The Role of Child Impact Assessments in Supporting Children and Young People Impacted by Parental Imprisonment

Children and young people with a parent in contact with the justice system rarely receive the support they need; many are judged and stigmatised. Child Impact Assessments were developed by the Prison Reform Trust in collaboration with 28 children and young people from across the United Kingdom with experience of parental imprisonment, who said in interviews, focus groups, and an online survey that they want to be seen, listened to, and considered at all stages of a parent’s journey through the justice system: arrest, court, and sentencing, prison or community sentence, and prior to a parent’s release. They want to be supported, and they want to be included in decisions about that support. This paper lays out why Child Impact Assessments are needed; what they are; and crucially how they can be used in practice to ensure the right support is offered to meet a child’s needs at the earliest opportunity. The paper will provide evidence of how Child Impact Assessments can improve children’s wellbeing and will give an overview of recent developments to the resources. The authors will also explore future developments, including adapting the resources to understand the impact on unborn babies, babies, and very young children (the first 1001 days) when a pregnant woman or mother is in contact with the justice system.