The organisation
Ormiston is one of the largest providers of children’s services in East Anglia.
It runs more than 25 community and prison-based projects for young people who are
experiencing stigma and isolation, in danger of exclusion from school or the wider
world, at risk of emotional or physical harm, or caring for parents or siblings
within a family.
The programme
The first initiative of this kind in the UK, ‘Time for Families’ provides one-to-one
and other support for young people aged 5 to 13 who have a parent or close relative
in prison. It provides an opportunity for young people and their parent to express
their feelings, to maintain contact with the imprisoned parent if they wish, and to avoid their family situation deteriorating. In addition, families can receive support with
prison visits, gain access to other local parenting support groups, and benefit
from low cost leisure activities with other youngsters.
The programme also offers accredited courses for parents in prisons to explore how
they can best maintain a role in their child’s life and a telephone helpline as
part of the national Prisoners’ Families helpline.
How it fulfilled our aims as an organisation
‘Time for Families’, falls within the Social Welfare and Development sector and is
working to achieve three of the Foundation’s bridge-building outcomes. By
promoting the importance of the role of families in sentencing and resettlement,
and by giving children a voice and influence, Time for Families is helping to enlarge sympathies and increase understanding. Through one-to-one support for children and
their families, the programme is preventing exclusion. Ormiston’s collaborative
work with prisons, schools, health and social care agencies, and other voluntary
organisations, combined with their wider policy work, demonstrates a useful approach
to creating a productive relationship of benefit to families affected by imprisonment
of a parent or sibling.
How we helped
For the Time for Families programme, we contributed £15,000 spread over three years.
“On a Children’s Visit it was wonderful to see my husband playing with our children
for four hours. They were happy and relaxed in what could have been a daunting time
for them. It also helped them to see so many other children who also have a Daddy
in prison.” Prisoner’s wife
“I like it when you bring Sam (a puppet). I can tell him lots of things about my
Dad.” Girl, aged 8 years.