Children Heard and Seen is a charity which provides support for children with a parent in prison and their family in the community. Although the charity was founded in Oxfordshire, the support can be accessed nationally with a variety of tailored virtual and in person provision.
In 2019 Children Heard and Seen won the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. This is the highest award given to volunteer groups across the UK to recognise the exceptional service within their communities. In 2020, Children Heard and Seen won the Criminal Justice Alliance Award and was recognised as an Outstanding support to the Local Community. In June 2023, Children Heard and Seen were awarded the Stephen Lloyd Award for their work with the Thames Valley Police on Operation Paramount. In November 2023, they were awarded the Centre for Social Justice Award for their commitment to breaking the cycle of reoffending, for their innovative programmes, and for work to address root causes of criminality.
Children Heard and Seen offer:
Initial meetings during which an assessment of the family’s needs, strengths, difficulties and service requirements are made in collaboration with the family. Information about what other agencies the family are working with is collected to ensure a combined, holistic, multiagency approach.
Children Heard and Seen are able to write a tailored crib sheet to support the parent/carer with ways to tell their children that their parent is in prison, this can also be shared with the school to ensure that the narrative for the child remains the same. Emphasising that their parent in prison is safe.
Tailored resources for children and young people such as creating photo books and letter writing templates to send in to a parent in prison. This support aids communication and supports children to manage and process difficult emotions in a safe environment with a member of the team.
1:1 support with a trained practitioner, this support can be tailored to the needs of the child and can focus on identity, healthy relationships, safety, managing feelings. Children Heard and Seen designed a workbook specifically for children who have a parent in prison and covers each part of a custodial sentence, from what is crime and how does crime impact society, to the arrest, media response, visiting/contact all the way through to release and planning for the future. This provides children the platform to discuss and ask questions about prison, aids with managing difficult emotions and prepares them to have conversations with their friends about their parent in prison.
Trained volunteer mentors in the community who provide one-to-one support for children whose parents are in prison. Children who would benefit from the mentoring scheme are matched with a mentor and they meet together on a weekly basis focusing on child led positive activities and positive role modelling. This relationship which is for the child, a positive external relationship to the family home, this is a way for children to understand how to develop healthy relationships, manage their emotions and engage in fun activities.
Virtual groups are provided 6 days a week and are facilitated via Zoom. These offer the opportunity for young people in similar situations to form friendships and understand that they are not the only children in their position. These groups offer a supportive peer to peer platform where children can have fun and also tackle their feelings around their parent’s imprisonment. There are specific groups for children under 11, and for children 12-18 which focus on tackling different topics such as friendships, healthy relationships, prisons, visiting in age appropriate ways as well as creative groups where art is used as the medium to enable communication and enabling them to express themselves. At these groups children are able to connect with other children all who have a parent(s) in prison across the UK.
A virtual support group for parents and carers takes place weekly, this ensures that parents/carers are able to support each other and learn from their experiences. Occasionally guest speakers from other organisations are arranged to give talks at the request of the parents and carers who attend.
Drawing and Talking is provided and facilitated virtually and within schools. This is a child-centred therapy that allows children to explore their feelings in a safe, non-intrusive way. Drawing and Talking focuses on prevention, early intervention and recovery of mental health issues.
Children Heard and Seen have attended many conferences, radio interviews, news articles and has provided evidence for the Human Rights Select Committee regarding parental imprisonment. It’s part of our ethos that the children and families we support have their voices heard, and where possible we ensure they are able to speak out and have their voices as part of the conversation on their needs.
Visit the Children Heard and Seen website for further information.
E: info@childrenheardandseen.co.uk
T: 07557 339258
Website: http://www.childrenheardandseen.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/childrenheardandseen/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChildrenHandS
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childrenhands/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/11025347/
Check out our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ChildrenHeardandSeen
A Parent's Perspective is a new video series on YouTube giving the parents and carers supported by Children Heard And Seen the opportunity to talk about their lives before and after receiving support from the charity; the shame and stigma they faced and then the positive impact having support has had on themselves and their children.
A Parent's Perspective can be viewed here.
A Point of View - Luke's Film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo4C2gtggLg
The film is about what is it like to have a parent in prison from Luke’s (aged 10) perspective.
Hidden Voices blogs - https://childrenheardandseen.co.uk/hidden-voices/
A series of blog posts created by adults who have lived experience of parental imprisonment. By sharing these hidden voices, we hope to show how the impacts of parental imprisonment can stay with people well into adulthood.
