ELIZABETH JARMAN®

T H E C O M M U N I C A T I O N F R I E N D LY S P A C E S A P P R O A C H

Effective Family Visiting Using The

Communication Friendly Spaces™ Approach

A collaborative project between Action for Children at HMP

Styal Mother and Baby Unit and ELIZABETH JARMAN®, 2013-14

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“Current research gives us far better understanding about the way that the environment can be used to support family communication. If we provide really effective places to facilitate prison family visits, we

can help families to stay connected.”

Elizabeth Jarman

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4 Introduction

5 The Communication Friendly Spaces™ Approach

6 Project Aims

7 Context

8 Project Framework

9 Training for Mums and MBU Staff

11 Family Visit Day 1

12 Immediate Feedback

13 Visual Data Feedback

14 Family Visit Day 2

16 Feedback

18 Key Findings from the Project

19 Recommendations

20 Appendices/References

21 Information shared with carers before the project

21 Project Participants

Contents

©2014 ELIZABETH JARMAN® No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers. All rights reserved. CFS™ and ELIZABETH JARMAN® are registered trademarks of the ELIZABETH JARMAN® Group.

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In 2013-4, working collaboratively, ELIZABETH JARMAN® and Action for Children, UK embarked on an innovative action research project to test out and gain more understanding about the way that the environment and resources within it could be used to support better prison family visits, connection and transition into new environments. They structured a ‘families led’ project using ELIZABETH JARMAN® Communication Friendly Spaces™ Bags for Families (renamed Family Visit Bags for this project) as an intervention tool. The project captured observations of the process in action from different perspectives in a variety of ways from conversations, to analysis of the visual data collected by the families.

This report outlines the context, project delivery, impact so far and makes recommendations to trigger and inspire further discussion.

The Mother and Baby Support Unit (MBU) at HMP Styal is a separate residential unit within the secure area of the prison and provides family support and Early Years sessional care to 10 babies aged up to 18 months who reside on the unit with their mother during her custodial sentence. The unit is a flagship service for their prison and has received a Butler Trust Award from HRH Princess Anne.

Particular recognition is given to all the staff working at The MBU, HMP Styal, Gillian Davies, Children’s Centre Partnership Co-ordinator for Cheshire East local authority and the mothers who live in the unit with their babies. Due to the security implications of the prison setting, much liaison was required with senior prison staff and HMP Styal. Thank you.

Elizabeth JarmanManagaing Director The ELIZABETH JARMAN® Group

Carla BoothPractice Team Leader, Action for Children, Styal

Karen MoorcroftChildren’s Services Manager, Styal

Introduction

Action for Children is a UK-wide charity that speaks out for the most vulnerable and neglected children and young people, and supports them to break through injustice, deprivation and inequality, so they can achieve their full potential.

Action for Children helps nearly 300,000 children, young people and theirfamilies through nearly 650 projects across the UK. We also promote social justice by lobbying and campaigning for change. Our services promote school readiness, identifying and addressing any problems early to ensure that children get the best start in life.

Action for Children services include early years provision such as Sure Start Children’s Centres, crèches and specialist provision such as mother and baby units in prisons.

We specialise in developing really effective learning environments using The Communication Friendly Spaces™ Approach, conceptualised and developed by Elizabeth Jarman. The CFS™ Approach supports children’s speaking and listening skills, emotional well-being, physical development and general engagement.

We are the sole provider of CFS™ training, having worked with over 100,000 delegates globally so far. We supply a wide range of CFS™ products including our inspiring CFS™ Bag Collections. We fund action research projects to understand more about children’s preferred contexts for learning. We work in partnership with a wide range of organisations on a consultancy basis.

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The Communication Friendly Spaces™ Approach was used as a framework for review of the environments created to support both the Family Visit Days in the prison.

Communication Friendly Spaces™ (CFS™) focuses on the role of the environment in supporting speaking and listening, emotional well-being, physical development and general engagement. Elizabeth Jarman says, “It’s critical to understand how the physical space connects with the underpinning intention of the space. It’s essential to tune into the environment from the user’s perspective. To do this, it is really important to observe, reflect and then make informed decisions about the way that children and families interact with the environment if a developmentally appropriate and responsive space is to develop, which meets the needs of children and families using it and reflects their preferred contexts for learning and communication. This impacts positively and enhances connection.”

The CFS™ Approach involves a great deal more than merely altering the appearance of a learning space. Understanding the theoretical base for the work is essential. Key strands of Elizabeth Jarman’s research include:

• Maximising the use of space to set the context for learning and interaction

• Effective storage and resource management• Resources ‘worth investigating’• The impact of noise• Informed use of colour• The effects of light

There is further information and a short video about this approach at www.elizabethjarmantraining.co.uk

The Communication Friendly Spaces™ Handbook (www.elizabethjarmantraining.co.uk) illustrates the research and approach in detail.

The Communication Friendly Spaces™ Approach

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Using The Communication Friendly Spaces™ Approach and CFS™ Bags for Families, the project aimed to explore and help to:

• reduce the stress of transition experienced by children visiting their mother in prison.

• improve children’s chance of coming to terms with the loss of their parent to imprisonment.

• increase the chance of developing the children’s emotional and social development.

• develop mothers, carers and MBU staff’s understanding of the link between the physical and emotional environment and its impact on children’s learning, development and well-being.

For children with mothers in prison, seeing her during a standard prison visit can be stressful. When separated children may have experienced feelings related to the ending of their relationship and seeing the other person again is likely to activate those feelings.

“The impact of parental imprisonment varies for each child and for the most it is profound. Parental imprisonment may often affect the child as bereavement does, yet it is accompanied by stigma, shame, anger and confusion” S. Rider (2011) The Family Day Tool Kit Kids VIP

CFS™Bags for Families (Family Visit Bags)

A wealth of research confirms that engaging families in supporting children’s speaking and listening is essential. The CFS™ Bags for Families intervention has been used with over 35,000 families in the UK, States and Malta. An external evaluation about the impact of the bags can be viewed at www.elizabethjarmantraining.co.uk. The bags come in a set of 5. Each bag offers a range of different open-ended resources for families to use, typically in and around the home environment, encouraging playing and exploring, active learning and opportunities to create and think critically. Contents reflect the core principles of CFS™.

Feedback regularly shows:

• Increases in effective two-way communication with and between families.

• A shift in focus with more conversations around child development and language skills.

• A real involvement by Dads and male carers in particular.

• Sibling groups connecting together.• Sustained play and parental awareness of the

positive impact that simple, easily accessible resources can have.

A bespoke set of 10 Bags for Families were donated by ELIZABETH JARMAN® to the Mother and Baby Unit for on-going use. A further identical set were donated for visiting children to take home, use and keep as part of the project.

Project Aims

 

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Prison Service Instruction 54/2011 applies to Mother and Baby Units and states “The best interests of children on the unit are the paramount consideration in all matters and the service works for the best prospect of a successful resettlement of the mother and child in the community.”

There is no doubt that the Action for Children, HMP Styal, Mother and Baby Unit team enable a child-focussed regime and environment. An appreciative inquiry commissioned by Action for Children and carried out by the Education and Social Research Institute at Manchester Metropolitan University in 2010 identified that the “team work tirelessly, and “for ‘as long as it takes’, to find solutions to complex dilemmas they are confronted with on a daily basis.”

“The return to custody rate for the main women’s prison population in general is around 77%, whereas the return rate specifically for the MBU is around 12.5%.” (2.1)

Despite the emphasis in PSI 54/2011 that “the units exist first and foremost for the benefit of the children who are not prisoners and have committed no offence.” (3.1.2) and that “Mothers should be encouraged to maintain family contacts for their babies” (5.1.7), mothers receive two to three visits a month, in the crowded main visits hall and Family Days are offered to prisoners only around twice a year. However, family day provision is governed by the overarching prison regime in spite of strategies and policies stating a commitment to support family relationships.

The mothers at Action for Children, Mother and Baby Unit at HMP Styal describe the visits hall as “instrusive”, “stressful” and “frustrating”; Niamh, mum of Louise, age and Sarah, age 4 years, shared “You can feel the Officers standing over your shoulder” and “I get worried about the other prisoners being there with my child, especially if I know what they are in for”. Sally, mum of Declan, age 1 year, Emma, age 5 years and Becki, age 7 years, added “You have to put your hand up to go to the toilet”.

When anxiety levels are raised, the amount of cortisol in the brain increases, making knee jerk reactions to tense situations more likely. Creating emotionally secure situations through more informed use of the environment where visits take place will impact positively on the quality of family interaction. Often smaller spaces with definition, softness and more neutral use of colours help to create an atmosphere of calm. Carol, resides in the Mother and Baby Unit with her 2 month old daughter Eve, and her older daughter, Annie, age 8 years, lives with her maternal grandmother.

Carol described their experience, “the visits room is very loud and sometimes it is hard to have a proper conversation. It’s quite scary being around all the prisoners in an enclosed space in the waiting room before we go through to the visits room”. (2013)

Noisy environments make it much more difficult for people to concentrate and hold a conversation. Auditory distraction will prevail in environments which don’t absorb the acoustic. Introducing softer seating, rugs, carpeting and positioning seating to remove visual distraction from others in the space would facilitate better communication.

Hartworth and Hartworth (2005) findings supported the view that routine visits do little to support family relationships and can add strain to them, which is exacerbated by prison protocols and staff behaviour. Susan, mum of Joseph age 1 month, Melanie, age 13 and Dawn , age 15, reports “You are only allowed one chair next to you, so it always ends up with my two children arguing and fighting about who is going to sit next to me, which is stressful” (2013) Ormiston Children and Families Trust (2006) as part of the Time for Families programme reported that even when visits take place, the support families can give prisoners may be limited: it can be difficult to talk freely in a public arena and problematic topics may not be broached. Joanne, mother of Tammy, 2 months and Lucy, 23 months, shared “my child is at the age where she doesn’t want to just sit down in the chair next to me, she wants to be walking around and playing and I can’t move around after her.”

Considering the needs of all the family is key in terms of developing an appropriate space to set the scene for effective Family Visits. Offering a place that is developmentally appropriate for young children who like to be ‘on the move’, using their developing physical skills, which in turn enhance brain development and communication skills could be facilitated in a more considered environment and reduce ‘meltdown’ situations caused by being made to stay still for inappropriate lengths of time.

Prison Service Order 4800 ‘Woman Prisoners’ also states “Some women may find children’s visits distressing – particularly when it is time for the children to go. Some may find it hard to talk and play with their child and vice versa. “(2008), Joanne, reported “Mum’s aren’t allowed to go into the play area with their children,” (2013) and Susan became emotional as she shared, “You are only allowed one quick embrace with your children” (2013)New research by Diane Poole Heller, USA encourages lots

Context

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The project took place over the summer of 2013. The framework below shows the timescale:

May/June: Initial discussions/ visits and project planning.

July: Preparation (permissions, invitations to families, creation of bespoke Bags for Families to meet prison regulations regarding contents, security approvals in place etc

August 1st: Training Delivery by Elizabeth Jarman to mums and MBU staff.

August 2nd: Family Visit Day 1: Family Visit Bags taken home by all families to use at home and document using a disposable camera.

August 15th: Family Visits Day 2: Feedback collected from key stakeholders.

7th November Project Review.

of appropriate physical contact between family members. She says ‘Share hugs. They boost oxytocin,’ which also acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain. In fact, the hormone plays a huge role in families bonding.

Baroness Corston’s report stated that “Around 18,000 children are separated from their mothers by imprisonment each year.“ and “Over half of prisoners (54 per cent) had dependent children under the age of 18” During the project at HMP Styal Mother and Baby unit, all the mothers had dependent children cared for by others while they were in prison.

Project Framework

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Elizabeth Jarman delivered an interactive and visual training programme to around 25 mums and staff on the Communication Friendly Spaces (CFS™) Approach and the impact the environment can have on emotional well-being, speaking and listening skills, physical development and general engagement. The mothers attending the training session described feeling “intrigued”, “curious”, “excited” and “interested” by the session. They contributed well and remained engaged throughout.

After the morning presentation, despite some initial reserve, the mothers creatively used the CFS™ Family Visit Bags to make ‘spaces’ for their babies, supported by the relationships in place with the Mother and Baby unit team. This helped them to put the ideas explored during the morning session into practice.

Soft, enclosed spaces created from neutral colours and textured materials in the bags helped to create a secure feeling. Screening reduces visual and auditory distraction, helping connection, listening and attention between parent and child.

Baby Declan, woke up and crawled over to the fleecy blanket, enjoying the floor defined space his mum created outdoors on the grass. He reached out from the blanket and stopped as he felt the grass. He stayed on the fleecy blanket, more secure within the defined space, unsure of the texture and sensory feel of the ground. The space created encouraged him to crawl between the smaller enclosures on each side of the blanket, encouraging critical physical and brain development.

Rebecca Lawlor, Staff, Mother and Baby Unit:I noticed before the training day on the Thursday that the mothers were not very interested in the Elizabeth Jarman family bags and what she had to bring for the days. All the mothers seemed to focus on was seeing their families. However, after the training day the mothers were ‘shocked’ at how interested they seemed to be in the communication family bags. After the training session I was chatting with the women and one woman said it seems to be common sense about the spaces and colours eg the bright colours in a class room but you just don’t think about how it affects them. All the women seemed to have positive comments about the training day and loved what was in the family bags.

August 1st: Training for Mums and MBU Staff

 

   

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Many of the mums created small spaces for their children. Places to ‘get into’ which offered containment. This can help children feel safe in an environment. Many of the spaces created were carefully positioned out of the movement flow, offering places to ‘watch from’. This can really support transition into a new space, helping adjust to an unfamiliar place, allowing space and time to observe.

Baby Joseph, 1 month was observed engaging with his mum, Susan, smiling and maintaining eye contact. She recalled, “When I took him out of the space, he cried.”

The mums really enjoyed the practical session with their babies, but some did have concerns about the way in which their visiting older children would respond.

 

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The following day the mums, their babies and their families had the first of two Family Days, located at the Mother and Baby House, in the nursery and garden. Using the ideas explored on the previous day’s training about creating Communication Friendly Spaces™, the mum’s helped to create an environment to set for the day. We wanted to use the environment to nurture memorable and meaningful opportunities for quality contact between visiting children and their mothers.

The Family Visit Bags were shared by the mothers with their families and children during the Family Day. The creation of spaces together using the bags offered opportunities for a shared experience, for challenge, negotiation and a place in which to experience ‘togetherness’. The mums felt they had the ‘expertise’ following training and facilitated their family spaces really well. Each family created a defined place which they used throughout the day. Families responded really positively. The atmosphere was relaxed. The staff supported family interaction sensitively throughout; allowing the families to interact freely whilst offering support without being overbearing. We spent time with the visitors, explaining their role when creating Communication Friendly Spaces™ together. One mother reflected “I really enjoyed the family visit and so did my family. I was surprised at how well my oldest daughter took to making spaces”

The use of the Mothers ‘home’ also provided the children with opportunity to spend time with their mum in a relaxing environment, where they could feel safe and more able to talk to their mother about their feelings.

The contents in the bags were duplicated for use by the children with their carers when they returned home. This duplication of contents allowed the bags to act as ‘Transitional Objects’, which could connect meaning and memories between mum’s ‘physical’ world and the children’s. We were keen to capture how the Family Visit Bags would be used by the children at home. Would the replicated resources allow them to re-create the positive experience they had shared with their mum on their visit? Would they be able to re-call the experience and re-play the time in a positive way, helping them to stay better connected?

Families were asked to keep notes on how the bags were used and also take photos on a disposable camera given to them.

August 2nd: Family Visit Day 1

Transition

“As an individual moves through childhood and into adulthood, if she does not know how to deal with her own emotions and needs and does not experience shared feeling and understanding with those around her, she cannot develop and maintain a stable sense of self” (Elliott, 2002).

“Dependence implies immaturity, and, indeed, the term is the antonym of ‘independence.’Infants and young children often form a strong attachment to soft objects, such as teddy-bears, blankets, pillows and dolls.” Winnicott emphasizes the developmental significance of this attachment to what he calls a transitional object.

“Most studies of Transitional Objects and their developmental and psychological role have naturally dealt with infants and young children. There is, however, anecdotal evidence in support of the view that certain articles continue to play the role of a Transitional Objects after childhood and that the phenomenon is not uncommon among adolescents or even adults.” Winnicott.

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‘The first family day went well, all the families seemed to get involved with the family bags and the mothers encouraged their other children to make small ‘dens’ with their baby brother/sister. All of the children were enthusiastic and excited about building/making their dens and explaining to me what it felt like eg cosy, comfortable, happy and exciting. The children were very content with the bags throughout the day some children were back and forth with the bags eg play with the bag for 1 hour then find another activity then go back to the den or re-build another den.’ Rebecca Lawlor, Staff, Mother and Baby Unit.

‘One of the mum’s sought me out at the end of the day to say’ thank you’. She had had real concerns that her older daughter would ‘kick off’ and not engage. The opposite happened and I remember observing an amazing moment as mum and her 13 year old daughter each held the ends of a long piece of hessian fabric from their bag, discussing where to attach it. Her daughter said, ‘remember when we were little and we used to make dens together. We used to put your duvet on the sides of the bunk bed.’ Lovely shared memories were triggered.’ Elizabeth Jarman

Several of the mums spoke to their families on the phone that night and the bags were already in use.

One of the mums explained that separating from her children was easier this time as they had something concrete to take home which reminded them of the time they’d spent with her.

No one cried at the gate on exit. This was unusual. The mums returned to the house and were all busy, clearing up and they remained engaged. Usually they retreated to their rooms, upset.

Immediate Feedback

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Between the visit days, children and their carers used the bags. As part of the project we collected 30 images from 2 of the families. These images were analysed as they provided us with visual data.

Using this form of data capture allowed everyone to share their observations, regardless of their literacy and language skills.

Spaces Inside: 47%Spaces Outside: 53%Spaces for 1: 30%Spaces for 2: 70%Enclosed spaces: 73%‘Open’ spaces: 27%Floor based spaces: 60%Activities taken into the spaces: 17%

The analysis shows that the resources offered flexibility and could be used in a variety of contexts. They were used in different ways according to the family situation and number of siblings. The children were able to create spaces which reflected their preferred contexts. They had some ‘control’ over their environment and a defined space just for them.

The bags were used independently and were personalised. A variety of activities took places in the space, reading, talking, eating and in some cases sleeping.

A future study might allow a fuller analysis of the deep significance of the space from a wider cross section of children involved, with longer term follow up.

Visual Data Feedback

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August 15th: Family Visit Day 2

The atmosphere was really calm. All of the mothers appeared to be in a positive mood, even those that did not have any visitors planned for the day’s session. There was a sense of quiet excitement and anticipation.

After the initial welcome, families immediately moved to find a space within the house that they could use for the day. Some appeared to be thinking about ways in which to use the CFS™ Family Visit Bags and straight away and began to adapt their environment using the resources, whilst others took this time to sit in a family group and talk. The children were more confident in creating their spaces, drawing on the practice and experiences they had in using the materials at home. The materials offered a familiarity and connection with their home context. Natasha and her family appeared relaxed and happy, sharing stories and news. There was much laughter and affection between the family members. The environment facilitated relaxed interaction.

Staff observed lots of physical contact between baby Charlie, age 2 months, Daddy and big sister, Alice; all supported by Natasha who was bubbly and chatty throughout whilst also managing to devote quality time to Alice, for example with the arts and crafts materials.

Nadine, despite having given birth 5 days previously, to Lara, appeared to be very relaxed. It was very clear that she is receiving positive support from her parents. They were very open with staff and were enthusiastic about the way in which they had been encouraging Nadine’s older daughter Daisy, age 4 years, who they care for, to use the den making equipment at home. Daisy’s maternal grandmother explained that the dining room had become the den making area. Staff observed Daisy adopting her new role as big sister to Lara. Nadine reported “On the 2nd day I had given birth to Lara so the experience was even more special than the first, it meant a lot being able to see my Daisy engaging with Lara.” Daisy was actively involved with the baby and was supported to cuddle, hold and play with her. She did not display any challenging behaviour given that she now had to share her mummy with a new sister. Lara and Daisy’s grandparents readily and calmly supported this new relationship in a very natural way, suggesting that the unstructured environment enabled this interaction.

Sally and Declan were joined by Declan’s cousin, Cherelle and Auntie Mandy. This family group headed to the nursery to make a den but also made use of other areas in the house, with all three adults following Declan’s lead and encouraging and supporting his play interests and needs.

 

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In relation to Declan and his age and stage of development, the feeling of an established community was very apparent; other mothers’s also appeared to be in tune with his needs and Declan socialised with other adults, confident in his surroundings.

Joanne and baby Tammy were visited by Joanne’s daughter Lucy, who is currently fostered by Lianne, as well as Joanne’s sister and her daughter Molly. They shared that they had taken the bag to the beach and she had eaten her tea in her den and was taking it with her on holiday.

Lucy and Molly are both mobile toddlers who were keen to explore their environment. Staff observed that the adults spent more time on adult focused conversation and staff focused on Lucy and Molly, both of whom responded well to the support given. Their comfy space inside became a base for their play. Softness in environments nurtures emotional independence.

Susan and baby Joseph were visited by Joseph’s Daddy and older sisters Melanie and Dawn. They settled in the garden and used the den making equipment to make a space for their group. Staff observed Susan successfully dividing her time with Joseph and her partner as well as with Melanie and Dawn.

The position of the space facilitated the creation of a private area for close bonding between Joseph and his Daddy whilst also remaining close to the older children who played with the gloop. The space was tucked away from the hustle and bustle, allowing Joseph to focus on his dad’s face and enjoy their uninterrupted interactions.

The use of the ‘gloop’ (a mixture of cornflour and water) served as a way of staff initiating and sustaining conversation with Melanie and Dawn, which due to their age and stage of development may well have otherwise been a challenge and the time and activity could be used to have a sensitive discussion to explore their feelings and assess their well-being. This activity was positioned in a semi-private space, away from movement flow and visual distraction. This multi-sensory activity unlocked the opportunity even as teenager to ‘play’.

One mother and her baby did not have visitors during the family day however after lunch, which the mums had prepared for everyone, she remained with the other families and spent time talking to them and staff members; underlining the success of the day, indicating an inclusive community atmosphere.

 

 

 

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Staff noted experiencing feelings of being positively superfluous, suggesting that the careful planning and co-ordination enabled the mothers to manage the event in a relaxed, practical and inspiring way.

The Mothers attending Family Day 2 described the event as ‘brilliant’, ‘fun’, ‘beneficial’, ‘relaxed’, ‘meaningful, ‘friendly’, ‘motivating’, ‘crucial’, ‘exciting’ and ‘moving’. There was an increased number of positive words used compared to Family Day 1 indicating that there was no reduction in interest or enthusiasm for family contact within the Mother and Baby House. Negative words were not selected by any of the mothers.

One mother had family contact during Family Day 1 but not during Family Day 2. When comparing her responses for Family Day 1 (‘brilliant’, ‘exciting’, ‘entertaining’, ‘meaningful’ and friendly) to her responses for Family Day 2 (‘fine’, ‘inspiring’, ‘beneficial’, ‘okay’ and ‘friendly’) we can conclude that although the experience was different it was still a positive and inclusive one.

Feedback

‘By having the bags I felt the visit with the girls had a focus, which in turn made the visit positive and therefore the separation less stressful.’ Lola, a mother.

Overall, the family days were a great success and the mothers and their children fully enjoyed exploring the family bags and talking to their children about the small spaces and how spaces can affect them with their communication. It was a great way of taking something home that made the children remember mum by. Also as some of the children only visit mum on a visit and not in the house it was really nice to see the children exploring around the house to see where mum lived and who with and the nursery that their brother/sister attended as a lot of children picture prison as ‘cells’ so it was really nice to see all the women’s children feel comfortable on the MBU. Rebecca Lawlor

Two younger children responded with feedback:

When I visited Mummy on the Family Day, I liked…. “Making my den, Painting with mummy and seeing mummy’s room”, I didn’t like…. “rain”.

When I visited mummy on the Family Day… “I liked playing with my sister, seeing my mum and painting”, I didn’t like…..“going home”.

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We asked visiting families to select words that best describe their experience of the new family days, held on the Mother and Baby Support Unit. 11 adults, 4 teenagers and 4 young children attended. 8 adults and 4 teenagers returned their feedback forms.

Other words available but not chosen were:

Dull, Intrusive, Uninteresting, Convenient, Inspiring, Scary, Okay, Misleading, Unexpected, Moving, Hard, Intense, Confusing, Pointless, Frustrating, Stimulating, Stressful, Irritating, Challenging, Negative, Terrible, Alright, Worrying, Motivating, Surprising.

We asked visiting families to select words that best describe their experience of visits held in the visits hall. 11 adults, 4 teenagers and 4 young children attended, 7 adults and 2 teenagers returned their feedback forms.

Other words available but not chosen were:

Brilliant, Helpful, Informative, Positive, Entertaining, Friendly, Crucial, Convenient, Inspiring, Relaxed, Unexpected, Moving, Useful, Enjoyable, Social, Exciting, Fun, Exciting, Powerful, Stimulating, Awesome, Meaningful, Soothing, Surprising, Motivating, Alright.

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• Thorough preparation and support from all partners involved, including prison staff was key to the success of the project.

• The stress of transition experienced by children and families within the visit hall was reduced in an appropriately planned environment.

• Mothers and children sustained their relationship, vital to development and wellbeing for all.

• Mothers played a vital role in supporting their children’s development and learning.

• Mothers, carers and staff’s understanding of the role of the environment in supporting communication skills, emotional well-being and general engagement was improved.

• MBU staff were able to support families in the use of the Family Visit Bags.

• Barriers such as feeling foolish or shy were overcome and mothers felt more confident in communicating with their babies and children.

• Well planned Family Visits give the children more time for quality contact, interaction and bonding.

• CFS™ Family Visit Bags were shared effectively by mothers with their children during the Family Day as a tool to support transition and connection. “I use the bag in the night and make a space when I can’t sleep.” Molly, 13.

• The Family Days provided a memorable and meaningful opportunity for quality contact between children and their mothers.

• Staff gave space to allow families to interact freely while offering sensitive support without being overbearing.

• The interactive, inclusive and visual training programme engaged mums and staff effectively. This was important so that everyone understood the rationale for the CFS™ Family Visit Bags.

• 6 months on, mothers are continuing to use the CFS™ Family Visit Bags with their babies in the house.

• It was important to communicate clearly to Family Day visitors, their role in supporting this project.

Key Findings from the Project

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Clearly, environments can play a huge role in facilitating effective Family Visiting.

• Review, audit and improve all environments which are used specifically for Family Visits.

• The Communication Friendly Spaces™ Approach should be shared with managers of Family Visits in prisons to inform the development of more effective environments which facilitate good communication.

• The use of more creative tools and strategies can help to keep families connected and support transition into the carer’s home.

• To track the use of Family Visit Bags in another prison to compare the impact and response.

• To develop a core provision of 8 weekly family days on the MBU to help ensure the best start for the baby and on-going resettlement needs of the mother.

Recommendations

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• Jarman, Elizabeth (2013) The Communication Friendly Spaces Handbook

• Corston, Jean (2007) Review of Women with Particular Vulnerabilities in the Criminal Justice System (Home Office)

• Education & Social Research Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University, (2010) HMP Prison Service Styal, Mother and Baby Unit, An appreciative inquiry commissioned by Action for Children

• Hartworth, C and Hartworth, J (2005) Keeping Families Together: Maintaining Positive Relationships Between Children and Parents in Prison, Barefoot

Research and Evaluation:

• Justice Committee (2013) 2nd Report - Women offenders: after the Corston Report Home Office (2005) -Resettlement Outcomes on Release from Prison, Home Office Findings 248 – Ministry of Justice, rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/r248.pdf http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/justice-committee/publications/ [accessed: 09/10/2013)

• Kids VIP (2011) The Family Day Tool Kit, Kids VIP• Kids VIP (2005) Children Visiting Prisons: Good

Practice Guid, Kids VIP• Ministry of Justice (2008) PSO 4000 Incentives,

PATHWAYS TO RESETTLEMENT: 6) Children and Families; National Offender Management Service

• Ministry of Justice, (2011) Prison Service Instruction 54/2011; Ministry of Justice

• Ormiston Children & Families Trust (2006) Time for Families: Positive Outcomes for Children & Families of Offenders using Ormiston Services in Prisons and the Community, Ormiston Children & Families Trust

• S. Rider (2011) The Family Day Tool Kit; Kids VIP

Transition References:

• Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry (2009)• 18:400–406 DOI 10.1007/s00787-009-0747-7• ECAP 747• peer-00478100, version 1 - 30 Apr 2010• Author manuscript, published in “European Child &

Adolescent Psychiatry 18, 7 (2009) 400-406”• DOI : 10.1007/s00787-009-0747-7

Appendices/References

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ELIZABETH JARMAN®

Project Participants

We are really excited about a new project called Family Visit Bags, developed by ELIZABETH JARMAN®. Elizabeth has done lots of work on the way that spaces and environments affect children and adults in both positive and negative ways. She has developed Family Bags, which we will be using on your Family Visit Days in August.

The bags contain all sorts of things you’ll need to create Communication Friendly Spaces™ with your child/ children. Elizabeth will be there on the visit day and explain the bags to you and why she has chosen the contents. Mums will be helping their children to use the bags to create spaces together and have a great time on the day.

At the end of the visit each child will be able to take a Family Bag home. They will hopefully use the bag and its contents to re-create the spaces made with mum on their visit. Elizabeth is interested in how this activity at home affects the child’s behaviour and if the space helps them feel more secure, maybe re-playing the positive time they had with mum. She will talk to you about things to look out for so you can feedback on the second visit the things you noticed.

Lots of families have used the bags and really enjoyed them. Carol said, “I was amazed at how simple resources in the right space kept my child interested for ages. They played really well and wanted me to join in.” Sharee said, “The bags have really helped my child to settle at nursery. She brings the bag home and then takes it into nursery. The contents somehow help to make a concrete connection between the two places.“

I wonder what the children, you and the mums will be saying after they’ve used Family Bags?

Information shared with carers before the project

All names, with the exception of staff, are pseudonyms.

Elizabeth JarmanManaging DirectorThe ELIZABETH JARMAN® Group

Karen Moorcroft Children’s Services Manager Prisons and Wakefield Cluster, Styal MBU, New Hall MBU, Forest Wood, Small Steps and Apple Tree Children’s Centres, Wakefield Targeted Youth Service.

Carla Booth Practice Team Leader

Rebecca LawlorSupport Worker (Early Years)

Action for Children Styal Mother & Baby Support Unit HMP & YOI Styal Styal Road, Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 4HR 01625 553128 www.actionforchildren.org.uk

Gillian Davies Childminding Partnership Co-ordinator Oakenclough Children’s Centre Colshaw DriveWilmslowSK9 2PZ07920781859

ELIZABETH JARMAN®

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Elizabeth Jarman is a leading education professional, specialising in creating really effective learning environments.

She is the founder and managing director of the ELIZABETH JARMAN® Group and the sole provider of The Communication Friendly Spaces™ Approach, which helps partners to re-think the way they use their environment to really set the scene for learning to take place. Using intelligence from commissioned research programmes, taking account of different learning styles and also preferred contexts, Elizabeth’s thinking is professionally challenging the way that environments for children and families are viewed.

She has a background in teaching and worked as an assistant director for the Basic Skills Agency, UK where she led national programmes on behalf of the Department for Education. In Europe, Elizabeth worked as lead UK consultant with UNESCO advising on the development of Family Learning schemes.

She is currently overseeing a project in Malta on home and family environments. In The US, Elizabeth is leading an action research project, working with Early Intervention Centers across Ohio. She has published many award winning titles about The Communication Friendly Spaces™ Approach.

Karen Moorcroft is the Children’s Services Manager responsible for the Action for Children Mother and Baby Unit service at Styal. Karen has a background in Early Years Education and is a qualified Early Years Professional. She has a variety of experience in community nurseries, play groups, various PVI settings and has also worked with prisoners children and families across the North West prisons for over 12 years. Karen’s current role within Action for Children also oversees delivery of a cluster of services to children and families including Wakefield Children’s Centres, Targeted Youth Services and the Mother and Baby Unit at HMP New Hall. Karen’s values are grounded in respect for the uniqueness of every person and family and she strives to create a culture of mutual respect and collaboration for staff and service users.

Carla Booth is the Practice Team Leader at HMP Styal Mother and Baby Unit. Carla has a background in Early Years Education and has worked in Primary Schools, Nurseries, Preschools and Children’s Centres prior to joining Action for Children in 2011, as a Family Support Worker. In her current role Carla is responsible for and oversees the day to day management, staffing, organisation and smooth running of the Mother and Baby Unit. She supports the team in providing a calm, safe and supportive environment, conducive to the best interests and welfare of the babies and their mothers, delivering child centred, responsive support. Carla and her team, work tirelessly to ensure that the children are well cared for, healthy and happy; even in this challenging situation. They are committed to offering sensitive support, empowering young children, promoting their right to be strong, resilient and listened to with each child’s needs as the central focus

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ELIZABETH JARMAN®

CONTACT US

ELIZABETH JARMAN® Training LtdRamsden Barn, Standard LaneBethersden Kent TN26 3JR UK

www.elizabethjarmantraining.co.uk info@elizabethjarmantraining.co.uk

Telephone - +44 (0)1233 822193

Twitter - ElizabethJarmanFacebook - Elizabeth Jarman For Familes

STYAL-FULL-02.2014©2014 ELIZABETH JARMAN®