Enterprise and Business Committee
Discussion on the Welsh Government's Co-investment in Skills Framework
Evidence from National Offender Management Service (NOMS) in Wales – CIS 05
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OFFICIAL SENSITIVE
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National Offender Management Service 3rd Floor Churchill House Churchill Way Cardiff CF10 2HH
Email: sarah.payne@noms.gsi.gov.uk
Director of NOMS Wales
Business manager - Louise Forman
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Martha Da Gama Howells Clerk, Enterprise and Business Committee National Assembly for Wales Cardiff Bay CF99 1NA.
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By email :- SeneddEcon@Assembly.Wales |
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3 June 2015 |
COMMENTS FOR THE ENTERPRISE AND BUSINESS COMMITTEE’S REVIEW OF THE WELSH GOVERNMENT’S FRAMEWORK FOR CO-INVESTMENT IN SKILLS
1. The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) in Wales is responsible for both public and private sector prison and probation services across Wales. The focus of these services is to protect the public, support the rehabilitation of adult offenders and reduce their risk of re-offending. A key factor in helping an offender to successfully rehabilitate and become a responsible citizen is enabling them to develop appropriate employability skills that can lead to sustainable employment whilst supporting Welsh businesses.
- NOMS in Wales is responsible for commissioning prisoner learning and skills provision in Wales in close collaboration with the Welsh Government. We enter into an annual Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to describe how we will work together in relation to the provision of education, learning and skills within prisons. This forms an integral part of our wider commissioning responsibilities to protect the public and reduce re-offending by identifying and addressing the range of causal factors for an offender’s behaviour. It also enables us to work in partnership with relevant public, private and voluntary sector organisations to identify how we can help increase Welsh economic activity and support Welsh business, whilst addressing offending behaviour and sustainable community safety.
3. To take this forward we are keen to build on our current business and prison partnership working by increasing skills investment opportunities at the prison establishments. Services in prisons are able to respond to business skill demands and relevant accreditation requirements with a flexible and tailored provision to specific sector or business skills shortages within a structured prison-based work environment.
4. We work closely with the Department for Education and Skills to deliver this shared approach. We also align with the Welsh Government’s Skills Implementation Plan and are developing links with the three Regional Skills Partnerships to support their work in identifying and meeting the skills gaps for businesses in Wales.
5. Whilst prisons are not specifically mentioned within the framework the importance and synergy that collaborating in the delivery of prison-based skills programmes can bring to communities, business and individuals is something to be promoted and encouraged.
6. The new prison in North Wales will have a significant focus on developing prisoners’ employability skills to support their rehabilitation and employment opportunities for those returning to North Wales and the surrounding area. There is an ideal opportunity to create a collaborative partnership approach with business and NOMS in Wales as we develop our commissioning requirements for the prison. We are actively promoting these discussions with the Regional Skills Partnership, local business and other key stakeholders to consider creating positive economic benefits for the Welsh economy whilst bringing offender and communities together in a restorative justice approach.
7. We wish the Committee to acknowledge our support for the Welsh Government’s framework, which creates more awareness and scope for opportunities for collaboration with the services we commission and deliver.
All good wishes/ cofion gorau,
Sarah Payne
Cyrfarwyddwr/Director
Gwasanaeth Cenedlaethol Rheoli Troseddwyr yng Nghymru/
National Offender Management Service (NOMS) in Wales