Children Heard and Seen is a specialist charity dedicated to children and young people affected by parental imprisonment.
For over a decade, our approach has been shaped by practice, by listening to families, and most importantly by the experiences and voices of children and young people themselves.
We Hear and See the child first.
Our approach is strengths-based, child-centred and grounded in each child’s individual experience.
We do not make assumptions about how a child should feel about their parent, or what their relationship should look like. Whether there is regular contact, limited contact or no relationship at all, we start with the child’s perspective – what has happened to them, what matters to them and what they need.
Parental imprisonment does not define a child’s future.
It can bring significant change, uncertainty, stigma and loss. But it does not define who a child is or determine what they can achieve.
Our approach focuses on children’s strengths, identity and aspirations – supporting them to thrive, achieve and shape a future that is their own.
Shaped by more than 10 years of listening and learning.
Our specialist approach has developed through more than a decade of working alongside children, young people and families affected by parental imprisonment.
Their experiences continually inform our practice, challenge our thinking and shape how our work develops.
From children’s voices to national change.
We work to ensure the experiences of children affected by parental imprisonment are heard beyond individual families and communities.
We bring children’s voices and our specialist practice experience into national conversations, advocating for greater recognition of their experiences and helping to shape policy, professional practice and systemic change.
Every child deserves to be heard, seen understood and given the opportunity to thrive.