HMP Askham Grange: Families and significant others strategy
Our family strategy outlines how we support prisoners in our care to develop meaningful and constructive relationships with their family or significant others.
Applies to England and Wales
You can find visiting information and book a visit on the Askham Grange Prison main page.
Our commitment to you
Supporting family relationships at HMP Askham Grange
We are committed to helping women in our care stay connected with the people who matter most to them.
When we refer to families in this document, we mean a wide range of important relationships. This includes relatives, legal guardians, partners, close friends, or any significant person identified by the prisoner as their next of kin.
For care leavers, this may also include someone who provides statutory support services.
Research has shown that positive family relationships can play an important role in reducing reoffending and helping people successfully rebuild their lives after prison.
In 2017, a review by Lord Farmer highlighted the importance of maintaining family ties during imprisonment.
In 2019, a second review focused specifically on the needs of women in prison and their families (PDF).
HMP Askham Grange has worked to put the recommendations from these reviews into practice.
We also consider recommendations from organisations such as HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP), the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB), and the Measuring the Quality of Prison Life (MQPL) survey to ensure we continue to improve our support for women and their families.
Why is this important?
We recognise that imprisonment affects not only the individual in prison but also the people who care about them.
Family members and loved ones may worry about the person in prison and may be unsure how best to support them. They may need help understanding how to:
- support someone through their sentence
- maintain relationships with children, siblings, and other family members
- encourage recovery from substance misuse issues
- support mental and physical health needs
- prepare for release and reintegration into family and community life
We know that families can play a vital role in helping people make positive changes and lead crime-free lives after release.
At the same time, we understand that not all family relationships are positive.
In some cases, family members may have been directly or indirectly affected by a person’s offending behaviour, including domestic abuse or issues related to substance misuse.
These situations can place significant strain on relationships and may cause lasting harm.
For this reason, we aim to provide support that recognises the needs and experiences of both prisoners and their families.
Our approach
HMP Askham Grange has a multi-agency family team that meets every week to review and improve the support available to women and their families.
By working together with partner organisations, we aim to ensure that our services are responsive, effective, and focused on the needs of those we support.
Support and services offered
What we offer
We provide a range of services and support to help women maintain relationships with their families, prepare for release, and access the support they need while in our care.
Family information booklet
When someone arrives at Askham Grange, they can choose to have a family information booklet sent to their next of kin or a significant person in their life.
The booklet explains:
- how the prison operates
- the support services available
- how families can raise concerns
- how families can support their loved one while they are in prison
Letters
There is no limit to the number of letters a prisoner can receive.
Women are encouraged to keep in touch with family and friends through letter writing. Each prisoner can apply for:
- One free letter each week
- Additional free letters if they have children under 18
Free letters may also be provided for important matters such as:
- housing
- employment
- legal issues
Writing materials can be purchased through weekly canteen or from the prison shop.
Education classes are available for anyone who would like to improve their reading and writing skills.
Release on temporary licence (ROTL)
Release on temporary licence (ROTL) allows eligible prisoners to leave the prison for approved purposes, including maintaining family relationships and preparing for resettlement.
ROTL may include:
- childcare resettlement leave
- day release
- overnight release
- special purpose licences
Applications are assessed individually and are subject to eligibility criteria and risk assessments.
Women can apply through their prison offender manager (POM).
During ROTL, prisoners are expected to make good use of their time by taking part in activities that support family relationships and successful resettlement.
Our Offender Management Unit works closely with community-based offender managers when assessing applications.
Family days
Family days let women to spend quality time with their families in a welcoming and supportive environment.
Activities may include:
- family games and activities
- time to relax together
- shared meals
We hold special themed family days during school holidays.
These are a fantastic opportunity for families to spend quality time together. They are packed with fun games, interactive activities, and child-friendly entertainment. These events encourage families to connect, laugh, and create lasting memories.
We also host adults-only family events. These offer a variety of engaging activities alongside the chance to meet and speak with staff from different departments who work closely with prisoners.
Both events include a great selection of food, helping to make the day enjoyable, welcoming, and memorable for everyone involved.
Prisoners can apply to attend these events. They are consistently well received by families.
Visits hall
The visits hall is a large, welcoming space where women can spend time with family and friends.
Children are encouraged to interact and play with their family member during visits.
Our facilities include:
- a soft play area
- board games
- activity bags available from the tea bar
A tea bar, operated by prisoners, offers drinks and snacks.
Staff are present throughout visits to help ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience.
Although visitors are not routinely searched, searches may be required in certain circumstances to maintain safety and security.
Visitors who behave in a threatening or abusive manner may have their visit ended and may be asked to leave.
Additional support is available for women who do not receive visits.
Acorn House
Acorn House is a fully furnished family house that allows prisoners to spend extended daytime visits with family members or significant others.
This service is available in addition to regular prison visits.
Applications can be made through the Custodial Manager for MBU/Resettlement.
Each request is considered individually at the weekly Family team meeting.
Mother and Baby unit (MBU)
Women who are pregnant, or have a child under 18 months old, may be able to apply for a place in our Mother and Baby unit.
The unit is separate from the main prison and is located next to a nursery run by Action for Children.
Applications are considered individually and decisions are made based on the best interests of the child.
Key workers
Each prisoner is allocated a key worker.
Key workers support women to:
- build confidence
- make positive choices
- work towards personal goals
- access support and services
They meet regularly with prisoners, usually for around 1.5 hours every other week.
They work alongside other staff and organisations to support rehabilitation and personal development.
Strong relationships between staff and prisoners can help reduce self-harm, violence and other difficulties while promoting positive change.
Prison offender managers (POMs)
Every prisoner has a prison offender manager (POM).
Our POMs work with women throughout their sentence to:
- support progression through their sentence plan
- address risk factors
- help prepare for release
They work closely with community offender managers to ensure plans are in place for housing, employment and other resettlement needs.
The level of contact is based on each person’s individual needs.
Pregnancy, mother and baby liaison officer (PMBLO)
The Pregnancy, mother and baby liaison officer (PMBLO) provides support and advice to women who:
- are pregnant
- have recently given birth
- have experienced other pregnancy outcomes
- are applying for or living in a mother and baby unit
- have been separated from children under the age of 2
The PMBLO works with prison staff and external organisations to identify needs early, share information appropriately, and improve outcomes for mothers and their children.
Family engagement team
HMP Askham Grange works with the Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT), which provides:
- a full-time family engagement manager
- a part-time family engagement worker
The PACT team supports both prisoners and families by:
- helping families stay in touch
- supporting family relationships
- assisting with child-related issues
- referring people to specialist services when needed
They can also help with communication with:
- schools
- social services
- family courts
- other relevant organisations
PACT runs workshops throughout the year, including:
- Building Stronger Relationships
- Preparing to Go Home
PACT is also the main point of contact for all matters relating to Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass).
For more information, visit the PACT website: HMP Askham Grange - Prison Advice and Care Trust
Storybook Mums
Women can record themselves reading a storybook for a child in their family.
The recording and book can then be sent to the child, helping maintain important family bonds while the parent is in prison.
This service is provided through the prison library.
Care leavers
People who have been in care may be entitled to support until they are 25 years old.
HMP Askham Grange recognises that care-experienced people may need additional support and works closely with local authorities and other organisations to help ensure they receive the services and opportunities they are entitled to.
Care leaver status is discussed during the induction process with a prison offender manager.
Support may include:
- accessing rights and entitlements
- information and advice
- peer support groups
- talks and workshops from care leaver organisations
We are committed to helping care-experienced women access the support they need to achieve positive outcomes both during custody and after release.
Safeguarding measures
Safeguarding
At HMP Askham Grange, we are committed to keeping people safe.
We have safeguarding procedures in place to protect women in our care, as well as vulnerable adults and children.
Everyone has the right to live free from abuse, harm, neglect, or exploitation. We take all safeguarding concerns seriously and have a responsibility to respond quickly and appropriately when concerns are raised.
If abuse is reported or suspected, action will be taken promptly in line with prison service policies and procedures.
We work closely with a range of organisations and professionals, including health, social care, and other partner agencies, to help ensure that women in our care are safe and receive the support they need.
Our staff work together to identify risks, respond to concerns, and promote the wellbeing of everyone in our care.
If you are worried about a loved one in prison you can:
Visit HMP Askham Grange - Prisoners’ Families Helpline for advice and contact details.
See our main Askham Grange Prison GOV.UK page for contact details, if you have a safeguarding concern.
For more detail about safeguarding measures, please see the HMPPS Child Safeguarding Policy Framework.
What have we achieved?
- We continue to host an annual family and significant others (FaSO) conference at the prison to promote our good practice, encourage future partnerships and resettlement links for our prisoners.
- We have held numerous adult family days to continue to support prisoners and their family’s maintaining family ties within a relaxed environment; we aim to improve and enhance these experiences moving forward.
- During family days we hold information tables to showcase the work we do with the women inviting family’s and significant others to asks questions and understand the work we do and the support we offer.
- We have held numerous child family days which have helped to strengthen bonds between not only parent and child but also the extended families of grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
- We offer the use of Acorn House to simulate a ‘home from home’ approach for women and their families, to both strengthen and rebuild family ties, this also helps to support those who struggle to attend main visits for one reason or another.
- We have sent surveys out to see how we can improve both our adult and child family days further.
- We have enlisted a ‘family and significant others’ prisoner representative.
- We hold family and significant other focus group twice a year, to ensure that our vision remains relative and proportionate for the needs of the woman and their families.
- In December 2025 we introduced ‘Facetime Wednesdays’ which enable our prisoners to use their mobile phones to video call their families or significant others on a Wednesday evening.
You said, we did
- Following feedback from prisoner consultations we have introduced prisoners accessing ‘face time’ and introduced ‘facetime Wednesdays’ in December 2025.
- Family days have been separated into adult family days and child family days. This allows activities to be tailored to the needs of each group, helping prisoners and their families gain the maximum benefit from their time together.
How will we measure our success?
- Children and adult family days feedback questionnaires.
- Prisoner council meetings.
- Family and significant other forums.
- Prisoner measuring quality of prison life survey.
- HM Inspectorate of Prisons.
- Visitors advisory board.
- Reducing re offending meetings.
- Rehabilitative culture meetings.
- Performance measures.
- Regular awareness sessions within our staffing group.
Staffing structure
- Children and families pathway lead (HMPPS)
- Head of residence, safety, equalities and MBU (HMPPS)
- Mother and baby custodial manager and FaSO champion (HMPPS)
- Safer custody custodial manager (HMPPS)
- Family engagement manager (PACT)
- Family engagament worker (PACT)
- Nursery manager (Action For Children)
- Prison offender manager (Probation officer /HMPPS)
- MBU officers (HMPPS)
- PMBLOs (x2)