Families with children across the UK are missing out on vital support to help them cope with the impact caused by having a parent in prison, according to research from The Open University’s Children’s Research Centre and YSS.
The two-year study funded by Worcestershire County Council, surveyed 68 families across the UK, to better understand the lived experiences of families with a parent in prison. It found that the support available to assist them with financial and practical information was inconsistent and varied depending on location and age of the child. Some families were unaware of what support even existed with 74% of families surveyed having had no offer of local support at all, and only a small number had been offered support nationally.
Researchers concluded that radical change was needed in the gathering of data on children who have a parent in prison. Estimates suggest that the number of children impacted annually by parental imprisonment could be as high as 312,000, but in reality the actual number of children of prisoners in the UK is simply unknown. This gap makes it challenging to identify and target those who need help, which is leaving families isolated.
The research included an evaluation of the YSS Families First project in Worcestershire, which provides support to families affected by parental imprisonment. It found there was a great need and for more support services such as Families First from the point of parental arrest to release and beyond across the UK. Such services can help to mitigate children’s and families’ financial distress, educational problems, mental health difficulties and social isolation. In short, early support can help to avoid long term problems including patterns of later offending.
The research was recently launched at an event in the House of Commons, hosted by Caroline Nokes, MP for Romsey and Southampton North, and Chair of the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee.
Caroline Nokes, MP said:
“What was very clear from the research was the profound impact parental imprisonment had on children. Their stories were incredibly moving, and so evident they needed support, both when their parent was in prison and also in preparation for release. I have subsequently raised some of the issues with the Prisons Minister and am pleased he is taking the issue seriously.”
The researchers from The Open University’s Children Research Centre, Dr Victoria Cooper and Dr Stephanie Jane Bennett and Professor Jane Payler, who authored the report, said:
“Estimates suggest that over 300,000 children are affected by parental imprisonment every year. Yet, most of those children do not have access to support services to help them to cope with the difficulties they face. We hope our report will highlight the need for national action to provide support to these families at the time they need it most”
Debb Grantham Managing Director of YSS said:
“Families have told us that they feel confused, frightened, neglected, and judged when a family member goes to prison. They may not be in prison themselves, but they often feel they are also serving their own “hidden” sentence. YSS Families First not only supports families, but also the professionals who have come into contact with them, who also struggle to navigate the complexities of a criminal justice system. In an ideal world every family should be able to access a Families First service and at YSS we continue to source funding for this valuable service.”
Lia Palios-Hayden, Operations Manager at YSS said:
Working alongside The Children’s Research Centre at The Open University has enabled us to champion and bring to the forefront the often-hidden voices of families affected by parental imprisonment. It has also allowed us to measure the impact of our service and provide a strong evidence base for funding an expansion of this support moving forward. Every family within the UK should have the opportunity to access this level of support and more focus needs to be placed on the effects of imprisonment on the family of prisoners, as well as the role families can provide in supporting rehabilitation of their loved one back into the community.”
To access the full report please follow this link: From arrest to release, helping families feel less alone: An evaluation of a Worcestershire pilot support project for families affected by parental imprisonment – Open Research Online
There is more information about how parental imprisonment affects families as well as short courses on the subject available on the OU’s free learning platform OpenLearn Forgotten families – OpenLearn – Open University
