Directory of Research

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:

Child-Centredness

Relevance to Policy

Methodological Quality

Relevance to Practice

43. Prisons without walls
This short, accessible, children's rights focused article outlines the University of Huddersfield's 2013 COPING study into the mental health and resilience of children of prisoners across Europe. There is an initial introduction to some of the challenges children with parents in prison face and consideration of how this differs across Europe. The author, who took part in the study, includes insights from the children that he conducted interviews with and includes images of pictures...
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44. Final year evaluation of the Integrated Family Support Project (2013 - 2016)
This is the final year evaluation of the NEPACS Integrated Family Support Project funded by the Big Lottery from 2013 to 2016. The project operates in four prisons and the surrounding communites across the North-east of England with a team of prison-based Family Support Workers and community-based Integrated Family Support Advocates. Conducted by Barefoot Research and published by NEPACS, the evaluation looks at the key outputs of the project and examines outcomes for prisoners, families,...
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45. Life in prison: Contact with families and friends
This findings paper from HM Inspectorate of Prisons is part of a series which focuses on daily life in adult prisons and in young offender institutions holding young adults (aged 18 to 21). The focus of the paper is the importance of prisoners maintaining relationships with family and friends. It draws on evidence from recent inspections of adult prisons and survey data from the corresponding inspection reports published between April 2015 and March 2016. The paper begins by summarising...

46. Problem-solving courts: An evidence review
This report from the Centre for Justice Innovation, 'Problem-solving courts: an evidence review', analyses the evidence on whether and why problem-solving courts work. The paper was written to inform development of government policy as well as to help shape practice within pilots in England and Wales. The paper defines problem-solving courts and then considers the evidence on whether they work, why they work, and the problems with them. Chapters of particular interest to...
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47. Supporting children and families of prisoners in the North East: a case study of how the voluntary sector and research has driven the agenda
This paper is a reflective piece, outlining how work to support the children and families of prisoners in the North East has developed over the last 10 years. The article can be accessed by subscription to the Probation Journal. Read for free below:
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48. Tackling the intergenerational cycle of offending, by promoting parent-child relationships
This short report outlines learning points from visits to organisations and projects working with offenders and their families in prisons across Croatia, Belgium, The Netherlands and Italy. Through observations collected during fieldwork the report aims to highlight examples of best practice in these countries in order to inform and develop the work of organisations seeking to strengthen family ties between prisoners and their familes in the UK. Download the report below:

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