Sova Visiting Mum
Sova has formed an innovative partnership with PACT, Children’s Social Services and the Prison Service to design a unique programme funded by the Big Lottery that aims to:
- Combat the poor mental health outcomes and increase the wellbeing of children of imprisoned mothers
- Increase community safety by reducing reoffending
Pact will employ a small contact support team at HMP Eastwood Park in Gloucestershire where, because of the lack of a female prison in Wales, more than 50% of imprisoned Welsh women are held. These workers will assess the needs of all Welsh women as they enter custody, identifying those who are likely to lose contact with their children because there is no one able to take them to visits or deal with the emotional impact parental imprisonment has on children.
Sova's Volunteer Co-ordinator, based in Cardiff, will recruit, vet and train a team of community volunteers across South and West Wales. Once a family is identified as being in need of support, the child and carer will be introduced to their contact volunteer. This volunteer will then book social visits for the child and accompany them to HMP Eastwood Park once or twice a month until their mother has been released.
To ensure that both parties are prepared and that the mother has the tools available to help make the visits as successful as possible, the project team will work with both the mother and child/ children before and after each visit addressing their emotional needs and encouraging better quality visits, phone calls and letters.