Rachel Newman, who is studying for a Nursing Associate Foundation Degree Apprenticeship at Bedfordshire, was nominated for her project which created a women’s pathway in police custody within the Liaison and Diversion service (Lads).

The Howard League for Penal Reform Community Awards celebrate and highlight community projects that are encouraging desistance from crime.

Rachel is a Support Time Recovery worker within the Liaison and Diversion service.

The service supports vulnerable individuals, from the age of 10-65, who enter the criminal justice system and are based in custody suites and magistrates’ courts across the country.

Rachel said: “Our aim is to provide support to these individuals and refer them to other support agencies such as housing, drug and alcohol services and mental health support.”

She was appointed the women’s pathway lead within her team following workshops and encouragement from NHS England to incorporate women’s pathways within Lads teams.

The encouragement came after extensive research showed women’s specific and unique needs within the system needed to be prioritised. A pathway for women needed to be created with dedicated women leads.  

The Lads in which Rachel works “set up the pathway, which consisted of visiting women’s services within the area and collaboratively working with these services, to promote the women’s pathway and construct referral pathways”.

The implementation of this pathway saw Rachel and her team nominated for The Howard League for Penal Reform Community Awards in the category ‘Women’.

Rachel and her colleagues attended the awards ceremony in London in November.

She concluded: “Although we didn’t win, the national recognition of the bespoke pathway we created was an honour in itself. At The Howard League for Penal Reform Community Awards there were many great initiatives showcasing their services too and it was an excellent networking event to share good practice.”

Jackie Cashmore, course leader for the Nursing Associate Apprenticeship in the School of Healthcare Practice, said: “Rachel is an exceptional learner and she is dedicated to her service users.

“When attending the University, she brings with her an empathic and engaged vision of what she and the team she works within can do to both enhance services for service users and the wider community. Well done Rachel”.