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 to visit a parent - including passing sniffer dogs and experiencing pat down searches. Teachers are also shown the visits hall and the closed visits area, and the different visiting protocols are explained. The session comprises interactive discussion using case studies looking at how school communities and individual staff members can best respond to the needs of children with a parent in prison. This includes building confidence around how to engage and support children and families, an understanding of the varied and complex situations that families can experience, a knowledge of resources and support available for schools and families, and the importance of links between prison, support agencies and schools. Families Outside has received fantastic feedback from the twilight sessions; below are some comments from participants: 'Great to be shown and to experience what it would be like for children, rather than just being told.' 'Excellent insight. Thought provoking. Enjoyed the info and the practical tour of prison.' 'Fantastic session - very informative and useful information.' 'This session was fantastic and very useful. This has given me a better insight into people's lives and what children are going through.'
Download some of the materials used in these sessions below (please note they are intended for use in Scotland, but could be easily adapted for use elsewhere), as well as the Families Outside poster for school staff.
Contact Families Outside for further information below:
