POPS was established in 1988 by family members experiencing the stigma and distress of supporting a relative through a custodial sentence. Since that time our remit has broadened as we have identified and responded to the needs of families. Today we provide support services at all stages of the criminal justice system, from the arrest of a loved one through to the first steps towards resettlement.
This is POPS ‘continuum of care’, a model in which support for offenders’ families is consistent, committed and continuous. We continue to be guided by need, involving users at every stage to direct service development and delivery. Families themselves are our greatest resource in assisting other families in need and we are active in encouraging those who have experienced the system to get involved.
POPS manages ten prison Visitor Centres across the North-West and Yorkshire and Humberside providing a friendly environment for families before and after a prison visit.
POPS’ Relationship Link Workers can provide advice and support on a range of issues, including:
Maintaining family contact
Providing families with advice on prison visits
Preparing for release
General advice advocacy & support
Liaison with a partner, statutory services and HMP
Transitional support on transfers
For appointments or enquiries please contact:
HMP Hindley
Danielle 01942 663 187
The aim of POPS’ ‘Think Family’ model is to partner with individual prisons to develop a strategy to address the needs of families from first reception into custody, through to resettlement and beyond. This is achieved by bringing together senior managers from across all prison departments and working with them to ensure that the prison provides the highest standards of service for families.
POPS’ Family Resettlement Worker provides practical and emotional support for the families of 18-25-year-olds who are being released from prison back to the Merseyside area. The return of a loved one into the community or family home can be much anticipated, but may also present some challenges. POPS’ team of Community Family Support Workers work with the prisoner’s family providing support, advice and guidance around:
We also help families understand and engage with the work being undertaken with their family members.
Funded by the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership, the project accepts referrals from case managers. As an offender manager, you can refer 18-25-year-old men/ women to the project using the POPS referral form. We then reach out to the prisoner & seek consent to contact their family. We arrange an initial meeting with the nominated family member (face-to-face or by phone depending on local restrictions). Together with the family, we complete an Outcome Star assessment, which assists us in understanding what their needs and priorities are and enables us to establish an action plan.
For more information contact Elizabeth on 07471 037 215.
POPS provide a range of workshops designed to raise awareness about the issues that face families, explore the impact of parental offending, promote effective inter-agency working and improve service delivery.
Phone: 0161 702 1000 Email: mail@partnersofprisoners.co.uk.
Visit the Partners of Prisoners website
