Tracy and Julie: a journey of reconnection

When we first met Tracy

When we first met Tracy, she was struggling to maintain a relationship with her daughter, Julie, who was in prison. During this time, Tracy also became the main caregiver for her three grandchildren, who also needed support while their mum was in prison.

We’ve got a specialist team of people who give support and guidance to everybody in the family, if they need it. That could be parents, children or grandparents and in this case, both Tracy and her grandchildren.

We were able to offer one-to-one sessions with a trained member of the team to process their emotions, in their own time and way, without judgement. Our team knows each family is unique, so we prioritise getting to know them and creating a safe space, with fun activities and games.

Peer support

We invited Tracy to come along to our peer support groups where she could meet other families and grandparents using the service. Our peer support groups are led by people who have been through the service themselves and want to help others who might be in a similar situation to one they’ve experienced. They’re a safe, relaxed space where people can talk about their experience, share support and offer advice.

Our teammates are also there to offer emotional and practical support. They can also advise about getting support from other PSS services, like our PSS Wellbeing Centres for wellbeing support, support as a parent in our Parent-Baby Service  or signpost to external services.

A safe space

We invited Tracy to attend our Nurturing Programme, a 10-week parenting course that supports parents and caregivers during challenging times. After the course, Tracy told us: ‘Thank you so much, your support has meant the world to me. I appreciate you so much - you heard me when no one else did. Honestly, I am so grateful.’

As a parent or caregiver, it can be difficult to be honest about struggles or find a safe space to share without feeling judged. Through attending the programme, Tracy was able to learn new strategies and gain support from the team and the other parents. By the end of the course, she felt she had improved home life for herself and her grandchildren.

Connecting families

We also supported Tracy and Julie to rebuild their relationship by facilitating contact while Julie was in prison. We initially started with letterbox contact, which meant that Julie and Tracy were able to write to each other. Once Tracy felt comfortable, we supported her to visit Julie in prison.

Tracy said: ‘I can’t thank you enough, without your support for Julie and me, I don’t know when we would have seen each other again. The visits are so important to us all and they drive Julie to want to make better choices for her children.’

When it came to supporting her grandchildren, we offered one-to-one support as well as the opportunity to get involved with meetups, days out and opportunities to simply be themselves around other children in a similar situation. Our main goal is to make sure that the children using our service don’t feel alone in what they’re experiencing. We also give therapeutic support when needed and create opportunities for fun as much as we can. Tracy and her grandchildren joined us on trips to the fair and to the festive panto. Tracy said: ‘The kids have had a great time, we all have. I sometimes find it challenging taking them all out by myself because they are so energetic and want to do different things, but I feel reassured knowing you’re all there and really care.’

Rebuilding relationships

Sometimes the impact of a parent or caregiver being in prison can affect the mental health and wellbeing of the whole family. In this case, Julie’s teenage son, Nicholas, no longer wanted to attend school or complete his final exams. To support Nicholas we gave him a dedicated key worker and worked closely with him, the school’s mental health team and Tracy, his grandmother. This wraparound support meant that Nicholas was then able to return to school, complete his exams and rebuild his relationship with his mum whilst she was in prison. Tracy told us: ‘He went from seeing no future for himself to achieving brilliant grades. It’s been life-changing’.

Working with each family member as an individual meant we were able to give support that was right for each person. Seeing a family come together and rebuild their relationship is what this service is all about.

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