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 7 - 12 of 13
This short piece of research relates to the mentoring of children of prisoners in the US however, it can be applied to any country with an interest in this area.
It is the last in a series of 10 action research reports. The research is conducted in light of the estimated two million children with imprisoned parents in the US at the time of writing and the negative circumstances many of these children can find themselves in. It considers developmental psychology and childrens' needs depending on their stage of development. Studies of mentoring programmes are examined which indicate the long term social, emotional and educational benefits of mentoring children of prisoners and the importance of quality and longevity of mentor/mentee relationships.
See how mentoring can be a promising intervention for children of prisoners below:
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This POPS report is the result of a mapping exercise of offenders' families and support services available to them which was funded by Sure Start Children's Centres and Bolton Council in 2010.
The report explores the issues and barriers these families face in accessing needs appropriate services. Research was undertaken in Sure Start Children's Centres with contributions from local schools, prison visitor centres and family forums. Findings reveal replicable models of good practice and areas where services were lacking which raised concerns around the level of interagency working with indications of poor communication and a lack of knowledge. These factors proved to be an obstacle for families accessing services. Recommendations are made around the need for an improved communication strategy at both grassroots and regional levels, the importance of training staff across the Criminal Justice System and agencies who have contact with children and Families, that timely and accurate information for staff and offender's families is key and that knowledge and experience should be cascaded through existing services. This report suggests ways that services will become more user led and in the mean time contains resources to assist providers in better supporting families e.g. a quick reference directory of recommended services and a basic guide to the Criminal Justice Service.
Read about POP's Mapping exercise below:
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This research refers to the US but can be learned from by people from any country.
The prison population in the United States has increased significantly over the years. Research shows that the children of prisoners experience academic and social challenges. This article argues that professional school counselors are in an ideal position to provide theory-based interventions to support children of prisoners. This article firstly describes the challenges experienced by children of prisoners, then secondly advances choice theory as a theoretical framework to meet their needs, and includes a case study that details the effective use of choice theory with the children of prisoners.
Access this school counseling article below:
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You must purchase this peer reviewed article from the American Psychological Association's PsychNet to view the entire article or request it for free from the authors via Researchgate.
Although written about American research, the finding from this article can be used by professionals everywhere. The National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being shows that approximately 1 in 8 children who are investigated by child welfare services (CWS) agencies for mistreatment have parents who were recently arrested. These children are disproportionatley younger than other children who come into contact with CWS, more likely to be African American and far more likely to be living within the care system. Despite the fact that 2 in 5 children age 2 and older with arrested parents had clincally significant emotional or behavioral problems, only 1 in 10 received mental health care. Parents in the study varied in characteristics by race but rates of substance abuse, serious mental illness, domestic violence, and problems meeting basic needs were all higher among arrested parents than among other parents. Purchase Parental Arrest and Child Welfare Services Agencies on Psychnet.
Request free access to Parental Arrest and Child Welfare Services Agencies on Researchgate below:
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This evaluation explores the work and benefits of Ormiston's Breaking Barriers outreach service for children with a loved one who has recently been sentenced to prison.
The service, which offers 8 visits from a practitioner to a child in school, is assessed in relation to the aims of the service using service data, first hand interviews with children and parents and anecdotal evidence from school partners. The evaluation ends with clear recommendations for running the service, (such as post-intervention follow ups, awareness raising about children of prisoners) as well as evaluating (using direct measures against the service aims for example).
You can read the Breaking Barriers evaluation on the Ormiston website or download it below:
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This paper contributes new insights into the ways in which prison is experienced as an emotional space by mothers. It highlights the way in which the maternal experience for mothers in prison is often at best disrupted, at worst destroyed, by the location.
Consideration is given to how maternal emotions and role are assembled and challenged through imprisonment and how mothers understand this experience whilst navigating motherhood post incarceration. The data presented is based on twenty recorded in-depth individual interviews with released mothers across England and Wales. The research findings highlight the significant emotional harm and turmoil felt by mothers themselves and on mother-child relationships, experienced during incarceration and long after their release. The voices of the mothers are widely shared throughout this clearly written, well structured article. The findings in this paper provide insights into the nuanced and complex experience of the prison space for mothers, and shows the reader the harms which accompany custodial sentences. Findings emphasise the significance and value of compassionate and thoughtful management of prisons in relation to mothering emotions. The paper concludes with reflections on the findings of the study and recommendations for future research and practice. This piece of work should absolutely be read and disseminated by anyone interested in maternal imprisonment.
Motherhood disrupted is available as open access via Research Gate see below:
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