User Voice - Only Offenders Can Stop Re-Offending

NEW FILM: England Your England

Mark Nash, full time Programme Manager at User Voice since May 2011, is the protagonist of one of the four films which compose England Your England, a short film documentary series directed by the UK filmmaker Matt Hopkins.

Mark is currently working on council projects with London Probation Trust (LPT),  HMP Maidstone, and HMYOI Aylesbury.



Mark from England Your England on Vimeo.

NEW VOLUNTEER ROLE: Community Council Volunteer (Cumbria)


Volunteer Role

Role Title
Community Council Volunteer (Cumbria)

Purpose of the role
To support User Voice staff in the completion of service user questionnaires and the recruitment of service users for the Community Council project. 

Time Commitment
1-2 days per week 

Duration
4 weeks in addition to a period of training. 

Responsibilities & Duties
Assist the Programme Manager to:
  - Promote User Voice and the Community Council project to service users
  - Facilitate the completion of service user questionnaires

Skills & Experience
Excellent communication skills
Some knowledge of the Criminal Justice System, particularly Probation. First-hand experience is desirable. 

Personal Qualities
A non-judgemental attitude
Good time keeping and punctuality
Ability to keep information confidential
Enthusiasm for User Voice’s mission and aims
Ability to work well with others as well as individually

Benefits
An invaluable experience working on a high profile project
An opportunity to contribute to real positive change
A chance to develop existing skills and gain new ones
Work experience to add to your CV
Support from User Voice staff including a personal development plan
Reimbursement of travel and lunch costs

Training
You will be provided with full training necessary for you to perform the role.

CRB Check
Yes, CRB checks are done at the earliest possible stage. However your CRB is not a barrier to this work and each case will be reviewed on its merits.

Reference/Interview
Yes, this is a standard requirement for all volunteers.

How to Apply
If you are interested please complete the volunteer registration form indicating which role you are interested in or email volunteer@uservoice.org or call 020 3137 7471.


NEW OFFICE: User Voice keeps growing...

User Voice are pleased to announce our new office base in the North West!

This is in addition to our existing offices in London and the Midlands.

Building upon our growing presence and staff members based in the region, we have teamed up with the charity, Antz Junction based in Swinton, Greater Manchester, to become an integral part of their 'Grow and Give Back' ethos, particularly around supporting ex-offenders and young people coming into the centre to access support.

The full address of our new base is:
User Voice
Antz Junction
Junction Eco Park
Rake Lane
Swinton
Greater Manchester M27 8LR
Tel: 0161 728 6868

Click here for a map.

You can find out more about this exciting new venture and the numerous social enterprises and charities from the North West working together to help others at Antz Junction here.
 

From Re-offender to Rising Star

Cordelle Cabey, National Youth Co-ordinator at User Voice, has given an interview to the fortnightly magazine Children and Young People Now (Dec 2012-Jan 2013).

The interview traces his path from re-offender to being described by the delegates at the 2012 Youth Justice Convention as a "rising star".

Click here to read the interview.

Mark Johnson speaks at Trinity College Dublin



As part of their Social Entrepreneurship Speaker Series, Trinity College Dublin invited Mark Johnson to speak at the Innovation Academy on 23 January 2013.

To read more about the event click here.

NEW VOLUNTEER ROLE: Peer Mentoring Programme (Essex)


Volunteer Role


Role Title
Peer Mentoring Programme Volunteer (Essex)

Purpose of the role
To support User Voice staff in the completion of service user questionnaires, the recruitment of Mentors and Mentees for the programme and to assist the Programme Manager with administrative tasks during training sessions. The work is in various locations in Essex.

Time Commitment
2 - 3 days per week (not exceeding 16 hours)

Duration
4 weeks in addition to a period of training

Responsibilities & Duties
Assist the Programme Manager to:
  - Raise awareness of the Peer Mentoring Programme with service users
  - Facilitate the completion of service user questionnaires
  - Administrative duties during training sessions


Skills & Experience
 - Excellent communication skills.
 - Some knowledge of the Criminal Justice System, particularly Probation. First-hand experience is desirable. 
 - Experience of supporting trainers in teaching environments is desirable.

Personal Qualities
 - A non-judgemental attitude.
 - Good time keeping and punctuality.
 - Ability to keep information confidential.
 - Enthusiasm for User Voice’s mission and aims.
 - Ability to work well with others, as well as individually.

Benefits
 - An invaluable experience working on a high profile project.
 - An opportunity to contribute to an innovative programme.
 - A chance to develop existing skills and gain new ones.
 - Work experience to add to your CV.
 - Support from User Voice staff including a personal development plan.
 - Reimbursement of travel and lunch costs.

Training
You will be provided with full training necessary for you to perform the role.

CRB Check
Yes, CRB checks are done at the earliest possible stage. However your CRB is not a barrier to this work and each case will be reviewed on its merits.

Reference/Interview
Yes, this is a standard requirement for all volunteers.

How to Apply
If you are interested please complete the volunteer registration form indicating the role you are interested in or email volunteer@uservoice.org or call 020 3137 7471.