“It lets people know how I feel about mum in prison and gives me an opportunity to talk about my feelings in general around the situation. It is a good mix of writing and drawing.” – Sam (aged 12)
The Prison Reform Trust (UK) launched the Child Impact Assessment in November 2022, a practical tool designed to encourage children to voice their feelings, concerns and views in relation to having a parent in conflict with the law, and moreover to ensure these words are acted upon by practitioners throughout the criminal justice system. The Child Impact Assessment is not about assessing children, it is about assessing their needs – it features a set of questions, in child-friendly language, that ask children how they feel and what support they require. It is a document that is best completed with a trusted adult – this could be a teacher, a social worker or a probation officer – and should be taken into consideration throughout all stages of a parent’s involvement with the criminal justice process. This initiative, and its child-centred approach, marks a significant advancement in the UK that champions children as individual agents of change in their own lives and calls for systematic change across key stakeholder groups to consider and ensure the rights of children with imprisoned parents. Published alongside the Child Impact Assessment are accompanying notes that give background information to practitioners as well as a comprehensive toolkit, “This is Me”, that provides detailed information on how to best implement a Child Impact Assessment. The Child Impact Assessment, available online, was co-written by Sarah Beresford – Prison Reform Trust Associate and Churchill Fellow – and women supported by the Merseyside Women’s Services Alliance, children supported by Time-Matters UK, and staff from Wirral Safeguarding Children Partnership’s Family Matters.
This presentation, narrated by Sarah, explains the initiative and accompanying resources in greater detail.
For more information:
Please contact Sarah Beresford.