Children and young people in Perth and Kinross who are impacted by someone close to them having contact with the justice system are now better placed to get the help they need following a significant training project led by Perth and Kinross Council together with charity Families Outside.
The introduction of the Child Impact Assessment (CIA) toolkit, developed by the Prison Reform Trust, is aimed at enabling children and young people affected by these types of circumstances to be seen, heard and supported. It is estimated that between 20,000 and 27,000 children in Scotland are impacted by imprisonment each year
The initiative also contributes to the Council's commitment to The Promise for care-experienced children and young people, and to the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
The toolkit makes it possible for anyone working with or having contact with children and young people to discuss with the child how they are affected by having a parent or family member going through the justice system and help identify the types of support that would be best for them.
Over 400 members of staff from the Council and partner agencies (NHS Tayside, Police Scotland, Scottish Prison Service and Live Active Leisure) took part in CIA training between May and November 2024.
At a special event held on World Children's Day (20 November), representatives from all these organisations and the voluntary sector, Community Justice Scotland and the Scottish Government came together to hear about the progress made and the importance of children and young people's rights being upheld, with contributions from the young people's steering group set up as part of the project.
Bailie Chris Ahern, Chair of the Perth and Kinross Community Justice and Safety Partnership said: "As a Partnership we recognise the disruption that the justice system has on family life and the stigma and the life-changing impact that can come with it. The Child Impact Assessment has been designed to help children identify support needs they may have at different stages of their loved one's journey through the justice system. It can make a genuine difference to young lives by helping them be seen, heard and supported at what is a tremendously challenging time for children, young people and their families.
"Through funding from the CORRA Foundation and in partnership with Families Outside, we have been able to take forward this major training and awareness raising project. I am proud that we have been able to make it the biggest of its type running in Scotland, and moreover the UK. The aim of our work here is to give any impacted young person in Perth and Kinross the offer of access to a Child Impact Assessment and ultimately routes to support at the earliest opportunity."
Professor Nancy Loucks OBE, Chief Executive of Families Outside said: "Child Impact Assessments put children's voices at the heart of decision making within adult criminal justice processes. Families Outside is delighted to work closely with Perth and Kinross Council to embrace this approach, recognising and supporting children as more than tools in decisions made about their parents."
Sarah Beresford from the Prison Reform Trust commented: "The Perth and Kinross project is the most ambitious and comprehensive of the Child Impact Assessment projects around the UK, and it is so exciting to see what is happening there. Rooted in UNCRC principles throughout, the project has got it right by training a wide range of staff from across all sectors so that everyone knows the part they can play in making sure children get the support they need."
Karyn McCluskey, chief executive of Community Justice Scotland, said: "We know that kids whose family members go to prison suffer hugely, often silently. Family is everything to a child, and the damage wrought by the incarceration of a parent is long lasting. We can't often change what happens to a parent who ends up in the justice system, but we can change what happens to their children. We need to do everything in our power to ensure children are listened to, supported and asked what they need. The approach being developed in Perth and Kinross shows we can help kids take some power and control in a situation where they often have none. It's a great development."
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