Abstract
Advice and support for prisoners’ and offenders’ families
Action for Prisoners’ and Offenders’ Families merged with Family Lives in 2014 and works for the benefit of prisoners’ and offenders’ families by supporting families who are affected by imprisonment. Their website provides links to useful resources for families and professionals. The National Offenders’ Families Helpline is a freephone helpline available Mon–Fri, 9am–8pm, and Sat–Sun, 10am–3pm; tel: 0808 808 2003. The support is for England, Wales and Scotland. More information is available at the website: www.offendersfamilieshelpline.org
There are leaflets about issues such as telling children about imprisonment, dealing with social services, preparing for release and maintaining family relationships. The leaflets are informative and include the voices of others family members’ experiences. The leaflets can be downloaded at: www.familylives.org.uk/about/our-services/action-for-prisoners-and-offenders-families/
Parenting UK, which is part of Family Lives, has produced a series of publications for professionals working directly or indirectly with families of offenders and prisoners. The publications have been created by Action for Prisoners’ and Offenders’ Families and cover a broad range of topics including enhancing care of child-bearing women and their babies, multi-agency working and supporting prisoners’ families, publications for different professionals including probation, social services, police, mental health, youth justice midwives, etc. All of the publications are free to download once you login as a member (free membership) from: http://www.parentinguk.org/our-work/our-publications/working-with-prisoners-families/
Hidden Sentence is a training course for professionals whose work brings them in contact with prisoners’ families, including children’s centre workers, troubled families workers, school staff, play workers, health visitors, and family intervention teams. The course gives an overview of the issues facing prisoners’ families and provides a range of strategies and resources to help support prisoners’ families. The Hidden Sentence course is suitable for any professionals working in the community and prison setting who work with offenders’ and prisoners’ families in any type of support role including NPS and CRC staff, teachers and school/nursery staff; prison staff, health professionals, youth and community professionals, and community and voluntary organizations. A brochure with the full details is available at: www.familylives.org.uk/
Family Lives, the organization that Action for Families and Offenders’ Families is part of, provides general advice and help and support for families at all stages of development from babies and toddlers, through to teenagers, dealing with bullying, fostering or adoption, divorce and separation, etc. Support is available in a variety of formats including leaflets, live chat forums, parenting courses and links to other services and support. More information is available at: www.familylives.org.uk