1. Anne Fox Chief Executive Officer – Clinks Deputy Chair of Review
The Farmer Review into family ties – what we’ve done and what we’ve learned
Anne Fox
Chief Executive Officer – Clinks
Deputy Chair of Review

2. Overview
The review- commission, remit, context, process and some findings
How review relates to the Practitioner's Guide

3. About the review – and a note on limitations
Commissioned by MOJ and NOMS – in White Paper
England and Wales
Prisons only - Focus on majority of prison population – i.e. adult male prisons
Led by Lord Farmer – Conservative peer – interest in families
Clinks providing Secretariat
Started in Summer reported in January 2017

4. Our focus
What support do men in prison and their families need to reduce reoffending rates?
What support can be provided to support a reduction in rates of intergenerational offending?
Therefore desistance based – recognising importance of family life
Inclusive and broad definition of family.
Interested also in supporting those without traditional family or strong family connections - Care leavers/care experienced; men without family contact due to offence nature
How can family support be a part of prison safety and reform?

5. Our process – task group
Task group at the core
POPS, Pact, Clinks, User Voice, NOMS, NPS, contracted prisons
Met regularly
Visited prisons
Guided on process, evidence to gather
Met with “witnesses” expert on topics – BAME families, safety, technology, care leavers, men who have committed sexual or domestic abuse offences, workforce

6. Our process – meeting families, men and staff
Visited prisons across the estate
Meetings held with men in prison, families, families organisations, governors and staff
Meetings also with thought leaders – HMCIs, leaders of other reviews of relevance, academics

7. Our process – call for evidence
National ad campaign on National Prison Radio with a Freephone facility – based on a feature with an interview with Lord Farmer
Surveys for men designed with men in prison
Surveys for families designed with family support organisations
Written submissions from VCS, professionals and academics

8. Responses 15 witnesses 79 submissions
465 family surveys covering 43 prisons
431 surveys from men in 39 prisons
Over 100 recorded messages from men on National Prison Radio Freephone line

9. What we learned Practice and provision vary Importance of visits
Contact is expensive
Potential for technology
Services are valued by men and families but vary
Prisons don’t always find they can make best use of the assets families are
There is real innovation and good interventions
There’s a real appetite to get things right
Families and men in prison are keen to share experiences
Bears out many of the issues the practitioner’s guide helps with!

10. Farmer Review & the practitioner’s guide - Building the practice foundations
Current provision doesn’t come from children's rights perspective and often negatively impacts on them
Information on how the system should work needs to improve
Lack of multi agency working – fragmented systems – added complexity of churn and transfer

11. Financial consequences of imprisonment
Farmer Review & the practitioner’s guide - Understanding the impact of offending on the whole family
Real need for improvements in the fact that the consequences of punishing person in prison inflicts punishment on their families – including the contact and support services and how provided
Financial consequences of imprisonment
Processes should be family proofed and staff skilled

12. Farmer Review & the practitioner’s guide - Supporting parents and carers
Parent and carer needs not assessed by statutory CJS agencies and no formal funding for VCSE to do so
Real need for linkage across prison and community services
Families talked a lot about feeling judged and not supported
Need for reimagining of the role of parents and carers – part of solution

13. Farmer Review & the practitioner’s guide - Supporting children and young people
There are some services within prisons for children but often delivered via VCSE organisations – and aimed at younger children
Processes need to improve to make the experience better and more conducive to strong relationships – IEP, forms of contact, customer service training etc.

14. For further information
Results in Spring 2017

15. Have you any questions?