Novus has interesting and exciting news to share. With nearly 3,000 colleagues operating across more than 60 sites and working with over 65,000 offenders annually, there is never a shortage of stories to tell.
The work we do with the Ministry of Justice, the National Offender Management Service, the Youth Justice Board and a variety of partner organisations enables us to report on how we are raising the aspirations of offenders to increase employability and reduce re-offending.
It gives us great pride to update and inform on the work we do with young people and adults in custody and in the community, providing them with high quality offender education, training and employability services.
Our teams of colleagues are passionate about transforming lives - it is what makes them tick. We look forward to keeping you abreast of their endeavours in sites across the UK.
Novus news will be regularly updated on our website and can also be digested in New Directions, our quarterly newspaper, which you can download below.
Music brings families together at HMP Buckley
Colleagues at HMP Buckley took a unique approach to family day, introducing learners to the Gamelan – an Indonesian orchestra. Exploring the music and culture of Indonesia, the day enabled them to create new experiences and shared memories with their families.
Families play a central role in helping with rehabilitation and spending time together before release has been proven to help reduce the chances of reoffending. Resettlement surveys by the Ministry of Justice have shown that ‘the odds of reoffending were 39% higher for learners who had not received visits, compared to those who had’*.
During the day, learners took part in a practical music workshop introducing them to a variety of Gamelan instruments including tuned percussion instruments, gongs, metallophones and drums. It gave them a chance to experience playing traditional Indonesian music as a family whilst improvising and composing a number of different pieces. Learners on the catering course also prepared Indonesian dishes to continue the cultural theme and allow the families to try new types of food.
Commenting about the day, Novus Operational Lead for Families Sarah Hartley said: “The aim of the day was to introduce families to the arts so they could engage in new cultural experiences. As a fully accessible activity, the Gamelan orchestra fitted well with the family dynamics. It enabled our learners to communicate effectively with each other and within their family groups.”
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Novus has built successful and effective partnerships that work to the benefit of offenders and ex-offenders.
From the long-standing working relationships to the more recent partnerships we have forged, we are delighted to join forces in transforming the lives of children, young people and adults through the provision of high quality learning and employability skills.
Working with the Ministry of Justice, the Youth Justice Board and the National Offender Management Service as well as a wide range of visionary charities and organisations, we strive to raise our learners’ aspirations, support them back into purposeful activity, prepare them for the world of work and consequently reduce the risk of re-offending.
Our partners offer crucial strategic input into the delivery of our services and provide an insight into their sector, ensuring Novus evolves and our work remains of the highest quality.
We are always open to new and innovative ways to extend our reach and put even more people on the path to a crime-free future, so if you are interested in partnering with us please get in touch.
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