Can you add me to the mailing list?

If you are not a NICCO member, please sign up for free to receive our e-newsletter and other mail-outs.

 

I cannot find what I am looking for on the website; can I speak to a NICCO member of staff?

If you cannot find what you are looking for on the website but your query is relevant to children and families affected by offending, please contact us and someone will do their best to assist you.

 

Can I add some relevant information regarding the children and families of offenders to the NICCO website?

Yes, we are always keen to hear about new information that is not already included on the website. Please contact us to tell us about the information you would like added to the site. NICCO welcomes all relevant suggestions but reserves the right to have final say on what is published on the website.

 

Is there a charge to use the NICCO service?

No, the NICCO service website is free to use, as is becoming a member. Members receive an e-newsletter and other mail-outs.

 

How can I find a service to help support a child, young person and/or family of an offender?

You can find both local and national services for children, young people and families by using the individual directory search or site-wide search function on the home page.

 

I want to research/work with/volunteer with the children of offenders; can you help me with this?

NICCO does not work with children and families directly. We recommend that you contact services that work with children and families affected by offending directly to enquire about this. Please use the search functions on the home page to find services near you, or alternatively browse through our complete list of services.

 

Are there any training materials and resources to help develop my understanding of the impact of offending on children and families?

There are a range of interactive and downloadable tools for professionals listed on NICCO under resources and training and programmes.  Hidden Sentence training is the most widely recognised and used training programme for raising awareness of these families’ needs.

 

What support is available to families who are struggling financially?

The Assisted Prison Visits Unit (APVU) scheme offers eligible families money towards prison visit travel costs and in some cases refreshments or an overnight stay. Information around how various benefit entitlements may change for those with partners in prison is available from Turn2us. Specific organisations may have funding available for families; use the search functions on the website to find out more.

 

What support is there for children or young people whose family member has been convicted of a sexual offence?

There is a small selection of resources available on NICCO which can be accessed here. It may also be suitable to access counselling services in your local area (see your local Family Information Service to find services).

 

Is there any guidance regarding talking to a child or young person about a close family member being in prison?

NICCO has a range of age-specific resources including books, websites and worksheets designed to help professionals, parents and other family members talk about imprisonment with children and/or young people. For example, booklets such as Telling the children and What shall I tell the children are accessible via the search functions on the site.

 

Can I take a child or young person that I am supporting to prison to see a family member?

You can usually accompany a child or young person to prison providing you have parental consent, are named on the prisoners’ visiting order and the prisoner has not been assessed as posing a child protection risk.  There are lots of resources available for children and families about visiting a relative in prison. For example, there is the Online Prison Visits Booking System, My Special Book to help young children explore emotions and practicalities of prison visits. Please use the search functions on the home page to find more. It may also be useful to contact the prison’s family friendly visitor centres. Please search the name of the prison on the home page, and if the prison has a Visitor Centre it will be included in the results.