Directory of Resources

The NICCO Directory of Resources provides details of the huge number of tools, activities, practice models and guidance that have been developed by agencies to support offenders and their children and families.

Whether you are working directly with children, supporting offenders to maintain parental contact, helping a parent to prepare their child for a prison visit or simply want to develop your own understanding of the criminal justice system, this directory provides you with a range of resources to support and inform your work.

To support working with Children

Find activities, books, films, sound bites and worksheets to support your work with children and young people. View

Offenders and Families

Find information, books, tools, activities and programmes to support your work with offenders and their partners or family members. View

To support Professional's Practice

Find delivery models, case studies, local and national policies and guidlines, practice guides, briefings and resources for professional learning and development. View

1. "What about me?" The impact on children when mothers are involved in the criminal justice system

Children are often devastated when their mum is sent to prison but their interests are rarely considered by a justice system which is blind to their needs, this report by the Prison Reform Trust (PRT) reveals.   For most children, their mother is their primary carer. Every year an estimated 17,000 children experience their mum being sent to prison. Last year, 83% of women sentenced to prison had committed a non-violent crime and 62% were serving a sentence of six months or less....

2. 27,000 Voices

Approximately 27,000 children are separated from an imprisoned parent each year in Scotland - about twice as many children each year experience a parent's imprisonment than a parent's divorce. This film features the voices of children with a parent in prison, and demonstrates that they have many different experiences and distinctive needs. The film can be used as an awareness raising and training resource for a range of professionals. See 27,000 voices below:

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3. A manifesto for families of prisoners in the north east

This manifesto is the result of a Nepacs Visitors' Voice event where families of prisoners that are currently visiting north east prisons discussed how the government and prison service can change services for prison visitors for the better. The manifesto contains 16 action points for the government that the families felt would improve prison visits for children and families and help to maintain family ties during a sentence. Please download the manifesto below.

4. A new approach to managing female offenders

This Policy paper outlines the governments plans for managing female offenders. The three documents included in this are Women's Custodial Estate Review, Stocktake of Women's Services for Offenders in the Community and Government's response to the Justice Committee's Second Report of Session 2013-14: Female Offenders. The Government's response to the Justice Committee's Second Report of Session 2013-14: Female Offenders touches on the findings of the Estate Review...

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5. A Sentence Apart

This short documentary is about the effects of parental imprisonment in the USA and intended for use by colleges, universities and other organisations but can be used as a visual aid for people in other countries and agencies wanting to know about this.   This striking and intimate film follows the stories of two young people whose fathers are in prison (as well as a mothers whose daughter is inside) and how they deal with the impacts of their incarceration. The film includes a...

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6. Barnardo's i-HOP & Greater Manchester Safeguarding Partnership Guidance for Working with Children who have a Parent (or Significant Family Member) in Prison

This protocol developed by the Greater Manchester Safeguarding Partnership in partnership with Barnardo's i-HOP builds on the Bolton Safeguarding Children Board's guidelines. This guidance has been written to assist all professionals who work with children who have a parent or significant family member in prison and to encourage a strategic approach to meeting the needs of this potentially vulnerable group. Sections include: - Aims of the Guidelines - Background - Impact of...

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The Centre is delivered by Barnardo’s in partnership with Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS).
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