Children Heard and Seen

Children Heard and Seen is a charity that works to mitigate the effects of parental imprisonment on children, young people and their families. We aim to provide high quality services to support children and their families, who are more likely to experience poverty, poor housing, social exclusion and poor physical health as a result of the family members imprisonment. We offer 1:1 support, group activities and art and music-based therapy to children who are facing the shame and stigma of having a parent in prison. Our aim is to reduce the likelihood of intergenerational offending, as the MOJ found that 65% of boys with a parent in prison go on to commit offences themselves. Through our service delivery we are able to tackle challenges such as loneliness and isolation, enabling the children, young people and their parent/carer caring for them to not only empower themselves, but each other too, which encourages strong community bonds to be formed.