The new partnership model 26 The new partnership between the DfEE and the Prison Service will be supported by a new Prisoners Learning and Skills Unit jointly accountable to DfEE and Home Office Ministers. The partnership unit and its task force will work with all the relevant agencies to take forward the agenda for prison education, training and employment policy. It will: advise and support Ministers, establishing a firm link between their aims and how policies are implemented in prisons and through resettlement agencies; provide strong strategic direction and leadership for change in the education, training and employment of all prisoners in custody and on release; establish strategic links with key Government bodies in England and Wales, and with employers, voluntary organisations and other concerned organisations; research and evaluate what works most effectively to promote effective learning and skills policies and cost effective, high quality services and programmes in prisons and amongst partner organisations. 27 The Home Secretary will continue to be accountable for the education and training of prisoners and all aspects of the prison regime. The Director-General of the Prison Service will remain responsible for the management and delivery of education and training in prisons. DfEE and Home Office Ministers of State will meet regularly to review the work of the partnership. A wider forum will provide the scope for key stakeholders to develop policy with the unit. The head of the Prisoners Learning and Skills Unit will be accountable to Ministers and to the Director General of the Prison Service and the Director-General of Lifelong Learning in the DfEE. 28 The scope of the unit will be to work closely in partnership with all education, training and employment organisations for adult prisoners aged 18 plus in England and Wales. The unit will work closely with the Youth Justice Board, which is responsible for juvenile offenders under age 18 to promote coherence between policies and programmes. This will include joint work on local initiatives, quality standards and sound financial control of jointly organised education and training programmes. 29 The head of the unit will be a senior appointment, selected through open competition. To ensure we get the best balance of skills and experience initially, staff working in the unit will include those transferring from Prison Service Education Services and others recruited from amongst the key bodies involved. The unit will be funded from within current DfEE and Prison Service running costs. 30 The detailed arrangements for the operation of the partnership will be agreed by the DfEE and Prison Service and set out in a separate framework document. The partnership will operate flexibly to enable it to respond to new developments such as the Social Exclusion Unit’s report on reducing re-offending by ex-prisoners. Case Study Prison Service and Ruskin College - preparation for higher education The Prison Service and Ruskin College, Oxford have developed a new course in eight maximum security prisons including Frankland prison which provides prisoners with the study skills to enable them to progress to higher education. The course is organised in a way which enables prisoners to build up both their study skills and their ability to analyse and critically evaluate ideas by looking at aspects of people's relationships with their past and with society. Prisoners can progress to Open University or other higher education after completion and those who have been released since taking the course can apply to become students at Ruskin College. Ruskin College are also offering the course to the partners of those who are in prison.

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