Apex Annual Staff conference

Apex Scotland has been very fortunate to have had so many wonderful staff over the years who have helped to make the organisation the success it is today.

Staff who have shown great enthusiasm, commitment and extraordinary devotion to the task of helping the clients of Apex Scotland achieve their goals.

Sadly, 2 of it's most prominent staff members have passed away in recent years. Sam Dow MBE and Betty Crawford were 2 great exponents of the qualities above. Both were passionate and fearless in their devotion to helping (ex) offenders move on to a positive future.

In 2007 Apex Scotland launched 2 awards in the names of Sam and Betty. The Sam Dow MBE memorial award will be presented to an Apex unit that can demonstrate that it has followed in the footsteps of Sam, innovation, commitment and going the extra mile for the client. Similarly with the Betty Crawford memorial Award, the same qualities from a unit that works with young people.

This for the second year running Sam Dow MBE memorial award was presented to the Apex Highland Unit.

The Betty Crawford memorial Award was presented to the Apex units in North Strathclyde (Paisley and Greenock GR4W teams)

Great Scottish Walk

On Sunday 10th June 2007 a group of Apex Scotland staff embarked on The Great Scottish Walk around Edinburgh. Staff were raising money for CHAS - Children's Hospice Association Scotland, not all monies have been collected but we hope to have raised around £1000.

Click to view photos from The Great Scottish Walk (2 pages)

(Click on a Thumbnail to see the bigger picture)

Apex Partnership Working with Learndirect

Another first as Apex announces partnership working with learndirect

Click to see the joint press release.(28k)

"Unemployment and Reoffending: an International Literature Review" - Monica Boyle

Apex Scotland has published a research report which was written by Monica Boyle and produced in partnership with the Scottish Executive Justice Department. "Unemployment and Reoffending: an International Literature Review" is the first in a series which Apex will produce.

Click here for more information

200 jobs achieved and still going strong

Recently the Apex Scotland Lothian and Borders Progress2Work service celebrated placing it's 200th person in paid employment, a record for the scheme, with a visit from Michael Moore MP and Jeremy Purvis MSP. The visitors met with two former service users, Chris, who now drives a fork lift truck and Gareth, who is a self employed bagpipe player.

The Apex Scotland, Phoenix House and Jobcentre Plus partnership to deliver Progress2Work in Lothian and Borders has now been endorsed for a second time in an early day motion in the Westminster Parliament by Michael Moor MP.

The statement reads "That this House congratulates the Lothian and Borders Progress 2 Work project, which has become the first project of its kind to find paid employment for over 200 former drug users; further congratulates the project for placing an additional 400 former drug users in education or training; notes that Lothian and Borders Progress 2 Work is a partnership initiative with Apex Scotland, Phoenix House and Jobcentre Plus; and recognises the achievements of all those who have contributed to the project reaching this tremendous milestone."

As well as managing the Lothian and Borders service, Apex Scotland manages other very successful Progress2Work services in Ayrshire, Inverclyde, Dumfries and Galloway, Renfrewshire, Highlands, Edinburgh City and is a partner agency with SCVO in Tayside.

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1st Voluntary Sector IIP organisation makes it 10 in a row.

Sir Matthew Pinsent CBE, Bernadette Monaghan, Chief Executive, Apex Scotland, Alla Wilson, Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning and Peter Russian, Chief Executive of Investors in People Scotland

Apex Scotland was one of the first Voluntary Sector Organisations to be awarded IIP status 10 years ago and on Wednesday 23rd March 2005 we receive our Investors in People Scotland 10 Year Achievement Award.

Apex Scotland works to give offenders, ex-offenders and young people at risk equal access to the employment market by raising skills and addressing the barriers that a criminal past presents.

By helping offenders realise their potential for employment, we reduce re-offending. By reducing crime we have a significant impact on community safety, social justice and ultimately the economic prosperity of Scotland.

In the last 3 years we have invested significant additional resources in the continuous professional development of our staff and volunteers with a dedicated training centre and team. We have also doubled the number of hard employability outcomes for people who complete our services to over 1000. This year we are on target to smash that record again.

Bernadette Monaghan, Chief Executive of Apex Scotland said ”This award is testimony to the staff of Apex Scotland who all contribute to our culture of development, innovation, quality and high professional standards“

Reduce Reoffending in Scotland

Apex Scotland is a member of the Scottish Consortium on Crime and CriminalJustice, which has prepared this response document to the Scottish Executive Consultation "Reduce, Rehabilitate, Reform - A Consultation on ReducingReoffending in Scotland"

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Apex Chief Executive, Bernadette Monaghan, wrote an article for the Scotsman on 24 February 2004, entitled "The Write Way Forward". It can be read at the following link:

http://news.scotsman.com/archive.cfm?id=216662004

Click on the icon below to download the document in PDF format:

Click here

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