On Tuesday 27 February Lorraine Preece, Chief Executive at YSS, a charity working across the whole of West Mercia to support some of the most marginalised people in society, gave evidence to the Justice Select Committee in Westminster on Transforming Rehabilitation.

YSS is a charity that supports some of the most marginalised people in society. These include children as young as seven who are acting as young carers, families who need additional support and people coming out of prison. The criminal justice services YSS delivers are wide-ranging and include working to identify and support veterans, mentoring 16 -24 year olds who are involved, or at risk of becoming involved in the criminal justice system, through the gate services providing transport on the day of release and intense support in the community.

Following the Justice Select Committee's enquiry launched last year, and following a written submission by YSS, Lorraine was invited to give oral evidence to the Justice Select Committee regarding its enquiry into Transforming Rehabilitation. The enquiry focused on how current Government measures are effectively addressing the challenges facing the probation services and what more needs to be done in the short-term to improve the probation system.

Lorraine spoke on a panel alongside Chief Executives from other charities including Nacros, Shelter and Pact. She said: "I was delighted to be invited to give oral evidence to the Justice Select Committee. Any opportunity to influence and inform decision making is welcomed and it was great to hear input from other professionals.

"Some of the points covered included Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) contracts focusing on outputs rather than outcomes, too many people being given short prison sentences which can often exacerbate the problems they are facing, payment mechanisms stifling innovation and the impact of contract cuts on people with multiple and complex needs, who are now receiving less support than before. The importance of involvement from the voluntary sector was also highlighted.

"All of our work at YSS is about supporting and empowering people to make positive choices and have better lives; sharing information and learnings is an important part of this, so I was pleased to be a part of these important discussions."

To find out more about YSS and the services it delivers, or to see how you can get involved, please go to yss.org.uk or follow the charity on social media @OfficialYSS.