Changes are afoot!

We waited with baited breath along with everyone else in the sector to see the Ministry of Justice proposals to reform the Probation Service (Transforming Rehabilitation – a revolution in the way we manage offenders) thereby opening up the service to competition, the aim being to reduce re-offending rates, while delivering improved value for money.

We support the recognition by the Justice Minister of the important role the voluntary sector and social enterprise plays in the delivery of effective rehabilitation services but also recognise that elements of the proposal will be challenging with respect to the ability of the voluntary sector to be able to play a real role in the changed landscape.

We... develop partnerships

We have experience of developing partnerships that we can utilise to develop projects around creativity and the arts, harnessing creativity in offenders and using it to develop self-worth and purpose and again providing rehabilitation and improved employment prospects. This has also involved developing branding and strategy and taking an innovative approach to strap line, messaging etc.

We have experience of developing partnerships to transform prison industries – working to transform the culture around prison industries to engage with major employers and other stakeholders. We can develop a full brand package and engagement strategy capable of attracting major employers to bring their businesses onto prison sites, including website design (potential ecommerce function), PR campaigns, launch events, promotional DVDs and a range of targeted collateral.

Channel 4 Double Whammy

We work with Bad Boys Bakery made famous in the Channel 4 documentary with Gordon Ramsey which saw the setting up of a fully fledged bakery producing high quality products which are now sold into Café Nero. Our designers are working on a new brand for the bakery and a new website design which is about to be launched. So watch this space! The new Channel 4 programme, The Secret Millions also featured another project we are proud of, “Reap+Sow”.

The vision of Cynergy CEO Rebecca Howard, we worked alongside a social enterprise to develop a project to provide purposeful activity for offenders which resulted in ex-offenders producing a range of good quality unique furniture for retail. We created the brand "Reap+Sow", developed the brand concept and identity, website and promotional photography, as well as working closely with the product designers.

We... support social enterprise

We have experience of working alongside social enterprises who seek to support offenders on release, working with them on brand creation, engagement materials, social media, web design, creation and launch campaigns.

Fresh Ground: Fresh Ground is a social enterprise and registered Community Interest Company (CIC) set up in partnership with the Durham and Tees Valley Probation Trust stimulating through the gate placements to rehabilitate offenders via a enterprise initiative, the setting up of a community improvement specialist providing a range of services such as ground clearance, landscaping and gardening work on behalf of local authorities, schools, churches and charitable trusts.

Cynergy developed the Fresh Ground brand identity, its web design and build and promotion of the enterprise via social media.

“Reap+Sow”: one of our key projects involved working alongside a social enterprise on a project to provide purposeful activity for offenders and resulted in offenders producing a range of high quality and uniquely designed furniture for retail.

It saw the creation of a real workplace environment where offenders develop attitudes and transferable skills that will help them become more employable, give them evidence of a track record of employment and embed a work ethic.

The aim of the project was also to provide employment opportunities out in the community, either directly for external support services and logistics in conjunction with the prison manufacturing facilities, or by involving other network partners such as the Probation Service. Cynergy created the brand and collateral and worked to develop its culture, strategy and engagement which included setting up and taking part in focus groups with prison staff and offenders.

“I believe in the power of design to engage and to change viewpoints - a design- led furniture range produced by offenders would have challenged assumptions and started conversations which could reduce the stigma surrounding the employment of ex-offenders. Until we change our mindset, we condemn ourselves and society to the continual cycle of reoffending.”
Rebecca Howard, Managing Director of Cynergy and Co-founder of Reap+Sow.

Engaging Prisoners

We recently undertook the facilitation of focus groups with prisoners in HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs and HMYOI Feltham which, despite the often challenging environment, proved very rewarding in terms of our outcomes. We subsequently designed and created materials and provided messaging, photography on site (at HM Prison Brixton and HMYOI Thorne Cross using real prisoners – this again was suggested by offenders themselves in the workshops) and consultancy advice to produce engagement materials to improve communication with offenders.

Following the focus groups we delivered a rehabilitation programme, building a framework to engage with prisoners and ex-offenders with regard to the 7 national pathways. We mapped out a real day in the life of a prisoner, plotting touch points throughout the day from inside their cell, to where they eat and work and using an interactive approach brought the engagement message to the prisoner rather than the other way around.

We worked on options for the brand, pathway names, messaging, engagement strategy and even the language to be used, and the environment it would be delivered in.

Cynergy sows the seed to rehabilitate offenders and sees brand on Channel 4 documentary

On Sunday night (14th April) the Channel 4 documentary The Secret Millions presented by campaigner, TV personality and former model Katie Piper saw offenders being rehabilitated by taking part in a project that was the vision of Cynergy CEO Rebecca Howard.

The idea was to create a project that could provide genuinely "purposeful activity" for offenders, this resulted in them producing a range of high quality, uniquely designed furniture and household items for retail.

Cynergy created the brand "Reap+Sow", developing the brand concept and identity, website and promotional photography, as well as working closely with product designers.

We have a wealth of experience in the Justice sector, which aligns closely with Cynergy’s core aim as a company which is to work with clients who change and improve lives.

Our Experience in the Justice Sector

The team at Cynergy has considerable experience of working in the Justice sector which is a natural extension of our core aim as a company which is to work with clients that change and improve lives.

Our work in the sector extends into a number of fields providing advice on engagement strategy, behavioural and culture change management and strategy as well as branding, marketing campaigns and communications.

We have worked on projects to rehabilitate offenders, supporting ex-offenders working in the community, recognising that the two key factors that often lead to re-offending are a lack of a home and a stable and secure job.

Our work has also involved working alongside social enterprises who seek to support offenders on release, working with them on brand creation, engagement materials, web design and creation and launch campaigns.

With experience of working on National Offender Management Service (NOMS) bids we have explored the barriers and enablers of creating sustainable change and enterprise in prisons and probation.

One of our key projects involved working alongside a social enterprise on a project to provide “purposeful activity” for offenders, producing a range of high quality and uniquely designed furniture for retail. With the creation of a real workplace environment, offenders develop attitudes and transferable skills that will help them become more employable, and provide evidence of a track record of employment whilst embedding a work ethic.

The aim of the project was also to provide employment opportunities out in the community, either directly for external support services and logistics in conjunction with the prison manufacturing facilities, or by involving other network partners such as the Probation Service. Cynergy created the brand and collateral and worked to develop its culture, strategy and engagement which included setting up and taking part in focus groups with prison staff and offenders.

Working with prisoners:

We have undertaken a number of projects for clients in the justice sector. We have produced justice consumer materials. Cynergy undertook the facilitation of focus groups with prisoners, subsequently designing and creating materials and providing messaging, photography on site and consultancy advice to produce engagement materials for the consumer journey and environment.

Cynergy has also delivered a rehabilitation programme for the client, this involved working on the brand, messaging and engagement strategy. This included the psychology such as environment and language for the 7 pathways.

We also work with Bad Boys Bakery made famous in the Channel 4 documentary with Gordon Ramsey which saw the setting up of a fully fledged bakery producing high quality products which are now sold into Café Nero. We are currently working on a new brand for the bakery and a new website design.

Developing Partnerships:

We have experience of developing partnerships that we can utilise to develop projects around creativity and the arts, harnessing creativity in offenders and using it to develop self-worth and purpose and again providing rehabilitation and improved employment prospects. This has also involved developing branding and strategy and taking an innovative approach to strap line, messaging and other communications.

Delivering Prison Health:

Using our wealth of experience in the health sector, predominantly with the NHS we have experience in the prison health sector concerning the health and wellbeing of both prisoners and prison staff.

Intelligent Solutions brings technology to address Francis

When tasked with creating an event aimed at leading directors within the NHS North West Leadership Academy (one of 10 in the UK) to drill down into the findings of the Francis Report we utilised the latest event technology which proved a huge hit.

What makes many of our events unique is our use of technology, tablet collaboration enabling delegates to interact, whether it is to vote or make comment which is then viewed via Word Cloud, Skype links etc. We use this technology because we recognise that at events where issues are sensitive or even divisive, it is important that delegates have an opportunity to air their thoughts and opinions anonymously.

The aim of the event was to address the finding of the Francis report, both the essence of the report, behaviours, values, cultures etc and the practical solutions it put forward, to help those who are going to have to make the changes really understand what happened, why, and what can be done about it.

Everyone recognises that the Francis report does not mark the end but the beginning of a long process that will hopefully end with the eradication of the appalling practices seen at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

The event took place on the 22nd March at the Mercure Manchester Piccadilly hotel.  It provided delegates with an opportunity to listen to a range of speakers including, Sir Stephen Moss former Chair, Midd Staffs NHS Trust, Martin Bromiley, Chair of the Clinical Human Factors Group and Professor Tricia Hart, Chief Executive S.Tees NHS Foundation Trust and Clinical Advisor to the Midd Staffs NHS Foundation Trust. They also took part in a series of topical group discussions as well as a Q&A with Robert Francis QC, the author of the Francis Report himself.

Post event we developed a “talkfrancis” portal providing all delegates with access to the most up to date information regarding the report, tools designed to help them prepare pre-event and to aid with implementing action plans post event. It also provided a dedicated area providing opportunities to build relationships and networks with other delegates.

Nicky Davis our Event Manager, said “Delegate response was hugely positive and demonstrates the intelligent approach we take when organising events. Just to pick out a few quotes, one delegate said, “Programme excellent, humanised the Francis report and the NHS culture of patient safety” another said, “Excellent, thought provoking and lots of good ideas for change”. Our post event evaluation reports rated the programme content 77% excellent and 87% of delegates rating learning from the whole system excellent” so I couldn’t be happier.”

As a follow up to the event delegates can also enter the portal to find information about forthcoming events in the “Talk” series and find a range of useful downloads.

Space to Breathe... on pathway to success

Tasked with reducing the number of A&E admissions in Leeds with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease COPD, our client the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust came to us to review the current implementation of the COPD pathway and identify ways we can help them improve it.

The pathway is recognised as a priority in improving care, reducing unnecessary hospital admissions and length of stay in hospitals. The Trust recognises that there have been significant reductions in the number of emergency admissions for COPD, and the cost of those admissions since work began on the pathway in 2003 but that in recent years there has been a rising trend in both admissions and costs.

The purpose of the workshop was to bring patients, clinicians and commissioners together to generate ideas about how to reduce COPD related unscheduled hospital admissions through improved integration of COPD care in Leeds.

The interactive workshop looked at what the Trust currently did, what worked well, the challenges they now faced and potential solutions to those challenges.

The workshop was well received and proved to be very effective in helping address a wide range of issues, such as how GPs and patients can access the most appropriate respiratory specialist support and how the Trust can demonstrate that this more integrated way of working is having a positive impact on patient experience and outcomes.

As well as creating a large visual pathway, we used a traffic light system to highlight three key areas. GREEN represents quick wins, what the Trust can do now to improve quality, care and experience. AMBER points to where there is a clear idea of what needs to be done but that support is required and RED flags complex issues where work in needed to gain agreement on what needs to be done.

Outputs from this event will see the team help the Trust develop the new COPD pathway to be rolled out in Leeds City Centre, reducing COPD admissions and ultimately lead to healthier lives!

Team gets ready for brand launch during NHS Equality Week

The project and design team at Cynergy has been working together with Central Manchester Foundation Trust, (CMFT) to deliver a new brand to drive forward equality and diversity in their Trust. The new brand will be launched at the annual conference during NHS Equality Week (week beginning 20th May).

Manchester Equalities Consortium (which is made up of experts in equality and diversity), of which we are a member, were successful bidders to help promote equality and diversity in the workplace at CMFT.

To get the ball rolling we hosted a workshop with the Trusts Equalities and Improvement Group (EIG) which is made up of equality leads throughout the organisation, those who head up equality and diversity within individual departments across the Trust. We worked together on what the brand should look like, what the key messages would be and how we would ensure inclusiveness.

The new brand will be used throughout the Trust to celebrate the journey CMFT has been on so far, celebrating their achievements but also recognising that there is still work to be done. The brand will demonstrate its commitment to equality and diversity in the workforce and that the Trust is proud to be part of such a diverse community.

The annual conference, “Diversity Delivers….See the Difference be the Difference” will highlight issues of equality and diversity in the workplace and explore the benefits of a diverse workforce which shows a real demonstration of commitment by the Trust.

Natalie Bell, Project Manager, Cynergy said, “ The Trust wants to embed equality into everything it does, internally and externally and we look forward to seeing our work used as a platform to achieve this.

First for Cancer patients as web tool gains momentum

www.mycancertreatment.nhs.uk was developed by Cynergy alongside the National Cancer Peer Review Programme. It is England’s first patient web tool that allows patients and carers to access detailed information on the quality of service provided at clinical team level, specific to their tumour site. It was deemed necessary as prior to this site the information was only held on a site aimed at healthcare professionals and as a result was quite difficult to navigate.

The site is user friendly and in three easy steps NHS cancer services can be identified by location, cancer type or hospital and you can read the clinical team reports as well.

It also allows up to three different services to be compared at one time and presents the findings of the services side by side in a comparison style report.

We are delighted that the most recent figures show that we have exceeded our expectations in terms of visits to the website and we recognise along with the client that the aim of the patient website is to drive up overall improvement.

The My Cancer Treatment site was previewed at the Network Development Programme conference and as the response to it was really strong we expect hits to only increase.

The Cynergy team has developed a really good working relationship with the NCPR team. We designed and help develop the new patient website and are looking at the effective marketing of the site to potential users.

The site has some really big sponsors such as Pancreatic Cancer UK, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, Target Ovarian Cancer and Breakthrough Breast Cancer and it also has the support of Cancer 52, Teenage Cancer Trust and Breast Cancer Care and we look forward to it going from strength to strength.