Families Outside have developed a project which supports fathers in prison to be more closely involved in their children's education.
The project means that dads receive reports and updates directly from the school about their child's school progress and allows Families Outside to help teachers support families. The project has a very clear procedure to ensure that all parties (school, prison, child, parents/carers in the community, father in prison) are involved in and informed about the process.
Firstly a letter is sent to the fathers about the initiative (see below document), and they are encouraged to discuss the scheme with their partner/child's carer. The father then completes an application form (see below document) and Families Outside contact the partner/carer in the community to discuss the project, confirm their consent, and offer any further support (e.g. through their families' helpline) if necessary. Families Outside contact the child's school to explain the process and offer support and resources (e.g. schools' booklet, poster, in-prison training). The school starts to send copies of the child's school report, as well as some of their school work, directly to the prisoner. Families Outside becomes the contact person for the school and the partner/carer, whilst prison staff (most often a Family Contact Officer) are the main contact for the prisoner. After 6 months, the process is evaluated by the prisoner, partner, school contact, prison contact and Families Outside. The project was first piloted in April 2014, and the feedback since has been very positive. Some of the outcomes have included: A mother receiving help to tell her children the truth about dad being in prison; Teachers gaining an insight into the effects of imprisonment on the children in their class; Children being able to talk to their teachers about how they are feeling; Schools authorising absences when a child has to leave early to attend a prison visit; and a head teacher saying, 'I hadn't thought about what it might be like for dad in prison.'
Contact Families Outside below for further information.
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