Usk Prison: Families and significant others strategy
Usk’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 Usk Prison main page.
Our commitment to you
At Usk, 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:
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support prisoners and families in maintaining good relationships
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help improve parenting skills for prisoners and guide them through their children’s educational experiences
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provide advice and guidance to families and prisoners, keeping the family friendly focus
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offer support with troubled relationships
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reduce / remove barriers to enable family members to visit the prison so they can experience quality visits in a welcoming environment
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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
Visitors centre
On your arrival at the visits centre your paper identification will be checked for security purposes. Staff will be available to answer any questions that you have.
See our main Usk 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.
What Invisible walls offers:
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:
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information for families and partners
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holding family days when parents and children can spend time together.
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supporting families affected by imprisonment
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providing play activities/support for children in visits
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holding homework clubs when parents can support their children
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providing mentoring qualification courses to help prisoners improve their
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support of their children’s education while in custody
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offering resettlement support and mentoring
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a website for families to access for information
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legal clinics for prisoner, that specialise in family law
Children’s play facilities
Reception area - we have toys, books and an area for children to play.
Visit hall
We have:
- an area for children to play
- an interactive board for all ages to engage with
- books, board games and soft toys
- two iPads for children to play with during the visit
Brynbuga Bistro
A café run entirely by trained prisoners. The Bistro offers a range of hot and cold food, snacks and drinks at affordable prices, giving families and significant others the opportunity to relax and enjoy refreshments during their visit.
The Bistro enhances the overall visits experience by adding warmth, hospitality and a sense of normality for families, which supports stronger relationships and contributes to the establishment’s wider family and relationships provision.
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.
Adoption Support
Some prisoners may have lost their children to adoption or are going through the process when they are received into custody.
Invisible Walls staff help prisoners with letter writing and encourage them to maintain letter box contact if it has been granted. They also help arrange final contact visits between parents and children in our special extended family visits area.
We understand how emotional and distressing these visits can be, so we ensure they are carried out with the utmost sensitivity.
The team also offers support after the adoption.
Parenting/relationship courses
The Practical parenting course has been designed by us to be taught within the prison.
It is open to all men who continue to have contact with their children following release and is also open to prisoners who are grandparents that may have caring responsibilities for their grandchildren.
The course runs for 4-weeks in our education department.
Family engagement casework
Our family engagement case workers offer support on strengthening and maintaining relationships and reconnecting broken relationships.
They talk with social services and act as a point of contact for child protection and child welfare issues.
Family days
We run themed family days designed to support and strengthen family relationships.
These events happen through the year and are limited to 10 families per session (morning and afternoon) to ensure a more personal and engaging experience.
Weather permitting, we host these events on the sports field, offering a wide range of fun and educational activities supported by Invisible Walls, Mothers’ Union, and other external agencies.
If the weather is poor, we run the day in our visitor centre.
Some sessions will be either adult-only or children-focused groups.
Each session includes themed activities, and we aim to vary the themes and offerings throughout the year to keep things fresh and engaging.
Morning sessions typically include a breakfast baguette, and afternoon sessions a BBQ-style buffet.
A popular feature of our family days is the opportunity for families to have photographs taken together. These are printed and gifted to loved ones as a keepsake of the day.
We also host special events such as a prisoner / staff football match, attended by invited parents. These events help build community spirit and provide positive shared experiences for everyone involved.
Graduation days
Families are invited to attend and celebrate the achievements of their loved ones.
Certificates are presented during these events, recognising progress and accomplishments. These occasions are a meaningful way to acknowledge personal development and reinforce family support.
Our staff can take photographs at family days by when consent is given.
We understand photographs can be very precious, and sometimes rare, for those with a family member in prison.
Care leavers
We are keen to support those who have been through the care system. We know 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 671 000, 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 Usk prison that are not an immediate concern, call the safer custody hotline on 0808 808 2003.
Safeguarding policy
At HMP Usk 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 Usk 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?
- The establishment continues to hold peer-to-peer sessions currently holding 4 a year.
- The establishment runs veteran family days throughout the year.
- Friends/family feedback meetings continue to happen throughout the year.
- 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.
- We continue to help support prisoners and their families in maintaining their family ties by arranging visits and family days - including for those who have difficulty in attending regular social visits.
- This year we plan to offer 19 family days that are inclusive. We are holding family events such as an Eisteddfod and a prisoner/staff football days.
- People in our care who do not have anyone who is able to visit can request to have a volunteer prison visitor called an ‘official prison visitor (OPV) who will visit and provide support. This service is offered through the Chaplaincy department.
- We are one of the highest performing prisons in the country.
You said, we did
Your feedback is important for us to make sure we provide the best visits experience. Here is how we use your feedback to keep improving
- More themed family days - now offering 19 per year.
- Holding a ‘dads and lads’ day.
- We will celebrate the children with parent in prisoners’ day.
- More toys and games for children.
- A wider variety of games have now been ordered to suit a larger age range
- Prisoners asked for football games family days they are now added to our events.
- Choir asked for a themed family days.
- Survey results showed prisoners and families want exotic animals to attend this is now and annual theme.
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 and Significant Other Champion.
Family Engagement Manager.
Volunteer s (x2).