Research and analysis
Applications to mother and baby units in prison: how decisions are made and the role of social work
Findings and recommendations from a case review of application decisions for mother and baby units in prison and the role of social work.
Applies to England and Wales
Documents
Details
This review was undertaken by the Chief Social Worker for Children and Families, Isabelle Trowler. It examines the decision-making process for prison mother and baby unit applications, and child and family social workers’ role in this.
The review finds examples of good practice. It concludes that most cases made a reasonable decision, likely to be in the best interests of the child.
The review recommends changes to improve:
- the consistency of the decision-making process
- the experience of women
- the input of children’s social care to this process
An in-depth thematic review of the information considered by the review has also been published by What Works for Children’s Social Care.
Published 24 November 2022