Research and Background: Understanding Parental Imprisonment

The aim of this toolkit is to ensure that children and families affected by parental imprisonment receive timely, coordinated, and stigma-sensitive support. This means creating a system where families are identified early, offered the right help at the right time, and supported through a joined-up approach across services such as Family Hubs, health, education, and the wider justice system. The focus is not only on responding to immediate needs, but on improving longer-term outcomes for children—particularly in relation to emotional wellbeing, stability, and school readiness.

At its core, this approach recognises that parental imprisonment can be a significant and often hidden disruption in a child’s life. Families may experience trauma, stigma, and isolation, and may not come forward for support. The purpose of the toolkit is therefore to enable practitioners and systems to respond proactively, sensitively, and consistently, ensuring no family is left without support due to visibility or circumstance.

How many children are impacted

Around 192,912 children in England and Wales had a parent in prison in the year to October 2022 (latest Ministry of Justice linked data estimate). 

Other estimates suggest over 200,000 children are affected at any one time in the UK. 

Each year, as many as 310,000 children experience parental imprisonment (including shorter sentences or transitions in and out of custody). 

Research consistently shows that children affected by parental imprisonment are more likely to experience:

• Lower educational attainment
• Behavioural and emotional difficulties
• Poorer physical and mental health outcomes 

They may also:

• Struggle with concentration and attendance
• Feel stigmatised or unable to talk about their experiences
• Children of imprisoned parents are at greater risk of involvement in the criminal justice system themselves if not supported. 
• Without intervention, disadvantage can become intergenerational

The Department For Education’s Best Start in Life Guidance states:

Minimum expectations 

•  Staff in the BSFH are aware of the range of potential impacts of parent/carer imprisonment, well-equipped to raise and discuss this with children and families, as well as listen carefully to their personal experience as appropriate in a respectful, trauma-informed and confidential manner which can help mitigate potential harm and encourage stability. 
• Staff in the BSFH are aware of support available for families affected by parent/carer imprisonment and connect families to appropriate services as required.
• The BSFH works closely with e justice partners (including prisons and probation), regional voluntary and community organisations, schools (including Early Years settings) and relevant Family Service Providers to raise awareness of the services they offer and to ensure families in contact with the criminal justice system receive tailored, appropriate support. 
• Online BSFH presence signposts families to relevant universal materials and information about parent/carer imprisonment, the possible impacts of parent/carer imprisonment on children and families, what support is available, and how to access support both in their local community and nationally. This will include links to Prisoners' Families Helpline (which provides confidential advice and support for families experiencing imprisonment) and the Prison Reform Trust’s Child Impact Assessment Project 
• Staff in the BSFH can signpost families affected by imprisonment of a parent or carer to financial support schemes, including the Help with Visits scheme, which supports visitors on low incomes by providing a contribution towards visits costs for close relatives, partners or sole visitors. More information can be found at: Get help with the cost of prison visits - GOV.UK. 

‘Go further’ options 

• Staff in the BSFH are trained to conduct a Child Impact Assessment when children and families affected by imprisonment access the hub. 
•  BSFHs raise awareness of support available for children and families affected by parent/carer imprisonment in courts, prisons and probation offices to signal Criminal Justice System (CJS) awareness and advertise available support. 
•  BSFHs support mechanisms for confidential and appropriate information sharing between nurseries, schools, youth clubs, local authorities, relevant charities/support organisations (both local and national), prisons and probation, for safeguarding purposes and/or with permission from children and families as appropriate. 
• BSFHs facilitate multi-disciplinary meetings with practitioners and families to identify their needs and determine a programme of support, where appropriate, using the hub as a safe and accessible environment. 
•  BSFHs employ Co-ordinators or Family Link Workers to connect hubs, local authorities, schools, prisons and probation, ensuring holistic support. 
•  BSFHs run monthly sessions with support organisations and volunteers with lived experience and undertakes outreach with charities, prisons, probation and social workers to identify families and their needs. 
• BSFHs provide specific courses and guidance tailored for families impacted by parent/carer imprisonment, for example to promote co-parenting and positive relationships once an individual is released from custody. 
• BSFHs train staff on child-centred, trauma-informed practice and data protection (GDPR, Data Protection Act 2018), including handling sensitive information in the context of parental imprisonment. 
•  Staff in the BSFH attend resettlement boards/resettlement marketplaces in prisons to identify prisoners and their families who may need support. 
• Staff in the BSFH to provide services within prisons, such as parenting courses. 
• Staff in the BSFH to provide support services in custody for short-term sentences e.g. one-off information sessions with clear guidance and connection to the hub. 
• Ensuring BSFH support and guidance materials can be accessed through digital provision in prisons (e.g., BSFH information, information on parenting). This could include access to online guidance, such as: https://www.prisonadvice.org.uk/professionals/schools/toolkit/. 

Core Principles

The following principles should underpin all aspects of design and delivery:

Child-centred and trauma-informed

Support should always start with the needs and experiences of the child. Practitioners should understand the potential emotional impact of separation, loss, and uncertainty, and respond in ways that are sensitive to trauma. This includes creating safe environments, building trusting relationships, and avoiding interventions that may inadvertently re-traumatise children or families.

Strengths-based (focus on resilience, not deficit)

Families affected by parental imprisonment should not be defined solely by risk or disadvantage. A strengths-based approach recognises and builds on existing resilience, protective factors, and relationships. This includes valuing the role of caregivers, extended family, and community support, and helping families to build confidence, stability, and positive routines.

Non-stigmatising and confidential

Stigma is one of the biggest barriers to families accessing support. Services must be designed and delivered in a way that is respectful, non-judgemental, and protects confidentiality. Language, processes, and environments should avoid labelling or reinforcing negative assumptions, ensuring families feel safe to seek help without fear of judgement or discrimination.

Whole-family approach

Parental imprisonment affects the entire family unit—not just the child. Effective support therefore needs to address the needs of:

• Children (emotional wellbeing, development, education)
• Caregivers (often under increased pressure or stress)
• The wider family context

A whole-family approach ensures that interventions are coordinated, reduce duplication, and strengthen the family as a system.

Early identification and prevention

Many families affected by parental imprisonment remain unidentified. Early identification—through schools, health services, Family Hubs, and justice partners—is critical to preventing issues from escalating. The focus should be on providing support as early as possible, stabilising family circumstances, and reducing the risk of longer-term disadvantage.

Together, these principles ensure that support is compassionate, practical, and impactful, aligning with the wider ambitions of Family Hubs and Best Start in Life to reduce inequalities and improve outcomes for all children—particularly those facing the most complex challenges.

Children affected by parental imprisonment often experience a complex combination of emotional, social, and developmental challenges. While every child’s experience is different, there is strong evidence that parental imprisonment can act as a significant disruptive life event, particularly when it is sudden, poorly explained, or compounded by existing disadvantage. Practitioners need to understand both the immediate and longer-term impacts in order to provide sensitive, effective support.

Emotional, behavioural, and educational impacts

Children may experience a wide range of emotional responses, including sadness, anxiety, anger, confusion, and shame. These feelings can sometimes manifest in behavioural changes such as withdrawal, aggression, difficulty regulating emotions, or disengagement from activities. In education settings, this may lead to reduced concentration, lower attainment, or increased absence.

Children may also struggle to talk about their situation due to fear of stigma or bullying, meaning their needs can go unrecognised. Research highlights that children with a parent in prison often feel isolated and unable to share their experiences, which can intensify emotional distress. 

What this means in practice:

• Look beyond behaviour to understand underlying emotional needs
• Create safe, trusting environments where children can talk openly
• Ensure schools and early years settings are aware and able to respond sensitively

Increased risk of poverty, instability, and social isolation

Parental imprisonment can lead to a sudden loss of income, housing instability, and changes in caregiving arrangements. Children may move home, change school, or take on additional responsibilities. Families can also become socially isolated due to stigma or reduced support networks.

This combination of pressures can significantly affect a child’s sense of security and wellbeing, particularly in the early years when stability is critical for development.

What this means in practice:

• Be alert to practical needs (e.g. financial hardship, housing) alongside emotional support
• Provide integrated support through Family Hubs and local services
• Proactively reach out to families who may not seek help themselves

Impact on attachment and relationships

Parental imprisonment can disrupt key attachment relationships, particularly for younger children. Separation may be sudden, unexplained, or confusing, affecting a child’s sense of trust and security. Children may struggle with feelings of loss, rejection, or uncertainty about the future.

In some cases, the remaining caregiver may also be under significant stress, affecting their ability to provide consistent emotional support.

What this means in practice:

• Support caregivers to maintain stable, nurturing relationships
• Recognise signs of disrupted attachment (e.g. clinginess, withdrawal, difficulty trusting adults)
• Ensure continuity of key relationships wherever possible (e.g. consistent practitioners)

Importance of maintaining safe parent–child relationships

Where it is safe and appropriate, maintaining a relationship with the imprisoned parent can be important for children’s emotional wellbeing. This may include visits, phone calls, letters, or video contact. Positive contact can help children process the situation, maintain attachment, and reduce feelings of abandonment.

However, arrangements should always be child-centred and risk-assessed, and supported appropriately.

What this means in practice:

• Prepare children for prison visits in an age-appropriate way
• Work with prison and voluntary sector services to support family contact
• Provide follow-up support after contact to help children process emotions

Early identification is critical to ensuring that children and families affected by parental imprisonment receive timely and appropriate support. Given that this group is often hidden and under-identified, Family Hubs and their partners play a key role in proactively recognising need, responding sensitively, and coordinating support across services.

Key Components

Identifying affected families early

Family Hubs should work with partners across the system to build a joined-up identification approach, recognising that no single service will have a complete picture. Opportunities for identification include:

• Schools and early years settings 
  • Changes in behaviour, attendance, or engagement
  • Disclosure by the child or caregiver
• Health services (including midwives and health visitors) 
  • Changes in family circumstances during routine contacts
  • Increased stress or mental health needs in caregivers
• Probation and prison services 
  • Identification at the point of sentencing or custody
  • Information about dependents recorded within justice systems
• Family support and early help services 
  • Changes in housing, finances, or caregiving arrangements

A coordinated approach helps ensure that children do not “fall through the cracks,” particularly as data on this group is often fragmented across systems.

What this means in practice:

• Build local protocols for cross-agency identification and referral
• Use Family Hubs as a central coordination point
• Ensure practitioners understand this as a priority but often hidden cohort

Sensitive approaches to asking about parental imprisonment

Families may feel shame, fear, or mistrust, so it is essential that practitioners approach the topic with care, respect, and without judgement. Direct questioning should only be used where appropriate and within a trusted relationship.

Key considerations:

• Use open, non-leading questions
• Avoid assumptions or stigmatising language
• Focus on understanding support needs, not the offence
• Be mindful of cultural, social, and personal sensitivities

What this means in practice:

• Build trust before asking sensitive questions
• Normalise conversations about family changes and stressors
• Ensure families feel safe to disclose without fear of consequences

Balancing effective support with confidentiality is essential. Families must feel confident that their information will be handled appropriately.

Key principles:

• Seek informed consent wherever possible before sharing information
• Be clear about what will be shared, with whom, and why
• Follow local safeguarding and data protection protocols
• Share information proportionately and on a need-to-know basis
• Override consent only where there are safeguarding concerns

What this means in practice:

• Develop clear information-sharing agreements across partners
• Train staff in confidentiality and data protection requirements
• Communicate transparently with families about how their information is used

Follow this link for suggested screening questions.

Family Hubs are uniquely positioned to act as a trusted, accessible “front door” for children and families affected by parental imprisonment. As stigma, fear, and lack of awareness often prevent families from seeking help, hubs must provide a welcoming, non-judgemental space where support can be accessed easily and without barriers. This includes both physical locations and outreach models that ensure families can engage in a way that feels safe and appropriate to them.

A strong Family Hub delivery model ensures that support is visible, coordinated, and responsive, enabling families to navigate what can otherwise be a complex and fragmented system. For families experiencing parental imprisonment, this joined-up approach is particularly important, as their needs often span emotional wellbeing, financial hardship, parenting support, and contact with justice services.

Acting as a coordination point across services

Family Hubs should operate as a central coordination hub, bringing together services that might otherwise be disconnected. This includes:

• Health (health visiting, mental health support)
• Early years and education settings
• Early help and social care
• Probation, prison family services, and voluntary sector organisations

By coordinating across these services, hubs can ensure that families receive consistent, joined-up support, rather than having to repeat their story or navigate multiple systems independently.

What this means in practice:

• Establish clear referral pathways between partners
• Use multi-agency meetings or case reviews to coordinate support
• Ensure a “no wrong door” approach, where families can access help from any entry point

Emphasising outreach for hidden families

Families affected by parental imprisonment are often less likely to come forward for support due to stigma and fear. As a result, outreach is essential.

This includes:

• Proactive engagement through schools, health visitors, and community settings
• Outreach delivery in trusted spaces such as libraries, schools, or community centres
• Partnership with voluntary sector organisations working with families of prisoners

What this means in practice:

• Do not rely solely on hub-based provision
• Develop targeted outreach strategies in areas of higher need
• Build relationships with trusted intermediaries who can support engagement

Drop-in advice and support

• Open, informal sessions where families can seek help without referral
• Access to advice on parenting, wellbeing, and practical issues
• Opportunity to build trust before engaging with more structured support

Named key worker or navigator role

• A single, consistent professional who acts as a point of contact for the family
• Coordinates support across services
• Builds a trusted relationship with both children and caregivers

Impact:

• Improves continuity and reduces fragmentation
• Helps families navigate complex systems
• Ensures support is tailored and responsive

 Integration with early help pathways

• Embedding support within existing early help processes
• Ensuring families affected by parental imprisonment are recognised within: 
  • Early help assessments
  • Team Around the Family (TAF) approaches
  • Multi-agency support plans

Impact:

• Aligns support with wider system processes
• Prevents escalation to crisis services
• Strengthens whole-family, preventative approaches
   

Workforce Capability

A skilled, confident, and aligned workforce is essential to effectively support families affected by parental imprisonment. Given the complexity, sensitivity, and often hidden nature of this issue, practitioners across Family Hubs and partner services need both core knowledge and practical skills to respond appropriately. As capability develops, systems should combine universal workforce awareness with access to specialist roles and structured professional support.

Core Knowledge for All Staff working with families impacted by parental imprisonment

Specialist Roles for Staff supporting families impacted by parental imprisonment

Supporting Workforce Development

 Training Framework

Workforce Training can also be obtained from:

Partners of Prisoners Online training:

• Hidden Sentence Training
• Fresh Start for Families

https://www.partnersofprisoners.co.uk/staff-portal/training-forprofessionals/

 Families Outside: Provides accredited training modules for professionals.

https://www.familiesoutside.org.uk/professionals/training/

Prison Advice and Care Trust (Pact): Offers the "Hidden Sentence" course and CPD-accredited training for schools.

https://www.prisonadvice.org.uk/professionals/training/

Reflective Practice Prompts

Reflective practice helps staff continually improve and respond thoughtfully to complex situations.

Suggested prompts:

• “What might this child or family be experiencing that is not immediately visible?”
• “How has my response supported or hindered trust?”
• “Am I making any assumptions about this family?”
• “Have I considered the wider family context and pressures?”
• “What strengths does this family bring, and how can I build on them?”

What this means in practice:

• Encourage team discussions and learning
• Support a culture of curiosity, empathy, and improvement
• Reduce reliance on assumptions or stereotypes

Supervision Guidance

Given the emotional complexity of this work, high-quality supervision is essential.

A clear, structured service offer ensures that families affected by parental imprisonment can access the right level of support at the right time, with flexibility to move between different levels as needs change. This tiered model aligns with early help principles and supports both prevention and targeted intervention.

Universal Offer

The universal layer provides accessible, non-stigmatising support for all families, ensuring that help is available without the need for disclosure at the outset.

• Information and advice: Clear, accessible guidance on parenting, child development, and local services
• Parenting support: General parenting programmes, advice sessions, and guidance on supporting children’s needs
• Access to community activities: Opportunities for social connection through play groups, community events, and Family Hub activities

Purpose:
To create a welcoming entry point that reduces stigma, builds trust, and promotes early engagement.

Targeted Support

Targeted services provide additional, tailored support for families experiencing greater need, including those affected by parental imprisonment.

• Parenting programmes adapted for affected families: Support that reflects the challenges of separation, stress, and changing family dynamics
• Emotional wellbeing support for children: Age-appropriate interventions, group work, or one-to-one support
• Support for caregivers: Practical and emotional support for the remaining parent, kinship carers, or extended family

Purpose:
To address specific challenges and prevent escalation, supporting stability, resilience, and improved outcomes for children.

Specialist Support

Specialist services provide intensive, multi-agency interventions for families with complex or high-level needs.

• Mental health services: Access to specialist support for children and caregivers experiencing trauma or significant distress
• Safeguarding interventions: Multi-agency responses where there are concerns about a child’s safety or wellbeing
• Intensive family support: Coordinated, high-level support to stabilise family circumstances and address multiple needs

Purpose:
To ensure that families facing the greatest challenges receive coordinated, expert support to reduce risk and improve long-term outcomes.

Maintaining positive and appropriate relationships between children and a parent in prison is an important part of supporting children’s emotional wellbeing, identity, and sense of stability. Where it is safe and in the child’s best interests, Family Hubs and partners should support families to maintain these relationships in a way that is child-centred, prepared, and supported.

This requires a coordinated approach between local services, caregivers, and prison-based family services to ensure that contact is meaningful and does not cause additional distress.

Supporting safe, positive contact

Children can maintain relationships with an imprisoned parent in a variety of ways, including:

• Prison visits (where appropriate)
• Letters and cards
• Phone or video contact

Each method offers different benefits, and families should be supported to choose what works best for them.

Key considerations:

• Contact must always be risk-assessed and in the child’s best interests
• The quality of interaction is as important as frequency
• Families may need practical and emotional support to maintain contact

What this means in practice:

• Provide information about how to arrange visits or contact
• Support families with practical barriers (e.g. travel, cost, understanding processes)
• Encourage consistent, positive communication between parent and child

Supporting children before and after prison visits

Prison visits can be emotionally complex for children. Without preparation and follow-up, they may feel anxious, confused, or distressed.

Before visits:

Children benefit from age-appropriate preparation, including:

• Explaining what the prison environment will be like
• Preparing them for separation at the end of the visit
• Answering questions honestly and simply

What this means in practice:

• Use visual aids, stories, or simple explanations to prepare younger children
• Work with caregivers to ensure consistent messaging
• Allow space for children to express worries or concerns

After visits:

Children may experience a range of emotions following contact, including sadness, anger, or confusion.

What this means in practice:

• Provide opportunities for children to talk about how they feel
• Offer reassurance and emotional support
• Monitor for changes in behaviour or wellbeing

Working with prison-based family services

Strong links with prison and voluntary sector services are essential to deliver effective support.

Partners may include:

• Prison family liaison teams
• Voluntary organisations supporting prisoners’ families
• Probation and resettlement services

These services can help:

• Facilitate visits and communication
• Provide family-focused support within the prison
• Support continuity of relationships during custody and transition on release

What this means in practice:

• Establish clear referral pathways between Family Hubs and prison services
• Share information (with consent) to coordinate support
• Align community and prison-based interventions to provide a joined-up approach

Suggested local partnership model

A strong local model should include:

• Strategic leadership group
  • Senior leaders from Family Hubs, local authority, health, education, and justice partners
  • Sets vision, priorities, and accountability
• Operational delivery group
  • Practitioners across agencies
  • Coordinates delivery, shares learning, and addresses barriers
• Multi-agency case coordination (e.g. Team Around the Family)
  • Joint planning for individual families
  • Clear lead professional or key worker

What this means in practice:

• Strong governance combined with practical, delivery-focused collaboration
• Clear roles and responsibilities across partners
• Family Hubs acting as the coordinator and connector across the system

 Information-sharing agreements

Effective support depends on appropriate information-sharing between partners.

Key elements should include:

• Clear protocols aligned with data protection and safeguarding requirements
• Defined circumstances where information can be shared
• Processes for obtaining and recording informed consent
• Shared understanding of “need to know” and proportionality

What this means in practice:

• Develop local information-sharing agreements or memoranda of understanding
• Train staff to understand when and how to share information
• Ensure transparency with families about how their information will be used

Pathways and referral maps

Clear pathways help practitioners and families navigate the system more easily.

These should set out:

• How families are identified and referred (e.g. from schools, health, justice services)
• Access routes into Family Hubs and early help services
• Escalation pathways where needs become more complex
• Links to specialist and voluntary sector provision

What this means in practice:

• Develop simple, visual referral maps that are easy for practitioners to use
• Ensure all partners understand how to access support quickly
• Embed a “no wrong door” approach, where any service can act as an entry point

Ensuring that the voices of children, parents, and carers affected by parental imprisonment are heard and acted upon is essential to designing services that are relevant, accessible, and effective. Co-production moves beyond consultation to create a genuine partnership, where families with lived experience play an active role in shaping support. This is particularly important for this cohort, as stigma and invisibility can otherwise lead to services that do not fully reflect their needs.

Engaging families with lived experience

Family Hubs and partners should actively involve families in both the design and ongoing improvement of services.

Designing services

Families with lived experience can provide valuable insight into:

• Barriers to accessing support (e.g. stigma, lack of awareness, practical constraints)
• What works well and what does not
• How services can feel more welcoming, accessible, and relevant

What this means in practice:

• Involve families early when developing new services or approaches
• Use their experiences to shape delivery models, communication, and environments
• Ensure diverse voices are included, reflecting different backgrounds and experiences

Reviewing and improving support

Co-production should be continuous, not one-off. Families should have opportunities to:

• Provide feedback on current services
• Highlight gaps or emerging needs
• Influence future improvements

What this means in practice:

• Create regular opportunities for feedback and dialogue
• Demonstrate clearly how feedback has been used to improve services
• Build long-term relationships with families rather than transactional engagement

Practical Approaches

Parent and carer panels

• Establish ongoing groups of parents/carers with lived experience
• Use panels to test ideas, review services, and inform decision-making

Impact:

• Provides structured, consistent input from families
• Builds trust and shared ownership of services

Feedback loops

• Use a range of methods to gather feedback: 
  • Surveys
  • Informal conversations
  • Digital tools or apps
• Close the loop by sharing back: 
  • “You said… we did…” updates
  • Changes made as a result of feedback

Impact:

• Ensures feedback leads to visible change
• Encourages continued engagement from families

Case studies and lived experience stories

• Use anonymised case studies to capture real experiences
• Highlight both challenges and positive outcomes

Impact:

• Brings data and strategy to life
• Helps practitioners understand the real impact of services
• Supports training and awareness across the workforce

10. Data, Insight & Outcomes

A strong data and insight approach is essential to ensure that support for families affected by parental imprisonment is effective, targeted, and able to demonstrate impact over time. Given that this is often a hidden cohort, local systems need to be deliberate in how they identify, track, and respond to need. As maturity increases, data should move from simple activity tracking to providing meaningful insight that drives continuous improvement.

Suggested Measures

A balanced set of measures should capture both reach (who is being supported) and impact (what difference is being made).

1. Engagement with Family Hubs

• Number of families affected by parental imprisonment accessing support
• Repeat engagement and retention over time
• Uptake of specific services (e.g. parenting programmes, wellbeing support)

What this tells you:

• Whether this cohort is being successfully identified and engaged
• Whether services are accessible and trusted

2. Child wellbeing and school readiness indicators

• Early years development measures (e.g. communication and language, social and emotional development)
• School readiness indicators such as Good Level of Development (GLD)
• Emotional wellbeing measures (e.g. behavioural indicators, wellbeing assessments)
• School attendance and engagement (where appropriate)

What this tells you:

• The impact of support on children’s development and outcomes
• Whether gaps in attainment and wellbeing are narrowing

3. Stability of the home environment

• Changes in housing stability or living arrangements
• Consistency of caregiving (e.g. reduced disruption or churn)
• Parental/carer wellbeing and confidence
• Reduction in crises or escalation to statutory services

What this tells you:

• Whether families are becoming more stable and resilient
• The effectiveness of early support in preventing escalation

Data sharing across partners

Because information about these families is often held across different systems (e.g. justice, health, education), effective data sharing is critical.

This should include:

• Developing shared datasets or dashboards across Family Hubs and partners
• Agreeing common identifiers and definitions where possible
• Establishing clear protocols for data sharing in line with safeguarding and data protection requirements

What this means in practice:

• Work towards a more joined-up view of the child and family journey
• Reduce duplication and gaps in knowledge
• Enable earlier and more coordinated intervention

 Tracking outcomes for this cohort

Local areas should aim to explicitly track outcomes for children affected by parental imprisonment, rather than relying solely on population-level data.

This includes:

• Identifying this group within local datasets where possible
• Monitoring progress over time (e.g. engagement, wellbeing, development)
• Comparing outcomes with wider cohorts to understand inequalities

What this means in practice:

• Make this group more visible within system performance reporting
• Use data to inform targeted improvement activity
• Demonstrate impact to partners and funders

To support local areas in translating strategy into practice, this toolkit includes a set of practical delivery and implementation tools. These resources are designed to help Family Hubs and partners assess their current approach, plan improvements, and embed effective support for families affected by parental imprisonment. They can be used flexibly in workshops, partnership meetings, and ongoing service development.

Local self-assessment checklist

A structured checklist enables local areas to review their current position against key elements of effective practice.

• To provide a quick, evidence-informed snapshot of strengths and gaps
• To support honest, shared reflection across partners

What this means in practice:

• Use as part of workshops or peer reviews
• Score or rate areas to identify priority improvements
• Repeat periodically to track progress over time

Action planning template

A clear action planning template helps translate insight into concrete next steps and delivery activity.

Key elements should include:

• Priority areas for improvement
• Specific actions and milestones
• Named leads and partner responsibilities
• Timescales and success measures
• Links to wider Family Hub and BSIL priorities

Purpose:

• To ensure that improvement activity is focused, coordinated, and deliverable
• To strengthen accountability across partners

What this means in practice:

• Develop plans collaboratively across agencies
• Align with existing early help or Family Hub delivery plans
• Regularly review and update progress

3. Example service pathways

Clear service pathways show how families move through the system, from identification to ongoing support.

These should illustrate:

• Entry points (e.g. schools, health services, justice system)
• Referral routes into Family Hubs and early help
• Access to targeted and specialist support
• Coordination across services

Purpose:

• To make the system easier for practitioners to navigate
• To ensure families experience a seamless, joined-up journey

What this means in practice:

• Develop simple, visual pathway maps for use by staff
• Ensure all partners understand referral routes and roles
• Embed a “no wrong door” approach, where any service can initiate support