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Summit Success
Skills Summit 2007 took place on 7 March at the Hilton Hotel, Coventry, and was judged to be a great success by everyone who attended.
Dr John Reid, Home Secretary, gave a video address to open the conference and talked about the huge challenge facing the Criminal Justice System in addressing its current weaknesses and the difficulties in carrying out a programme of reform and modernisation under the glare of the media spotlight. He went on to say that effective multi agency working, ICT and leadership are priority areas for skills development.
Sir David Normington, Permanent Secretary was the keynote speaker at the event. In his address, he spoke of the importance of the Leitch Review and highlighted how National Occupational Standards define, and are integral to, operational effectiveness and quality.
Other speakers included Richard Lyttle, Programme Director for the Warwickshire Justice Centre whose presentation focused on improving performance through partnership.
The Summit, which was supported by the Home Office, also featured a Question Time session – a dynamic round of questions and answers with a panel of invited members, including Sarah Phillips, Chair of Victim Support, Marc Harrison, Head of Continuing Professional Development for HM Prison Service and Paula Cairney, Head of Training & Development in the National Offender Management division of the Home Office. Questions put to the panel included how can we achieve a joined up justice system and how can we ensure buy-in in new ways of working that are a result of workforce modernisation.
Workshops at the event gave delegates from across the Justice sector, the opportunity to take part in interactive presentations and discussions. Topics included ‘Can’t cook, won’t cook – tackling real problems with action’, ‘The Skills Elevator: Professionalising the Prison Service’ and ‘Making assessment business as usual’.
Richard Winterton, Chief Executive, Skills for Justice said: “Skills Summit is an important event, as it enables people from all parts of the sector to get together and discuss the issues affecting the sector and to share best practice.”
Presentations from the event will e-mailed to Skills Summit attendees, and will also be available on our website later this month. www.skillsforjustice.com
