All research and evidence on NICCO is reviewed using a Quality Assessment Tool (QAT) developed by the University of Huddersfield and Barnardo's.
Research and evidence is assessed in four key areas: Methodological Quality, Child-Centredness, Relevance to Policy and Strategy, and Relevance to Practice with offender's children. This ensures that items on the NICCO website are as useful as possible to academics, practitioners, commissioners and other professionals. For more information about the development of the QAT or to review research in order to list it on NICCO, please see the QAT webpage where you can download the Tool, Guidebook and a short step-by-step 'How To' document. Please contact us to submit quality assessed research on to NICCO.
Click on the icons to see a full list of items which have been awarded a standard icon or icon+ (for items which have scored particularly highly) in each key area:
Results 19 - 24 of 26
This is an evaluation of Barnardo's Community Support for Offenders' Families (CSOF) service.
The evaluation looks at the pilot stage of three CSOF services, based in Bristol, the Isle of Wight and South Wales. The services worked with local agencies in each area, to raise awareness of the needs of families affected by parental imprisonment and offending and develop practice and a strategic response. In addition the services also provided direct support to families. The evaluation uses data from all three CSOF services, and seeks to determine if CSOF contributed to improved outcomes for offenders' families, influenced the local service response towards offenders' families and increased professional awareness of the support needs of offenders' families in each locality. The evaluation concluded: 1. The community-based model of family support and service development was effective 2. The combination of a child and family focused project worker and offender manager within each service was an important factor in reaching and supporting families 3. Awareness raising, training and wider service development were essential elements of the service 4. Identification of children of offenders continues to be ad hoc and further work is required at a national and local level to build a comprehensive picture of need.
See the evaluation of CSOF (various documents including full report, summary and information to support offender management practice) below:
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This paper considers the changes to the incentives and earned privileges (IEP) scheme in adult male prisons that took place in April 2013 throughout England and Wales, specifically how extra visits and family days continue to be offered as a reward for good behaviour.
This is in comparison to the female estate where visiting arrangements are detached from the IEP scheme, due to recognition that incentivising contact is incompatible with meeting the needs of imprisoned mothers and their children. The paper argues that a similar approach should be adopted within the male estate, promoting the rights of the child. This paper presents findings from in-depth interviews with families affected by parental imprisonment in England and Wales conducted as part of the COPING research project led by the University of Huddersfield. The COPING study examined the impact of parental incarceration on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people and involved partners from across four countries; Partners Of Prisoners and Families Support Group (POPS) acted as the UK partner.
See Incentivising Prison Visits below:
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This report details recommended changes to improve the experience for children visiting prisons.
Based on interviews with mothers and children who visit male prisons, the recommendations are intended to make prison visits as positive as possible for the children and young people involved. Examples of best practice are included throughout the report, as well as a focus on highlighting the concerns of the affected children and families. The report is largely organised according to the six recommendations detailed below:
1. All prisons should view visits as a family intervention, under the remit of reducing reoffending, rather than a security risk.
2. Searches of children and babies should be made more child-friendly and proportionate to the security risks posed.
3. Children's visits to male prisons should be separate from the Incentives and Earned Privileges scheme, as they are for women's prisons.
4. The National Offender Management Service should simplify the form and process for applying to the Assisted Prison Visits scheme.
5. Play facilities and visitor services within prisons should reach a consistent national standard, and the National Offender Management Service should issue guidance for governors, informed by advice from Ofsted.
6. Children should be permitted to bring homework and school reading books into and out of prisons.
Please see Barnardo's Locked Out below:
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This Prison Reform Trust discussion paper considers the sentencing of women with children and provides a number of proposals intended to ensure children are taken into account when it comes to sentencing decisions for mothers.
It begins with a summary of these proposals, then gives a contextual overview of the sentencing of women, looks at mothers and their children affected by the criminal justice system, existing guidance in England and Wales with an account of inconsistent practice, before finally outlining the proposals in greater detail. The paper considers research on mothers' imprisonment, relevant sentencing law, perspectives of imprisoned mothers, consultations with various organisations, and identifies good practice in the UK and internationally in order to inform the discussion. It also includes in Appendix 1 a summary of the Court of Appeal decision in R v Petherick where a defendant's sentence was reduced due to the effect parental imprisonment would have on the defendant's child.
Read more about the Sentencing of Mothers below:
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This book is informed by practitioner perspectives and incorporates the voices of mothers and grandmothers involved in the criminal justice system (CJS). It aims to raise awareness amongst professionals about the complexities of working with vulnerable mothers.
This understanding and support of mothers impacts on their relationships with their children. in this way this book may help to facilitate positive outcomes for mothers and their children. Each chapter explores the position of women in wider society in relation to their treatment in the CJS. Chapters include those about the sociology of motherhood, working with women with mental health problems, social work with mothers involved in the CJS, police involvement, mothers in courts, mothering from prison, mothers and babies in prison, pregnancy in prison, and working with substance misusing mothers.
This book is available to purchase via the link below:
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You will need a subscription to Probation Journal to access this article in full.
This article is focused on the Irish criminal justice system but the analysis and conclusions are relevant to a wider context. Taking a children's rights perspective throughout, the researchers explore case law from South Africa and England and Wales which demonstrates how courts have taken the impact on children into account when sentencing offenders with parenting responsibilities. It looks at how child impact statements could be incorporated into the Irish sentencing process and explores the barriers to this being done through exisiting pre-sanction reports completed by Probation. The article concludes that Probation services, with their offender-focused practice, are not the best party to gather child impact information for courts, however the preference for an independent advocate role to do so is also problematic in the current Irish context.
Read more about introducing child impact statements into the Irish sentencing process below:
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