Children and families and contact with the outside world
The establishment supports detainees’ contact with their children, families and friends. Detainees not receiving visits are helped in other ways to establish or maintain support from family and friends.
84. Detainees are encouraged and supported to re-establish or maintain relationships with their children, families and friends where it is appropriate.
The following indicators describe evidence that may show this expectation being met, but do not exclude other ways of achieving it.
- There is a strategy to help detainees initiate or maintain contact with family and friends which is based on a population needs analysis, is developed in liaison with external specialist organisations and recognises that many families live far from the establishment.
- Subject to any public protection concerns, unsupervised short-term temporary release is used to help detainees maintain contact with family and friends.
- There are opportunities for families to be involved in supporting detainees, particularly children, those at risk of self-harm or those being discharged.
- Detainees can access the help of an appropriately skilled family support worker.
- Apart from visits, there is a range of initiatives to help detainees build ties with their children.
- Subject to risk assessment, detainees can visit sick relatives and attend funerals.
- Detainees have access to parenting courses.
- There are opportunities for detainees to celebrate success with their family and friends.
- Detainees receive advice on how to support their children during the experience of parental detention.
- Detainees can continue to exercise their rights as parents and are involved in decisions about their children.
- Detainees who do not receive visits are identified and receive individual support to maintain relationships with their family and friends.
- Detainees’ families and friends know how to tell the establishment about any concerns they have about a detainee’s safety or welfare.
85. The establishment supports children to visit their detained family member, subject to a risk assessment.
The following indicators describe evidence that may show this expectation being met, but do not exclude other ways of achieving it.
- The visitors’ centre is proactive in supporting visitors and has activities to keep children entertained.
- Search and entry procedures for visits are child-friendly and proportionate.
- Children are allowed physical contact with their detained parent or relative and can move around the visits area.
- Children are safe and can enjoy age-appropriate activities with the detainee they are visiting.
- Staff are trained in child safeguarding arrangements. There are clear processes for identifying visiting children, especially where there are child safeguarding concerns.
86. Detainees are able to regularly and easily communicate with their family and friends, subject to a risk assessment.
The following indicators describe evidence that may show this expectation being met, but do not exclude other ways of achieving it.
- Detainees can make a free telephone call on their first night and telephone numbers for family and friends are approved for use within 24 hours of arrival, subject to any immediate public protection concerns.
- Detainees have access to a range of options to maintain contact with family and friends, including telephone, letter, email and video calling.
- Detainees are provided with free calls and letters to enable them to maintain contact if they do not have the means to pay.
- Child detainees who are parents are provided with additional free letters and telephone calls.
- Detainees who are parents can receive incoming calls from their dependants when the dependant would benefit from their support.
- When detainees are restricted from having contact with children, victims or other individuals, staff know about these restrictions and implement them daily.
- Detainees’ outgoing mail is posted within 24 hours (48 hours when submitted by the detainee on a Saturday) and incoming mail is received by detainees within 24 hours of arrival at the establishment, including registered and recorded mail.
- Foreign nationals receive additional help and resources to keep in touch with family abroad.
- Detainees can easily find the telephone numbers of outside organisations and know which numbers they are permitted to call.
87. Detainees can maintain access to the outside world through regular and easy access to visits.
The following indicators describe evidence that may show this expectation being met, but do not exclude other ways of achieving it.
- Detainees are able to receive a visit within one week of arrival and thereafter at least one visit each week for a minimum of one hour, including at weekends.
- Detainees not serving a sentence can receive additional visits, including at weekends.
- The visits booking system is accessible and able to deal with the volume of requests and the diverse requirements of visitors.
- Access to social visits and children’s/family days is not affected by any privileges or penalties detainees have received due to their progress or behaviour in the establishment.
- Detainees’ visitors are given information about how to get to the establishment, visiting hours, what to expect and how to complain.
- Where public transport is poor, the establishment provides transport to the establishment from local stations.
- Visitors can apply for their next visit before they leave the establishment.
- The banning or restricting of visits is authorised only when they are assessed to present a significant risk. This is justified by security intelligence about the individual and the decisions are reviewed at least monthly.
- Extended or consecutive visits are facilitated to meet the needs of visitors who travel long distances.
88. Detainees can receive their visitors in a clean, safe and respectful environment which meets their needs.
The following indicators describe evidence that may show this expectation being met, but do not exclude other ways of achieving it.
- There is a welcoming visitors’ centre which meets the diverse needs of visitors and provides support and advice, including how to raise concerns about detainees.
- Visitor parking and access arrangements are appropriate, including for visitors with disabilities.
- Search processes are respectful and proportionate and take account of the needs of people with protected and minority characteristics. Visitors are never strip-searched.
- There are effective systems to collect feedback from detainees and visitors (including children) about their visits experience.
- Detainees and visitors can always access toilet facilities, including baby changing facilities.
- Visits areas are comfortable, friendly and welcoming. Where possible, detainees and their visitors can sit outdoors.
- Security arrangements and restrictions on physical contact during visits are not excessive.
- Visitors can buy a selection of snacks and drinks during visits.
- Partner agencies and charities are used to support the visits experience.