There are an estimated 310,000 children affected by parental imprisonment each year. These children and their families are more likely than their peers to suffer outcomes such as poor physical and mental health, poverty, poor education experiences and stigma. Given the focus on education, crime and anti-social behaviour, professionals are likely to be working with many families that are affected by parental offending. Furthermore the focus on parental offending, and includes the criteria "Parents and children involved in crime or anti-social behaviour". Troubled Families professionals are therefore key in helping to identify and meet the needs of this group of children and families.
Find out more about how NICCO can assist Troubled Families professionals to support these children in our Troubled Families briefing.
The following provides links to helpful resources and key information which is specific to helping you support the children and families of offenders.
Resources for children, young people & families
Troubled Families professionals often work with the whole family, and are therefore in an ideal position to signpost or provide helpful and practical information. See some examples below and find services local to your area by using NICCO’s search by region function on the Directory of Services.
For children and young people
Little Children, Big Challenges: Incarceration is a toolkit from Sesame Street containing resources such as videos; stories; information sheets; and guides for children, parents/carers and professionals.
My Special Book is a booklet for young children to document their visit to their parent in prison and write down how they felt, what they talked about, what they saw and so on.
Are you a young person with a family member in prison? is a booklet is for young people that explores some of the issues young people may face throughout the offender journey; such as keeping in touch, telling friends, and what to do at school.
For parents, carers and family members
National Offenders’ Families Helpline - Free and confidential information service providing basic advice, emotional support, and signposting to local services. Their website includes simple information sheets to print for offenders' families on all issues relating to a loved one's involvement with the criminal justice system.
Assisted prison visits scheme - online information and contact details for applying for funds to cover the travel cost of prison visits for families on benefits.
The Outsiders series from APF includes quotes from families and prisoners and focus on Preparing for release, Sent to prison, Living with separation, Telling the children.
Being a parent - a brief, printable leaflet for parents in prison, that summarises the importance of staying in touch with children and the ways in which this can be done.
Resources for Troubled Families professionals
There are more informative resources for professionals such as guidelines, videos and toolkits listed on NICCO. We feature a few below:
Supporting children and families affected by a family member’s offending – A Practitioner’s Guide – An accessible and comprehensive Guide for multi-agency frontline practitioners including tools, resource lists and practice tips to support effective community-based interventions with offenders’ children and families.
Quality Statements & Toolkit - this comprehensive and easy-to-use resource enables multi-agency professionals to assess and develop their practice with children of offenders. Informed by research, it includes many good practice examples and a work plan template to set action points for your service.
SCIE- E-learning - these 3 interactive tools help professionals gain an understanding of an offender’s journey through the CJS and impacts of this on their children and families.
It’s no holiday - this film can be used for awareness raising. It uses children's voices to explore their experiences of a close family member's arrest, trial, imprisonment, visiting and release.
Background information - Research
There is a range of research and policy concerning offenders' children and families health and wellbeing including safeguarding guidelines and national frameworks included on NICCO. See some example below:
Poverty and disadvantage among prisoners' families - this pivotal research highlights the higher rates of poor mental and physical health in prisoners’ children.
Bromley Briefings - a report full of statistics about the prisoners and prisons, including information about offenders' backgrounds and a section about offenders' children and families.
Out for Good - Research that looks at enabling prisoners to take responsibility for their own resettlement and includes recommendations about improved contact with family during custody and more involvement of families in preparation for release.
Training
Hidden Sentence Training - This has been developed by Action for Prisoners’ Families for multi-agency professionals, and gives an overview of issues which prisoners’ families routinely face. See a list of all training featured on NICCO, or find training in your local area by using NICCO’s search by region function on the home page.
