Blog: From words to action
In this blog from PRT Associate Sarah Beresford examines how young people are helping probation staff have a ‘Think Child’ approach.
Back in June 2023, as part of the HMPPS annual Think Child campaign, I spoke to a Time-Matters UK support group about children’s and young people’s experiences of probation. Of the group of nine, none had ever met their parent’s probation practitioner, most did not know their parent even had one, and all of them, when asked to describe a probation worker, said they pictured someone ‘scary.’
A couple of weeks later, that conversation was played as a podcast during one of the HMPPS Think Child events, which aim to remind probation and prison staff why having a ‘Think Child’ approach is so important. After the podcast, I interviewed Aaron, then 16, about his experience of probation. Those listening described Aaron as, “insightful, mature, an inspiration and so honest.” The heart of his message? “Just think about us.” And then almost as an aside, “Maybe you need a leaflet or something to remind you to think about the kids.”
Aaron’s throw away comment was the inspiration for two recently published booklets: My Family has a Probation Worker. What does this mean? and Think Child! How probation workers can make a difference to the children of the people they support. Funded by the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership, Time-Matters UK children and young people developed the leaflets: one for children, explaining what probation is all about and the other for probation practitioners to encourage a ‘Think Child’ approach.
The children’s booklet takes questions children often have (Why does my family member have a probation worker? What happens in probation meetings? What if my family member doesn’t go to their probation meeting?) and offers child-friendly explanations. In their booklet, probation staff are reminded that having a ‘Think Child’ approach does not have to be complicated: Smile, be positive, friendly and gentle. Probation practitioners are reminded that, although they do not work directly with children, the decisions they make can have a significant impact on children. They are encouraged to ask about children and, if children are present on a home visit, to speak to them in the way that they would with any child: “Who’s your favourite superhero?”
TJ Abrahams, HMPPS Think Child Campaign Project Lead, is delighted with the booklets:
“Knowing that they can be perceived as scary by children reminds probation practitioners why that human element is so important. Looking out for children is everyone’s responsibility, and it is so helpful to have a practical, easy-to-read guide to help probation staff have a ‘Think Child’ approach.”
For Dr Lorna Brookes, founder of Time-Matters UK and Reader in Parental Imprisonment at Liverpool John Moores University, projects like this have an important impact on children:
“When you actually listen to children and then do something about it, it says to those children, ‘You matter.’ And that is life changing.”
This initiative is at the heart of the work I am leading on Child Impact Assessments: listening to how children are feeling, asking them what would help and, crucially, acting on what they say. Child Impact Assessments may not often be used directly by probation staff (though they can be, and there is evidence of them being used to inform pre-release planning), but all probation practitioners can tell parents who are under supervision about support for their children and signpost them to organisations like Time-Matters UK and PRT’s Child Impact Assessment resources. Furthermore, they can consider the impact of their decisions on children (for example, how certain licence conditions may mean a parent can watch their child’s weekly football games). Sometimes these conditions may be able to be tweaked; even if this is not possible, explaining why certain restrictions are in place, and communicating empathy about the impact this may have on children, can build trust between family members and probation staff.
Turning words into action takes time (it is almost two years since Aaron’s Think Child interview), commitment and collaboration. But it is a journey worth embarking on when the result is something that transforms the practice of adults and empowers children and young people to be changemakers. As for Aaron, his reaction to his suggestion becoming a reality says it all: “That’s heavy*, that is.” It is. And we need more of it.
Sarah Beresford
PRT Associate
* Used in this context to mean ‘really good’.
