3. NIGHT SCHOOL
20 0 9 -20 1 0 P RO G RA M M E
0141 429 7229
Supporting Abstinence and Sustaining Recovery in the Community
We deliver challenging educational and
therapeutic programmes that contribute
to sustaining recovery in the community
5. An alternative to custody / a guide for Carers and Young Persons
The Opportunities for Change project has been developed in partnership with City of Edinburgh Council,
Scottish Borders Council, West Lothian Council, Midlothian Council, East Lothian Council, Scottish Children’s
Reporter Administration, Scottish Prison Service, Scottish Courts, Includem and VentureTrust.
Includem is an independent organisation in the voluntary sector. Includem is a company limited by guarantee
registered in Scotland (207985) and is a registered charity (SCO 30233).
For further information please contact Claire Gibson, Project Co-ordinator for Opportunities for Change,
0131 652 2555
6. A life of crime isn’t easy
The first time you get lifted it’s scary.You don’t know what’s
going to happen.Your folks go mad.Your girlfriend /
boyfriend gives you a hard time.You promise it won’t
happen again
Then you start to get used to it. It’s easy.You know the ropes
and what happens next.You can handle it and it’s no big
deal.Your friends and family stop giving you grief about it
Now it’s a habit.Your life’s a mess.Your family wants you
out the house.Your girlfriend / boyfriend wants someone
who’s around more.Your real mates are avoiding you.
You’re doing drugs and drinking too much
With help, you can do something about it
7. Opportunities for Change
Q
A
Q
A
WHAT IS IT?
It’s exactly what it says – an opportunity
to change the way your life’s going. It’s an
opportunity to stop commiting crimes.
And it’s an opportunity to stay out of jail.
It’s run by Includem and VentureTrust.
We work with you, your family and any
other supports you have to help you
get sorted.
You’ll get regular support from your own
workers and the chance to take part in
outdoor activities that might include a 5
day group trip in the Scottish wilderness,
where you can begin to work on ways to
change your life.
WHO IS IT FOR?
Males and females between 16 – 18
being seen at the Sherrif Court.
Chances are you’ll have been up lots
of times before, or you may have had
a supervision order or been in secure.
Whatever your background, it’s for
people who want help to stop commiting
crimes – and people who want to stay
out of jail. In fact, it’s for anyone who
wants to work on the issues that
increase your chances of offending.
That might mean looking at your drug
or alcohol use, sorting out your benefits
or getting a job, or looking at your
housing options.
8. Q
A
Q
A
WE HELP, BUT YOU DO THE
HARD GRAFT
By signing up for this project you’re
saying you want to stop offending and
stay out of custody and you’re willing
to work hard at it.
You will be making a commitment - to
your community, to your family, but
most importantly to yourself to want
to change your behaviour.
You’re agreeing to meet with other
specialist workers on anything that’s
been included in your support plan.
This might be things like health, housing,
addictions, education or employment.
You want to have fun experiences
in outdoor settings, knowing it’ll be
intensive and challenging and means
you’ll have to work hard at making it
a success.
And you’ll know that we will report back
to the Sherrif regularly on the progress
you’re making.That means if you don’t
do what you’ve agreed to, you may end
up in jail.
But if you’re serious about making
changes that will improve your life
and give you something positive to
look forward to, get in touch. We’ve
no magic wand but we’ll do everything
we can to help.
WHAT DO WE DO?
We’ll give you all the support you need to
sort your stuff out.That will mean you’ll
get your own workers who will talk with
you to agree on how much support you
need and what we’re going to work on
together. We will see you 7 days a week
at first, and can carry on doing it if you
need it. As a minimum, we’ll meet for 6
hours a week.
You can also phone us 24 hours a day,
every day of the year including
Christmas and New Year’s Day. We’ll
have a worker ready to respond to
any issues that come up, regardless
of the time you phone.
You’ll get the opportunity to take part
in up to 180 hours of outdoor activities,
individually and/or as part of a group
to work on your personal development.
This might include a half day rock
climbing, personal and social skills
workshops or 5 days in the mountains
living in tents!
And we’ll also be asked to provide
regular updates to the Sheriff on the
progress you’re making.They will need
to be happy with the progress you’re
making and will have the right to bring
you back to court if they are not.
9. THE INCLUDEM & VENTURE
TRUST PARTNERSHIP
Includem’s programme of intensive
support and supervision encourages
young people to take responsibility
for their own lives and actions through
social skill development, cognitive
development and learning. This
approach complements Venture
Trust’s personal development method
of delivery and results in a robust
alternative to custody.
VentureTrust delivers programmes of
group work and residential experiences
to the most vulnerable and persistent
young offenders. Includem’s one-to-one
intensive support and supervision
facilitates change and promotes a
model of continuity of care for the young
person.This partnership will ensure that
the learning and skills gained through
outdoor activity and expedition are
transferred back into the community.
This is a joint commitment to the
reduction of offending by young
people and the management of their
behaviour in the community. It will be
present from the point of referral
and assessment to the transitional
support and disengagement of the
young person from the project.
LOTHIAN & BORDERS COMMUNITY JUSTICE AUTHORITY
Opportunities for Change is a Community Justice
Authority pilot project developed to better meet the needs
of young offenders when they appear before the Sheriff
Court. Many of these young people will have been or
may still be subject to Children’s Hearing‘supervision’
and have experienced secure accommodation. The project
recognises the difficulty for young offenders in transition
between children’s and adult services and aims to provide
a robust and effective alternative to custody.
The project has been developed in partnership with City
of Edinburgh Council,The Scottish Borders Council,West
Lothian Council, Midlothian Council, East Lothian Council,
SCRA, SPS, Includem and Venture Trust.
The Opportunities for Change project has been developed in partnership with City of Edinburgh Council,
Scottish Borders Council, West Lothian Council, Midlothian Council, East Lothian Council, Scottish Children’s
Reporter Administration, Scottish Prison Service, Scottish Courts, Includem and VentureTrust.
Includem is an independent organisation in the voluntary sector. Includem is a company limited by guarantee
registered in Scotland (207985) and is a registered charity (SCO 30233).
For further information please contact Claire Gibson, Project Co-ordinator for Opportunities for Change,
0131 652 2555
10. INCLUDEM
Includem works with Scotland’s most
vulnerable young people: challenging
offending behaviour and supporting
change. Our aims are to meet the
needs of young people experiencing a
troubled transition to adulthood and
who have a history of, or are at greatest
risk of, persistent offending. We engage
young people in individual intensive
packages of support and supervision
in the community, available seven days
a week, 24 hours a day. We seek to
develop their interests in health,
educational and other opportunities
that in the long term will help them
lead settled and productive lives.
VENTURE TRUST
VentureTrust works with people who
want to change. TheTrust’s programmes
of personal development engender
in them a greater sense of personal
responsibility, self worth and an
increased ability to make positive
changes to their lives. Participants
enjoy an increase in confidence,
motivation and consequential thinking.
They develop personal, social and
life skills, enabling them to progress
to further education, training
or employment.
PROJECT AIM
Opportunities for Change aims
to provide a robust and effective
alternative to custody for young
offenders in Lothian and Borders,
creating safer communities through
a reduction in re-offending and
providing intensive support
and supervision.
PROJECT OUTCOMES
Opportunities for Change plans to
achieve its aim by:
Preventing young people from being
placed in custody.
Helping them to be maintained safely
in the community, reducing harm to
themselves and others.
Preventing or reducing the severity
of offences committed by the
young person.
Helping to create greater social
inclusion opportunities i.e. health,
housing and employment / training,
increased motivation, confidence,
and personal and social skills.
TARGET GROUP
Young people referred to Opportunities
for Change will be aged 16 – 18
appearing before the Sheriff Court.
The project will be a direct alternative
to custody for young offenders who
have exhausted existing options and
require an intensive level of support
and supervision within the community.
Referral criteria such as number of
offences, seriousness of offences and
the level of risk posed to others will
ensure that the service is aimed at
young people who would otherwise be
placed in custody.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The young person will receive immediate
intensive support and supervision from
the day the order is made. The intensity
of the support will relate directly to the
persistence and seriousness of their
offending behaviour.The aim is to ensure
that the young person can be safely
managed in the community.
Individual sessions focused on personal
development in preparation for the
group work and adventure expedition
will place emphasis on individual
responsibility, consequences and
problem solving in a challenging yet
supportive environment.
Wilderness-based personal
development will include over 180
hours of activities, involving hill walking,
rock climbing, kayaking and a broad
range of other experiences, with the
emphasis on transferring the skills and
learning back with the young person to
their community.
A key element will be promoting the
connection between the young person
and health, housing and employment /
training. This will be planned
immediately. It will form the basis
of an individual support programme
detailing the project’s involvement
with the young person, ensuring the
long-term impact of the Opportunities
for Change intervention.
Given the objective of providing direct
and effective alternatives to custody,
non-compliance with the project will
be communicated to the Supervising
Social Worker on the first available
working day.
12. Support and Information
for Prisoners’ Families
Freephone 0500 839383
support@familiesoutside.org.uk
Support and Information
for Prisoners’ Families
Freephone 0500 839383
support@familiesoutside.org.uk
Jamie is only 4. How do I explain what
has happened?
I can’t afford to get to the prison.
Is there any help?
Is there anyone I can talk to?
Your relative may need help with
housing, health issues, and money.
Whilst you may wish to support them,
you may be unsure of what help is
available, both for you and your
family member.
We are available for Support and
Information and can signpost you
to appropriate people in the prison
or to organisations in your area.
We provide information about how
to speak with children and young
people, including material designed
specifically for these age groups.
The prison a person is sent
to depends on a variety
of factors. We can give
you information about this.
We can give you information about options
for support with a range of practical issues
such as travel and transport.
13. Families Outside is the only dedicated
Support and Information Helpline for
families with a relative in prison.
BEFORE
what we do
AFTER
Having a relative involved
with the criminal justice
system can be a difficult
time for everyone. Families
Outside provides a Support
and Information Helpline,
a confidential freephone service
to help you with any questions
or concerns you may have
throughout the process.
We can give information and
support over the phone and
have a range of materials
we can send to you or that
you can access via our website.
We can also respond to e-mails
about any query you may
have. We hope this information
is helpful to you, whatever
your circumstances.
JOURNEY THROUGH PRISON
If someone you know
has been arrested, it
can be a frightening
experience for many,
particularly for children.
When a family member is
remanded or convicted,
it can be a traumatic and
confusing time.
You may want to find out what
happens when your relative is
getting ready to leave prison
and what will happen next.
You may want to prepare
for court by finding out what
happens there or simply want
to know how you can support
your relative.
If your relative goes to prison, we can help
with information and support in your own
right, in your own area.
You may be uncertain
about how to support
your relative or what is
best for you and the rest
of the family.
14. Includem is an independent organisation in the voluntary sector. Includem is a company
limited by guarantee registered in Scotland (207985) and is a registered charity (SCO 30233)
www.includem.org
Head Office
Academy House
1346 Shettleston Road
Glasgow G32 9AT
T 0141 763 3860
F 0141 763 3861
E enquiries@includem.co.uk
ProducedbyFrankwithCityhallDesignT01505872946
“Includem has changed my life,
I now have more of a social
life. I find that the Includem
Workbook is a great way for
helping young people and their
independent living skills.”
(MICHAEL, 17)
“‘I don’t know where I would have been
without (them). For someone like me,
who doesn’t have any other constant
support, Includem has been a lifeline.”
(DANIELLE, 21)
15. innovation + determination +
As we move into our 10th year we have much to celebrate
in terms of how the vision and passion of our founder
members drove Includem’s development in Scotland and
the positive impact of our work on the lives of hundreds
of vulnerable and at risk young people.
We continue to be the only community based
organisation in Scotland solely focused on
meeting the needs and reducing the risks of,
and for, the most challenging, chaotic and
difficult to engage young people.
A cornerstone of our organisational approach
from the beginning has been rigorous
monitoring and evaluation of our methods
which are rooted in best practice principles
and a sound theoretical framework.
This report presents the evidence of our
effectiveness in turning around young people’s
lives during 2008/09.
The statistical focus provides evidence of our
impact and, despite the increasing challenges
of the financial environment, also proves our
continued commitment to, and focus on,
our original mission.
So It all adds up;
• The link between young people’s needs
behaviours and risks
• Our proven methods on meeting these
needs and reducing the risks – for young
people and for their communities
• The reduction in the financial costs of
residential and secure care and prison that
is made through investment in effective
community based provision
• The added value we bring to partnership
work with local and central government
and bodies across all sectors
Our final founder member, Gary Westwater,
retired during the course of the year and
the Board and staff are determined to keep
the passion for helping young people that
he inspired as the underpinning ethos
of Includem.
Despite the undoubted challenges of the
coming period we will continue to strengthen
our practice, our staff, our organisation and
our governance so that Includem remains true
to our origins: challenge, change and hope for
Scotland’s most excluded young people.
022008 / 09
Consolidation following a period of rapid growth
has been a key theme of the year, along with
the strengthening of external relationships and
partnerships as well as the building of new ones.
Highlights
• New Intensive Support Services in Clackmannanshire and Argyll and Bute
• Successful application to Big Lottery Fund for a 3 year Transitional Support
initiative for young people
• Opportunities for Change; Innovative initiative delivered in partnership with
the Venture Trust, funded by Edinburgh Lothians and Borders Community
Justice Authority. Brings a social welfare approach to 16 to 18 year olds in
the adult justice system
• Relaunch of Intensive Respite Services offering accommodation for young
people in houses with 1 or 2 places each, to provide 24 hour crisis aversion
and response
• Consolidation of Specialist Fostering service and start of recruitment of
new carers
• New relationships with arts organisations through Cashback for Communities
and Scottish Screen - creating new opportunities for excluded young people
Not everything that happened during the period was positive. Includem’s
Intensive Support Service in the Lanarkshires, our first services location, was
closed. Whilst we were able to redeploy some staff, we were sorry to lose the
skills, experience and commitment of others. However, we retain a presence in
the area through provision of spot purchase Intensive Support and Intensive
Respite places.
2008 / 09INCLUDEM ANNUAL REPORT01
Alec Spencer
CHAIR
Angela Morgan
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
16. Local Authority
08/09 07/08
Aberdeenshire 2 4
Angus 3 3
Argyll & Bute 15 8
Clackmannanshire 9 5
Dundee 47 55
East Dunbartonshire 63 55
East Lothian 5 10
East Renfrewshire 18 29
Edinburgh 101 82
Falkirk 2 4
Fife 146 122
Glasgow 275 309
Inverclyde 1 0
Midlothian 20 18
Moray 2 0
North Lanarkshire 66 82
Perth and Kinross 16 21
Renfrewshire 7 2
Scottish Borders 1 0
South Lanarkshire 95 111
West Dunbartonshire 115 117
West Lothian 30 33
Total 1,039 1,070
Number of Young People Supported
analysis + evidence +
Profile of Risk and Support Needs
Includem’s initial risk assessments indicate that 47% of young
people had a ‘high’ or ‘very high’ risk of reoffending as well as
highlighting that most young people require support in many
different areas of their lives.
INCLUDEM ANNUAL REPORT03 042008 / 09
This information is based on our initial YLS-I assessments of young people.
YLS-I is a verified measurement tool widely used across Scotland.
Status at point of leaving Includem during
08/09 or on 30/04/09 if continuing service
Status at point of leaving Includem during
08/09 or on 30/04/09 if continuing service
Count
Intensive Support & Supervision Services 429
Intensive Support & Supervision
with Monitoring Service 173
Home Support Intervention Support 108
Intensive Respite Service 111
Transitional Support / Relapse Prevention 209
Specialist Fostering Service 9
Total 1,039
Age at Referral
Personality / Behaviours 94%
Inflated Self Esteem 22%
Physically Aggressive 52%
Tantrums 63%
Short Attention Span 43%
Poor Frustration Tolerance 74%
Lack of Empathy 55%
Verbally Aggressive 67%
Leisure / Recreation 91%
Limited Organised Activities 77%
Could Make Better Use of Time 84%
No personal Interests 36%
Peer Relations 81%
Some Delinquent Acquaintances 79%
Some Delinquent Friends 71%
Few or No Positive Acquaintances 65%
Few or No Positive Friends 64%
Attitudes / Orientation 74%
Antisocial / Pro-criminal Attitudes 62%
Not Seeking Help 28%
Actively Rejecting Help 20%
Defies Authority 63%
Little Concern for Others 29%
Offending 73%
Education / Employment 69%
Disruptive Classroom Behaviour 53%
Disruptive Behaviour on School Property 43%
Low Achievement 51%
Problems with Peers 53%
Truancy 60%
Unemployed / Not Seeking Employment 21%
Family Circumstances / Parenting 65%
Difficulty In Controlling Behaviour 76%
Inappropriate Discipline 57%
Inconsistent Parenting 72%
Poor Relations Mother-Child 63%
Poor Relations Father-Child 74%
Substance Abuse 62%
Occasional Drug Use 50%
Chronic Drug Use 20%
Chronic Alcohol Use 33%
Substance Use Interferes with Life 45%
Substance Use Linked to Offences 43%
Health Needs 61%
Low Self Esteem 37%
Mental Health Issues 19%
Depression / Anxiety 17%
Unhealthy Diet 16%
Lack of Personal Hygiene 12%
Sexual Issues 11%
Family Ill Health 10%
Includem’s own initial assessment tool also provides
the following information on young people’s health;
Prevalence of Risks and Needs
17. accessibility + persistence +
24/7 Helpline and Crisis Calls
Overall, calls to the local Includem Helplines increased by approximately
7% during 08/09 over the previous year.
Over 5,000 crisis calls were made to our Helpline and call-out service.
A further 33,414 calls were to help plan contacts and activities,
or provide advice and information.
Evidence of Improvement
All young people who have been working with Includem
for at least 3 months are given the opportunity to carry
out a Viewpoint survey to provide service-user feedback.
No. 08/09 07/08
Time of Calls % %
9am – 5pm 22,683 59 60
5pm – 10pm 8,468 22 20
10pm – Midnight 4,318 11 11
Midnight – 9am 2,995 8 7
TToottaall 3388,,446644
Reason for Calls
Reason No. of Calls 08/09 07/08
CCrriissiiss ccaallllss 55,,005500 44,,001199
Missing Person 1,628 1,095
Personal Distress 1,005 871
Family dispute 830 540
Police Matter 621 627
Accommodation Problem 451 457
Carer’s Distress 232 183
Alcohol / Drugs 122 132
Financial 161 114
WWoorrkkeerr CCoonnttaacctt 1177,,779933 1177,,228877
IInnffoorrmmaattiioonn 1133,,112211 1122,,226600
OOtthheerr 22,,550000 22,,332233
TToottaall 3388,,446644 3355,,888899
No. 08/09 07/08
Young Person 18,029 47 54
Parent 8,450 22 18
Worker / Carer 7,736 20 16
Other 4,249 11 12
TToottaall 3388,,446644
Respect
When asked if their Includem workers listen
to them;
• 97% said “yes, always” or “most of
the time
Empathy
When asked if Includem workers understand
how they feel;
• 85% said either “yes, always” or “most
of the time”
Communication
When asked if Includem workers talk to them
in a way they understand;
• 88% said “yes, all the time” or “most of
the time”
Reliability and Stickability
When asked if they’d ever asked Includem for
help and not got it;
• 91% said “no”,
When asked if Includem workers do what they
say they will do;
• 94% said “yes, always” or “most of
the time”
Risk of Reoffending
• After around 6 months of Includem
support, a fifth of young people were
assessed as at less risk of reoffending.
Self Reported Offending
• Overall, 70% of young people didn’t
reoffend during 2008/09.
Life Changes
• Young people told us that they had
improved a fair bit or a lot since starting
with Includem in the following areas;
INCLUDEM ANNUAL REPORT05 062008 / 09
“Includem is a great source for young people when
they need help. They help you understand your
position in life and what to do to make things
better in the future”
(STEPHANIE, 15)
Statistics are drawn from Includem’s monitoring and evaluation data. Full details are available from our Head Office
Accessing Education 88%
Getting On With Their Family 84%
Self Harm 80%
Stopping Offending 75%
Gaining Employment 67%
Drugs Misuse 64%
Improving Their Health 64%
Anger Management 63%
Alcohol Misuse 62%
Social Skills 62%
Accommodation Needs 50%
Callers % %
18. improvement + partnership +
An exciting development this year has been our adoption
of the Public Sector Improvement Framework (PSIF) as our
new Quality Assurance system. Based on self assessment
and a commitment to continuous improvement, we have
been working closely with Quality Scotland to adapt PSIF
to Includem’s needs.
Key Objectives for 2009/10
We will continue to anticipate, monitor and adapt to the changing and
challenging environment around us. We have structured processes in place
involving Board and staff to undertake this in a way which ensures we stick to
our core mission2
– and also improve our efficiency and flexibility.
Competition is a fact of life and we will continue to need to tender and retender
for services and be required to demonstrate our (cost) effectiveness and added
value. Many of the improvement initiatives begun this year will underpin this –
and others will emerge as we roll out the PSIF/Includem Improvement Framework
across the organisation.
We will complete the process of registering all our community based Intensive
Support Services with the Care Commission – the first services of this kind to
be registered in Scotland.
We will be working in partnership with Who Cares? Scotland to review and
improve our approach to young people’s participation and with Respectme to
develop an anti-bullying policy for our practice guidance.
We will actively pursue opportunities to work in partnership – at individual
young person, service or organisational level. Our Transitional Support initiative
(supported by the Big Lottery Fund) provides the opportunity to work in
partnership with a range of agencies.
We started a major initiative to revise the Workbook - the Includem
toolkit for working with young people. Overseen by Tim Chapman1
,
the framework will include an underpinning theoretical document
as well as a structured set of material which is designed to enhance
and evidence the effectiveness of our individualised, relationship
based approach.
Key Developments of 2008/09
• The Cabinet Secretary for Justice opened
our new Head Office in Shettleston and
we have utilised our training facilities
for all our internal training and staff
conference events
• We continued to increase our experience
and capacity for working with young
people with challenging and high risk
sexual behaviour. Tailored training has
been provided to staff and expert input
to develop specialised organisational
risk assessment
• We used new technology to improve our
methods of getting feedback on services
from young people through the use
of Viewpoint
• We contributed our experience and
expertise to a range of initiatives
including; The Securing Our Future Initiative
reviewing the use of Secure Care provision
in Scotland, the High Risk and Transitions
sub group of the Youth Offender Strategy,
the Youth subgroup of the Offenders
Learning Strategy, Champions Groups
on high risk, young women and sexually
challenging behaviour, the National Advisory
Body for the Management of Offenders
• We strengthened our relationships with
other third sector bodies through hosting
and chairing the Criminal Justice Voluntary
Sector Forum
• We improved our communication methods
with the redesign and relaunch of the
website and the introduction of a regular
briefing, Inform
• We reviewed and analysed our information
management needs, implemented data
collection improvements and began the
redesign of our database as well as
upgrading our financial monitoring and
management software
Most importantly, we continued to see
the impact of our work on the lives of
young people.
INCLUDEM ANNUAL REPORT07 082008 / 09
1
Author of ‘Time to Grow’, 2000
2
See Inform Spring 2009 for key points of the Includem Strategy
19. Income 2008/09 £ %
Local Authorities 8,383,908 98.9
Scottish Government 30,540 0.4
Grants 7,500 0.1
Other Income 55,684 0.7
8,477,632 100.0
Expenditure 2008/09 £ %
Staff Costs 7,611,316 86.6
Activity Costs 225,013 2.6
Office Costs 889,560 10.1
Governance Costs 58,543 0.7
8,784,432 100.0
Staffing 2008/09 Number %
Head & Area Offices Support/Admin 35 17.7
Service Managers 10 5.1
Frontline Staff (SPW’S, PW’S, APW’S) 153 77.3
198 100.0
resilience + commitment +
Qualifications of staff
By end of March 2009 83% staff
were appropriately qualified,
17% starting process during 09/10
Staff Learning & Development
Over 1,000 training days attended,
with 221 individual beneficiaries
INCLUDEM ANNUAL REPORT09 102008 / 09
Board of Trustees
Prof. Alec Spencer / Chairperson
Dan Russell / Vice Chairperson
Nicky Alexander / Secretary (resigned 27/10/08)
Bruce Marks / Secretary (appointed 27/10/08)
Malcolm May
Roger Houchin
Gordon Peters
Anwari Din
Iain MacLeod
Alan Miller
Marion Pallister / (resigned 27/10/08)
Board Meeting dates
28th April 2008
16th June 2009
18th August 2008
27th October 2008
15th December 2008 + AGM
23rd February 2009
The Finance (Chaired by Nicky Alexander and
then Bruce Marks) and Human Resources
Committees (Chaired by Dan Russell) both met
during the intermittent Board meeting months
Executive Team
Angela Morgan / Chief Executive
Gary Westwater / Senior Operations Manager
(Quality Assurance) (04/2000 to 11/2008)
Norman Brown / Head of Service Delivery
(Dep Chief Executive) (04/2008 to present)
Michelle Nairn / Head of HR and Support Services
Michael Watson / Head of Finance
Ian Bell / Head of Learning,
Development and Quality Assurance
Pamela Barnes / Research and
Communications Manager
The Board of Trustees agreed to support some service
deficit costs during the year, arising from funding reductions
pending the exploration of alternative income sources.
Staff continue to benefit from Includem’s Learning and
Development programme which included delivery of
training from internal and external providers.
Average number of mentors - 95
21. I first encountered Jo Barker’s work at Collect, an event organised by the Crafts Council and hosted by the V&A for five
very successful years. Showcasing the very best of international contemporary craft, Collect provided the opportunity for
the Museum to access and acquire work created by some of the most energetic and innovative practitioners. ‘Dappled
Circle Scarlet’ fig 4 was unanimously admired by the Acquisitions Panel, and subsequently acquired by the Department
of Furniture, Textiles and Fashion.
Barker’s work is technically astonishing; her use of colour challenging and exhilarating. Underpinned by her rigorous
discipline of drawing, painting and collage, the translation of the painterly mark via warp and weft celebrates the sheer
vibrancy of the medium. More than anything, Barker’s work is intensely desirable – it connects to the sensual, eliciting
an emotional response which overrides a mere interest in technique. In this respect Barker’s work belongs as much in
the domestic landscape as it does in an international museum of art and design.
Sue Prichard
Curator for Contemporary Textiles
V&A Museum, London
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22. The fact that these colours are in textile is what brings the particularity to Jo Barker’s work. It could be otherwise.
Tapestry weaving is a slow, solid process; it can so easily be dull and inert. But by continuing to challenge herself
with the question “how to make something static move” Jo has developed a unique and vital creative language.
Colour, impregnated in thread, absorbs light. The physical intensity of Jo’s finely woven structure further emphasises
this, as if pure pigment revealed in rock: matt, chalky or smooth shiny lush. The colour is dense, intense, drenched,
saturated, soaked, positively sucked into the fabric.
“I was always drawing as a child” she recalls. And it has continued. Books with painted swathes of colour explored
spontaneously and emotionally, pouring from their pages. Sketches studying light, shade, shadow and mark, drawn
lines from natural forms and images collected from travels. Designs investigated on the computer and sensibilities
honed through years of looking and thinking.
All potent inquiry, but it’s the mysterious ‘other’ of the subconscious, that ellusive place where the most profound
ideas occur, that artists desire. As Jo puts it “you look at and focus…but it’s the thing over there on the edge of
your vision…the marginal, edgy things that you are after…the thinking from the back of the head”.
In recent tapestries Jo’s designing has become both sparer and increasingly assured. These powerful works bathe
and hold the viewer in their energy field; the deep breath of their colour, that exquisitely specific highly attuned colour,
is given space to sing…space to be itself.
As we leave the studio Jo turns and says it all:
“I don’t have words. It’s not about words...it’s it...it’s itself.”
Sue Lawty
November 2008
“It just looks too orange. It’s orange”………. “It’s definitely orange”
Jo Barker is pulling back a cloth in her studio and sounds irritated – even appalled by this revealed section of her
woven tapestry. Orangeness is clearly NOT what Jo is requiring of the luscious red laid before us.
The baldness of the word ‘orange’ does not begin to describe the subtlety of hue to which Jo is referring, but the
comment is important because it highlights the exacting standards this artist sets herself.
Jo Barker has made it her life’s work to research the power of colour in woven tapestry design and making. Here we
have sumptuous, sensuous colour in the hands of a master. The rigour of her approach has led to a deep intuitive
understanding and pinpoint precision in the colour she demands of her woven tapestries.
Colour is like a ball of fire cradled in an artist’s hands. It requires knowledge and a respect for its energies. It must
be assuredly controlled without touch, yet be allowed to be free to dance and light the soul. In Jo’s hands the shades
smoulder gently on the periphery, almost unseen waiting to be discovered…or flare and flash and sizzle, licking at
the eye with their startling intensity, drawing us in to their vibrant unfolding drama.
I have scribbled…
‘…deep raspberry plum burgundy mulberry bilberry blackness’ and ‘…aubergine burnt brown velvety wine’. Yet to
describe colour in the medium of words is an inexact process. After all colour is ‘just an invention of the human mind
responding to waves and particles that are moving in particular patterns through the universe’ (1.) and perceptions of
it are by their nature distinctly personal. But perhaps the correlations with food are not far off the mark. These tapestries
do ignite our senses – you can taste their colour.
1. Finlay, Colour: Travels Through the Paintbox p9.
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23. 1
Plant Form Triptych
2001
Woven tapestry
56 x 170cm
Commissioned by The House of Lords, London
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31. Born 1963 Cumbria, UK
Lives & Works Edinburgh
Education
1982-86 Edinburgh College of Art: BA (Hons) & PG Dip - Design (Tapestry)
1981-82 Cumbria College of Art & Design: Foundation Course
Awards
2008 & 06 Theo Moorman Trust for Weavers
2008 Inches Carr Trust
2006 Scottish Arts Council - Creative Development
2005 Scottish Arts Council - Professional Development
1994 Scottish Arts Council - Individual Development
1985 Andrew Grant Foundation - Post Graduate Scholarship
Selected Exhibitions
2007 V&A, Museum, London: Collect
2006 Flinn Gallery, Connecticut, USA: Beyond Weaving - International Art Textiles
2005 Nordjyllands Kunstmuseum, Aalborg, Denmark: Artapestry (tour - Germany, France)
2001-8 Browngrotta at SOFA New York and Chicago
2002 City Art Centre, Edinburgh: Weaving Stories (tour - UK)
2002 Brown Grotta Gallery, Connecticut, USA: 15th Anniversary Exhibition
2002 The Scottish Gallery at SOFA Chicago
2001 Brown Grotta Arts, Connecticut, USA: From Across the Pond
1999 National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh: Current Context - New Ways of Seeing
1999 New Jersey Arts Center - NJ, USA: Scottish Tapestry
1997 New Jersey Art Center - NJ, USA: Threads - Fiber Arts in the 90’s
1996 Barbican Art Gallery, London: The Woven Image - Contemporary British Tapestry (tour - UK)
1996 Harley Gallery, Notts: The British Tapestry Triennial
Selected Publications
Art Textiles of the World - Great Britain Vol I: TELOS
Selected Professional
Represented by Brown Grotta Arts, Connecticut, USA www.browngrotta.com
Glasgow School of Art - Lecturer Textiles Dept (Part Time)
Selected Collections
V & A Museum, London,
The House of Lords, London
National Museum of Scotland
City Art Centre, Edinburgh
Aberdeen City Art Gallery & Museums
Grampian Hospitals Art Trust
Selected Commissions
The House of Lords, Westminster, London
BUPA, London
Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle
Scottish Executive, Edinburgh
City University, London
Bank of China, London
Guinness Plc (United Distillers), Edinburgh
City Art Centre & Edinburgh District Council
Jo Barker
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