation to their classrooms and wings! The majority of learners who enter prison have neurodiverse needs. In order to engage learners in education in a way that supports their individual needs, it’s crucial that we stay up to date with the changes and updates within the SEND landscape. Events like these give our colleagues the opportunity to keep up to date with crucial information and resources, which can then be incorporated into their curriculum offer, further engaging more learners in education. To learn more about how we support learners with neurodiverse needs in prison education, read the article below: https://lnkd.in/eWbCt3TD

We are pleased to announce that Novus have been shortlisted for the Employment Related Services Association (ERSA) Employability Awards 2024! We have been shortlisted in the ‘Tailored Employment Support’ category for the fantastic work that our Novus Works Team do in supporting learners into employment, education and training. Amina Bodhania, Head of Partnerships and Business Improvement at Novus has commented positively on the submission: “We are thrilled to be shortlisted for the ERSA Employability Awards in the category of Tailored Employment Support. This recognition is a testament to our dedicated team, who work closely with HMPPS colleagues, employers and partners to help individuals find meaningful employment and transform their lives.” The winners will be announced following ERSA’s annual conference in London on 4th December 2024! Good luck to all teams involved! To read more about the fantastic work, the Novus Works team do in supporting learners into employment, education and training, read the article below: https://lnkd.in/eFAeStPg

We are delighted to announce that HMP Hatfield have received a ‘Good’ overall rating from Ofsted, with behaviour and attitudes recognised as ‘Outstanding’. The report included many positive comments including: “Leaders and managers had a clear strategy for the education, skills and work (ESW) curriculum to support prisoners into sustainable employment on release” “Leaders and managers had formed very effective relationships with employers. They worked collaboratively with employers to recruit prisoners into the workforce.” It is fantastic to be recognised for both of these points, as one of our main aims is to help learners into employment upon release. By working with employer partners, it enables us to create employer-led training programmes and develop viable routes into employment. Congratulations to everyone at HMP Hatfield, it’s a fantastic collaborative effort from Novus, HMPPS colleagues and other supporting organisations and it is making a real difference to our learners. For more details and a link to the full report, visit our website on the link below: https://lnkd.in/eta5H9Xv

Earlier this year, Novus learners in the English department at HMP Humber took part in The Spinning Tales Project which was organised by the National Justice Museum (NJM). The work produced was then included in the NJM publication earlier on in the year. The learners enjoyed the project so much, that the English department decided to re-run the project internally as a collaboration with the art department which was a huge success! Projects like this enable more learners to engage in enrichment opportunities. A project that was initially aimed at learners in the English department was able to be modified so that the art department could get involved further engaging more learners in enrichment opportunities. To learn more read the article below:

According to Government statistics, adults released from prison sometimes go on to reoffend, but participation in education is shown to reduce this. So, to help reduce reoffending rates, we encourage as many learners as possible into our education provision, and one of the ways we do this is through vocational training. Providing learners with industry-relevant training and work experience for their chosen career path, means they can find employment or further training upon release and successfully reintegrate back into society. To learn more, read the article below: https://lnkd.in/gHz2Udss