Editorial: The forgotten victims of the prison system

Losing a parent to prison can feel like a sudden bereavement. While the recording of outcomes of this sub-group are at present pretty sparse, what evidence there is suggests that compared to their peers they have about three times the risk of antisocial behaviour and mental health problems. Indeed, there is no national strategy to support children of prisoners. They remain unnoticed and unsupported. Even their precise numbers are unknown with rough estimates putting the figure at around 150,000.

The Social Care Institute for Excellence has this week issued guidance in order to improve life chances for children of prisoners (see p4). It's an issue that requires a co-ordinated response, which means schools, local authorities, and health providers need to be trained in understanding the issues facing children of prisoners and on using the common assessment framework. Since a change in behaviour is often the only way schools discover a child's parent has gone to prison, the guidance recommends schools dedicate a staff member to liaise with local prisons and probation. But their needs also require formal recognition. To this end, the guidance recommends local authority children's services departments incorporate their needs into their children and young people's plans and care plans for looked-after children.