Families of offenders – resources for practitioners

There are a range of resources available for practitioners who are working with offenders’ families and children.

NICCO (the National Information Centre on Children of Offenders) is an information hub that provides a support service for all professionals who come into contact with the children and families of offenders. It also provides material for academics and those responsible for strategic development and commissioning of family services.

NICCO helps to develop, support and enhance the relationship between offenders and their families by supplying information and guidance to the professionals who are working with them both.

The Centre is delivered by Barnardo’s in partnership with Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service.

The Directory of Services on NICCO allows the site to become a platform for prisons to promote what facilities and interventions they provide for both prisoners and their families as well as providing details of the partner agencies who deliver them. This will support the sharing of good practice and resources as well as encouraging a consistency of delivery of family services across the estate.

The site also has a Directory of Resources which provides details of the huge number of tools, activities, practice models and guidance that have been developed by agencies to support offenders and their children and families.

The Directory of Research contains quality assessed research to inform good practice, development and study.

NICCO hopes to bridge the gap between the criminal justice services and community based services, as well as allowing HMPPS to compare what family support services are available by having  information all in one place.

Barnardo’s
Barnardo’s has been highlighting the hidden impact of imprisonment on children and running a range of support services over the last 20 years across the UK. Their work in this area began with the ‘Family Matters’ programme in Northern Ireland.

Contact Barnardo’s on 0208 550 8822 or visit their website at www.barnardos.org.uk/children_of_prisoners

Access Family support for children and families affected by imprisonment resources on the Barnardo’s  website at www.barnardos.org.uk/childrenfamilies_affected_by_imprisionment_handbook

POPS (Partners of Prisoners)
POPS provide information and support to the families of offenders from their earliest contact with the Criminal Justice System, through to release and beyond.

Described as the ‘Continuum of Care’, POPS model of service delivery is the skeleton around which they build constant and coordinated services which ensure offenders families have access to timely and appropriate support throughout their contact with the Criminal Justice System. The ‘Continuum of Care’ encourages effective partnerships and robust referral systems to ensure families are able, at all times, to receive the tailored support they require to address their particular needs.

Contact POPS on 0808 808 2003 or visit their website at www.partnersofprisoners.co.uk

Catch 22
Catch 22 work with young people and families in trouble, providing early intervention, targeted and specialist support services to those in crisis, leaving care, missing from home or with substance misuse or mental health problems. Services support people no matter what their situation.

Find out more from their website at www.catch-22.org.uk

Action 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 offers information about the National Offenders’ Families Helpline; resources for families and professionals; and also the Hidden Sentence training for professionals working with families.  There are also leaflets for families, as well as resources for professionals working with prisoners’ and offenders’ families.

Visit their website at www.familylives.org.uk

Child’s Journey
A collection of worksheets covering such topics as visits, remand and court, arrest and school. The sheets are designed to be used by school staff and family members alongside the child or young person.

Access these resources via the Southampton website at www.youngsouthampton.org