Prescoed Prison: Families and significant others strategy
Prescoed's 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 Precoed Prison main page.
Our commitment to you
At Prescoed, we understand that helping prisoners change their lives and avoid reoffending can be difficult, complex, and sometimes overwhelming. That’s why we are committed to creating a prison culture where reducing reoffending is a core focus.
This approach is reflected in every part of our environment and the services we provide.
We recognise that it may not be realistic for every prisoner to address all areas of their life at once. However, by considering each pathway individually, we can offer meaningful support throughout their time in custody.
Our aims:
- support prisoners and families in maintaining good relationships
- help improve parenting skills for prisoners and guide them through their children’s educational experiences
- provide advice and guidance to families and prisoners, keeping the family friendly focus
- offer support with troubled relationships
- reduce / remove barriers to enable family members to visit the prison so they can experience quality visits in a welcoming environment
- involve families in resettlement, the sentence planning process and in times of crisis, where appropriate
- establish links with local authorities in the support of families and children
- better inform and train staff on children and family issues
Support and services offered
See our main Prescoed Prison GOV.UK page for details on:
- visits booking
- visiting hours
- other ways to keep in touch
Invisible Walls
Our partner for visits and families services is Invisible Walls.
Invisible Walls offer emotional support and advocacy for men in custody, surrounding their family contact. They are happy to get involved with family-related issues, including:
- information for families and partners
- holding family days when parents and children can spend time together
- supporting families affected by imprisonment
- providing play activities/support for children in visits
- holding homework clubs when parents can support their children
- providing mentoring qualification courses to help prisoners improve their support of their children’s education while in custody
- offering resettlement support and mentoring
- a website for families to access for information
- legal clinics for prisoner, that specialise in family law
Visit centre
The visits centre is where you will book in for your visit. This area is child‑friendly and includes toys and refreshments to help keep children comfortable while waiting to be escorted to the visits hall.
Visits hall
The visits hall has a children’s soft play area, along with a range of books and games suitable for all ages. Tablets are also available for children to play games on during the visit.
Neurodiversity room
We also have a dedicated neurodiversity room available for children who may need it. This is a low‑stimulus environment, located away from other visitors, to provide a calmer and quieter space during visits.
Family engagement work
Invisible Walls work within the prison to support both prisoners and families. We have a part time family engagement manager who spends their time helping prisoners to maintain a good level of family contact while they are in custody.
They also help with rebuilding those relationships which may have broken down over time and support those prisoners who do not receive visits from their families.
Family days
In partnership with the prison, Invisible Walls runs 7 family days each year. Some are aimed at children with families, others are for those with only adult family members.
These visits usually take place between 10 to 2pm and last for the full 4 hours. All eligible prisoners and are encouraged to apply.
These visits are usually themed. Christmas and Easter and are full of fun with activities that you can all join in with together as a family unit.
Our staff can take photographs at family days when consent is given.
We understand photographs can be very precious and sometimes rare for those with a family member in prison.
It is not always possible to grant each applicant a place on every family visits day as numbers are restricted, but we do all we can to ensure it is shared out fairly.
We run all these days during the school holidays so that education and routine is not disrupted.
Release on temporary licence (ROTL)
ROTL enables meaningful and normalised family contact by allowing individuals to spend time with their families in real‑world settings, rather than being limited to the artificial and restrictive environment of prison visits.
Through opportunities such as resettlement day release (RDR) for family days and town visits, maintaining family ties (MFT) releases, and resettlement overnight release (ROR) at the release address, individuals can participate in everyday family life.
Moments like sharing meals, caring for children, and taking part in normal household routines are important. They can help maintain and strengthen family relationships in ways that prison visits cannot replicate, supporting emotional bonds, stability, and successful resettlement.
Care leavers
Staff at HMP Prescoed are keen to support those who have been through the care system. We appreciate that some may have been through exceptionally traumatic times in their lives may need additional support.
We have ‘care champions’ who can offer specialist support and referral to services designed to help those with experience in the care sector. Our care leaver lead is also the head of safety.
Safeguarding measures
In an emergency
Call 01291 675 000 if you have an immediate or emergency concern about the welfare of a prisoner and ask for the orderly officer or duty governor.
Safer custody hotline
If you have concerns about the safety or wellbeing of a prisoner at Prescoed prison that are not an immediate concern, call the safer custody hotline on 0808 808 2003.
Safeguarding policy
At HMP Prescoed we have a safeguarding policy that ensures safeguarding measures are in place for people in our care, vulnerable adults and children.
All adults in need of safeguarding have the right to live their lives free from abuse of any description. All agencies and individuals that have contact with adults in need of safeguarding have a duty to protect them from abuse. Where abuse is reported to or suspected by any person the response will be prompt and in line with prison service policies.
The prison works as a multi-agency team to meet the needs of prisoners in ensuring that they remain safe.
See our main Prescoed Prison GOV.UK page for contact details, if you have a safeguarding concern.
For further reference to safeguarding measures, please see the HMPPS Child Safeguarding Policy Framework
What have we achieved?
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Friends/family feedback meetings continue to happen throughout the year.
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The Head of Reducing Reoffending and the Families and significant others champion and pathway lead continue to meet with families in the visits centre and during family days to discuss any concerns they may have about visiting. Any feedback from meetings is discussed at our monthly meetings with Invisible Walls.
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We continue to help support prisoners and their families in maintaining their family ties by facilitating visits, family days including for those who have difficulty in attending regular social visits.
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We plan to offer 7 family days that are inclusive.
We are committed to achieving the targets set. We want to involve friends, families and significant others in as much as we can to support your loved ones through their journey with us.
Invisible walls also organise school zone which is a parents evening were teaches attend the prison and meet the dads.
You said, we did
Your feedback is important for us to make sure we provide the best visits experience; here’s how we use your feedback to keep improving:
- we now offer a larger selection of snacks and drinks
- we have more toys and games for children
- a wider variety of games have now been ordered to suit a larger age range
- hot food options will be available soon
How will we measure our success?
- Prisoner family needs questionnaire.
- Reducing reoffending meetings.
- His Majesty’s Inspector of Prisons inspections.
- Prisoner surveys.
- Rehabilitative culture meetings.
- Visitors forums.
- Achieving our key performance indicators.
Staffing structure
Governing Governor.
Head of Reducing Reoffending.
Head of Chaplaincy.
Family and Significant Others Lead.
Family Engagement Manager.