Institute for Public Safety, Crime and Justice (IPSCJ)
The Institute for Public Safety, Crime and Justice (IPSCJ) at the University of Northampton delivers high quality research and evaluation, insight and innovation in the fields of public safety, crime and justice.
About Institute for Public Safety, Crime and Justice
The IPSCJ is situated at the interface between practice, policy and academia, adopting an evidence-based approach to enhance public service delivery models, organisational strategy and outcomes for service users. The IPSCJ collaborates with partner organisations at local, regional, national and international levels. The core mission of the IPSCJ is to support positive evidence-based policy and practice change for the benefit of society.
The objectives of the IPSCJ are:
- To work with public safety organisations to support innovation, organisational development and evidence-based policy and practice;
- To contribute high quality research evidence, ideas, insight, innovation and evaluation to developments in public safety policy and practice;
- To stimulate and shape change and transformation in public safety policy and practice locally, nationally and internationally;
- To enhance outcomes for service users through evidence-based practice and policy inputs, measuring the impact and value of our recommendations; and
- To inform organisational strategy and policy, supporting innovation and cultural transformation to improve efficacy, efficiency and workforce productivity and satisfaction.
The IPSCJ teams has a blend of academic, professional and policy expertise and experience. As such, we are uniquely positioned to offer dynamic, innovative and flexible services to public safety and justice organisations.
Themes
The IPSCJ has five key research and evaluation portfolios:
- Health and Justice: We explore intersections between health and justice, working with a wide range of partners and agencies in community and prison settings.
- Citizens in Policing: We investigate the roles, functions, and contributions of volunteers within public safety and policing.
- Children and Young People: We work with children and young people taking a child-centred and participatory approach to research and evaluation.
- Organisational Development: We support organisations to understand practices, structures, and cultures to improve effectiveness and lead change.
- Equality, Vulnerability and Inclusion: We empower individuals and communities whose voices are not often heard to take part in research and evaluation.
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Community sentence treatment requirement (cstr) multi-site evaluation
The IPSCJ is currently completing an evaluation of the use of Community Sentence Treatment Requirements, focussing on mental health interventions delivered as part of Community Orders, in a range of sites across England. The project is funded by a range of partners locally and feeds into the national CSTR Board, chaired jointly by the Ministry of Justice and Department of Health. The project will create a new evidence base that documents outcomes following interventions as well as identify good practice to inform the development of local programmes.
Emsou organisational development programme
The IPSCJ is currently delivering an organisational development programme, funded by the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU). The project involves pulling the workforce engagement findings together with the EMSOU strategy, the focus on people and wellbeing and the overall ambition to be the best regional special operations unit. The approach is centred on developing the attitudes, perceptions, thinking and mindsets of officers and staff, about the policing context, challenges and opportunities that they work within. Sustainable changes in behaviour follow from this, which will create a culture in EMSOU that is dynamic, positive about tackling new threats and risks and facilitates teams bringing their skills and expertise together to drive innovation and excellent service delivery.
Reviewing and improving identification of ex-service personnel in the criminal justice system in England, wales and scotland and their access to and take up of support
The IPSCJ in collaboration with NACRO and the Institute for Social Innovation and Impact, University of Northampton, have been commissioned by the Forces in Mind Trust to review the current processes and mechanisms in place for identifying ex-Service personnel within the CJS of England, Wales and Scotland, identify any shortcomings, and make practical recommendations on how identification could be improved. The project will also examine the barriers to uptake of support for both ex-service personnel in the CJS and their families, and make appropriate recommendations.
Find out more about our institute’s projects on PURE.
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X: @ipscj