Annual Award Scheme
Presented each year by our Royal Patron, The Princess Royal, and awarded independently, Butler Trust Annual Awards are the most sought after awards for people working in correctional settings in the UK.
Our Award Ceremony celebrates the achievement of our Award Winners and Commendees and a £1000 cash prize is given to the overall "nominee(s) of the year".
What are Butler Trust Awards for?
The Butler Trust Annual Awards recognise outstanding dedication, skill and creativity on the part of people working in correctional settings across the UK.
Awards and Commendations are given for work with offenders, and with those who work with offenders, which has, over a sustained period (generally of at least 12 months duration):
- demonstrated outstanding dedication, skill and/or creativity
and brought significant benefits in one or more of the following areas:
- effective care of offenders;
- health and well-being of staff;
- crime / public safety;
- other public benefits.
What sort of work gets recognised?
- Evelyn Davis has worked as an officer at HMP Holloway for 20 years covering all areas of the establishment. Described as an inspiring and motivating officer by her peers, she has gained much respect from both prisoners and staff for the sensitivity and skills she displays. An officer who gives that little bit extra, she can be relied on in any situation and is an excellent role model and colleague.
- Janet Holmes is the staff welfare officer in the Northern Ireland Prison Service. Since taking on the role in 2003 she has worked tirelessly and and with skill and sensitivity to support staff in a wide range of welfare issues. She has played a key role in helping staff and their families face the unique and sometimes dangerous challenges of working in this environment.
- A former PEI, as Head of Learning & Skills at Wandsworth Dave Asker has overseen a complete overhaul of the training and education opportunities there. His achievements have been recognised by HMCIP and his Governor says, "his contribution to the cultural change at Wandsworth has probably been greater than any other single individual'.
- Tom Wood is Governor at HMP Magilligan. He is credited with turning the prison around and developing a constructive and humane regime with a particular focus on the provision of high quality educational and training opportunities for prisoners. He has been widely praised across the Northern Ireland Prison Service and secured the support of staff against significant original scepticism.
- Moira Andrew & Rory Macrae from Edinburgh CJSW and Monica Wilson from CHANGE Ltd developed the Caledonian System for tackling domestic violence and safeguarding families. After several years in development it has achieved accreditation by the Scottish Offender Programme Accreditation Panel and parts of the programme are also being piloted by NOMS.
What's so special about the Butler Trust Awards?
While the Butler Trust Awards were the first of their kind for UK correctional staff, there are now a number of other schemes around.
However, our Awards:
- are independent and nominations are judged by an independent panel;
- cover work in custody and the community, and with both adults and young people;
- extend across the UK as a whole;
- are presented by our Patron, HRH The Princess Royal.
And our work does not end with the Award Ceremony. We give ongoing support to our Award Winners and Commendees to help develop and disseminate their work more widely [see our development & dissemination programme].
Who can be nominated?
Our Awards are open to anyone working with offenders or providing management, training, guidance or support to those working with offenders, across the UK (inc. volunteers and employees of outside agencies).
However, while they may nominate someone for an Award, people currently serving a sentence or awaiting trial or sentence can not be nominated themselves.
Who can make a nomination?
ANYONE can make a nomination, although people may not nominate themselves.
Can people be re-nominated?
There is no limit on the number of times someone can be nominated. However, while someone who had previously been given a Commendation could later be given an Award for the same work if it had been developed significantly since the original Commendation was made, the Trust would not normally give someone two Awards or two Commendations for the same work.
Can more than one person be nominated jointly?
Joint nominations may be made for two or more people working together - but to be eligible for an Award or Commendation each of them would need to have made an outstanding contribution in their own right. [As a rule, the Trust would be unlikely to give an Award or Commendation to more than four people jointly, except in exceptional circumstances.]
Where can you submit a nomination?
Nominations can be submitted to the Trust through any of the following "nomination centres":
- Prisons and Young Offender Institutions (YOIs)
- Probation Areas / Trusts
- Direcorates of Offender Management Services (DOMS) and HQ groups in NOMS
- Secure Training Centres
- Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) and Youth Justice Board (YJB) HQ and regional offices
In Scotland
- Prisons and YOIs
- HQ groups in Scottish Prison Service (SPS)
- Local Authority Criminal Justice Social Work (CJSW) and Youth Justice teams
Northern Ireland
- Prisons, Young Offender Centres (YOCs) and HQ groups in NI Prison Service (NIPS)
- Probation Board of Northern Ireland (PBNI)
- Juvenile Justice Centres (JJCs) and Youth Justice Authority (YJA) HQ
Nominations should be submitted through the "nomination centre" most relevant to the work of the person/people being nominated. [Note nominations should not be submitted directly to the Butler Trust.]
How do you submit a nomination?
Each nomination centre has a local Butler Trust Co-ordinator, appointed by the Governor/Director, Chief Officer (or equivalent) of the centre concerned.
The local Co-ordinator will provide a nomination form and will advise on, and assist in, completing the nomination form as required. [Note: please read the guidance on the form carefully before completing it.]
What should you put in a nomination?
For someone to be given an Award or Commendation, the Trust's Awarding Panel must be satisfied that:
- the person/people being nominated has/have shown outstanding dedication, skill and/or creativity, over a sustained period (generally of at least 12 months duration); and
- their work has made a significant contribution to at least one of the following: the effective care of offenders; the health and well-being of staff; the wider public interest.
Nominations should focus on:
- describing the work for which the nomination is being made;
- demonstrating that the nominee/s has/have shown outstanding dedication, skill and/or creativity;
- describing any benefits of the work in relation to offenders, staff and/or the public at large.
In the case of joint nominations, the nomination form must describe the contribution made by each person being nominated and demonstrate in what way their contribution can be considered outstanding.
What happens after the initial nomination?
Once the initial nomination has been completed, the local Co-ordinator will:
- seek the consent of the person (or people) being nominated before passing your nomination on to us;
- provide any additional information they might have about the person / people being nominated;
- ask the Governor / Chief Officer (or equivalent) for their comments;
- forward the nomination to us.
Nominations submitted to the Trust are reviewed by our independent Awarding Panel:
- in the first instance they are considered by our Sifting Panel, whose role is to prepare a short-list of possible Award Winners and Commendees;
- our Judging Panel then review the short-list prepared by the Sifting Panel, interview anyone being considered for a possible Award and make their final recommendations to our Trustees.
