Children Heard and Seen provides specialist one-to-one support for children and young people affected by parental imprisonment.

Our Children and Families Practitioners have specialist knowledge and experience of the unique and often complex impact that having a parent in prison can have on a child. Weekly sessions provide a safe and consistent space for children to talk about their experiences, make sense of what has happened within their family and develop strategies for managing difficult or conflicting emotions.

Every child’s experience of parental imprisonment is different. Support is individually tailored and can explore issues including stigma and secrecy, loss and separation, changes within the family, prison visits and contact, feelings about the offence, uncertainty about the future, and the different stages of a parent’s custodial sentence.

An approach developed specifically for parental imprisonment

Our one-to-one work is underpinned by the Children Heard and Seen workbook, developed specifically for children with a parent in prison and informed by the experiences and voices of children and young people.

Parental imprisonment is not a single event. Its impact can change throughout a parent’s sentence and beyond. Our approach helps children understand and navigate the different stages of this journey – from imprisonment and the changes that follow, through decisions and experiences around contact, to preparing for release and what life afterwards may mean for the child and their family.

Alongside this structured work, practitioners use a range of approaches according to each child’s age, needs and circumstances. This can include Drawing & Talking, creative and music-based activities, memory boxes and photo books, and support with letters and communication.

Importantly, our work helps children recognise that their parent’s actions do not define who they are or what their future will be. Children are supported to identify their own strengths, develop a positive sense of identity and think about their aspirations, what matters to them and what they would like their own future to look like.

Support is delivered either face-to-face or online, depending primarily on where a child lives and the services available within their geographical area. Our online model enables children outside our face-to-face delivery areas to access the same specialist Children Heard and Seen approach.