Directory of Resources

The Pact baby group at HMP Swansea provides fathers with parenting support, skills and the time and space to bond with their new born babies. Background Pact developed the idea for a baby group at HMP Swansea as a result of conversations between the Family Support Co-ordinator and new mothers who had partners at HMP Swansea. These women voiced their worries for their babies and partners, and their concerns about bonding. Fathers that the Family Support Co-ordinator spoke with said that...

This guide aims to support local authorities and partnerships to develop their work with children and families of offenders. It is based on research carried out across the North East, with prisons and voluntary organisations working with families of offenders. The guide makes nine recommendations, with a focus on how Integrated Offender Management (IOM) units can work with these families. The recommendations include each IOM producing a strategy and action plan for children of offenders,...

This 2 minute video clip about the Barnardo's Erlestoke prison champion from Dilton Marsh primary school was part of the BBC Points West news programme. The reporter, Erlestoke's prison Governor and the schools champion briefly talk about stigma, intergenerational offending, poor school outcomes and identification of the children of prisoners. View this news piece about Wiltshire prison champion on the BBC below:

Families Outside provides twilight sessions for school staff across Scotland with the aim of raising awareness about the needs of students with a parent in prison, and providing insight into how schools can provide support. The twilight sessions give teachers and other school professionals the opportunity to visit a prison, and walk the journey of children and families visiting their loved-ones. This involves going through the same search procures that a child would when entering a prison...

Newman University has been including content about children and families of offenders into two of their undergraduate courses: Early Childhood Education and Care BA Hons and Working with Children, Young People and Families BA Hons, for the last ten years. The impact of parental imprisonment, and the needs of this group of children and families, features in modules such as Human Rights and Social Justice, The Inclusive Practitioner, Understanding Vulnerability, Working with Families in the...

This booklet outlines how South Gloucestershire council will support children who are looked after by relatives or family friends in the absence of their parents. It also summarises the law in this area. Despite there only being two brief mentions of children with parents in prison within the statutory guidance for local authorities, this document is worth noting as an example of a local authority who specifically recognise children with imprisoned parents. There is also a list of support...