Update on new prison education contracts
Francesca Cooney, Head of Policy at Prisoners’ Education Trust and National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance steering group member, has provided a useful update on the new prison education contracts in a blog for Criminal Justice Alliance.
The new contracts will allow governors to commission education services both through a core Prison Education Framework (PEF) contract, and directly – without subcontracting through their PEF provider – through a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). Following the launch of the DPS in November 2018, Francesca’s blog explores what challenges and opportunities will arise from 1st April 2019 when PEF contracts begin.
She says,
In April, we’ll see the biggest changes in prison education for many years. As with all major change, this brings risks and challenges, but it also brings a real opportunity to make prison education more relevant, more effectively coordinated and more flexible.”
Adding,
Prison managers are currently busy resolving the details of the PEF contracts. Over the next few months prison governors will begin to consider what gaps they have in their service provision that could be filled by using the DPS. It is not yet clear whether governors will be able to move any underspend from the PEF over to the DPS.”
See the full list of PEF suppliers (PDF, via Prisoners’ Education Trust)
Image courtesy of Changing Tunes
