FAMILY MATTERS

Since 1992, New Bridge have been offering a parenting education course in prisons - Family Matters. The course is now accredited through ASET and is delivered through trained volunteers, supported by our Development Manager, Lesley Dixon.

The course is specifically designed for prisoners and tackles issues relating to being a parent in prison. The course can act as a catalyst for change in the participants' attitude to family life, emphasising the importance of positive parenting and maintaining a constructive parenting role whilst in prison. Amongst other elements, Family Matters also helps prisoners to identify sources of help in the community and explores the problems caused by dealing dishonestly with children. Overall, the course is designed to be responsive to individual needs and recognises that offenders often lead complex and chaotic lives.

Our accredited parenting and relationships course, Family Matters, was operated in five prisons in 2007, reaching 179 prisoners; men, women and young offenders. Trained volunteers and staff, were able to provide the course to young offenders and adults in HMP Woodhill, Milton Keynes, women in HMP Bronzefield took part in a series of eight courses during the year. Family Matters courses were also held at HMP Frankland, Durham and HMP Holme House, Stockton-on-Tees.

Thanks to three year funding from Northern Rock Foundation, New Bridge were able to employ a Family Link Worker based at HM YOI Castington, who commenced in April 2007. Our aim was to deliver a Family Matters course in the first year and work with individuals where appropriate. However 15 courses have taken place with a total of 90 young men completing the accreditation. We set out to promote the importance of contact between families and to look at the role of a young father in prison.

One of the main benefits of having a full time worker in the prison is that we are able to carry out individual work with the more complex cases and liaise with Youth Offending Teams and offender management team, which helps towards improving the difficulties faced with separation and contact. Highlights of the year included two family days where the visits centre was open to men who have attended our Family Matters course, to play with their children. More days are booked for 2008.

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