Inmates at HMP Winchester support Spurgeons’ work

For our team working at HMP Winchester, connecting to the fathers in custody who could potentially be helped can prove difficult at times. 

This is where Dads' Reps come in. These prisoner volunteers prove vital to the work that Spurgeons carries out with men and their families. 

Connecting families with Spurgeons

'A lot of the men will see someone in a uniform and straight away it can put a barrier between us and them,' explains Vicky Baird, Prison Family Services Manager. 'A Dads' Rep is visibly for dads and they very accessible. They understand what is going on for the men. They can empathise with how it feels for a dad to be away from their family. They really offer the opportunity to engage with the men on their level of understanding, which is really powerful.'

The Reps volunteer their time to represent Spurgeons on the wings and have access to correspondence materials, information leaflets and also offer moral support. They can refer men on to the Spurgeons team for further support. 

The families of prisoners benefit greatly from Spurgeons working the father in prison, helping to facilitate contact, visits and resettlement in our Behind the Wall Beyond the Gate scheme. 

Focusing on their role and responsibilities as a father

The team provide self-study packs for dads, which help the men focus on their role and responsibilities as a parent and what their children need from them as they grow and develop. 

These self-study packs help the men to really focus on their role as a father and what their children and families need from them during custody and beyond. They can also serve as evidence for loved ones and professionals to show the men's motivations and intentions following release. 

The benefit of inmate's experience

'We invite people to apply to be a rep, depending on how they present themselves and how much of a good role model they are to others, says Vicky. 'They are an extension of our team. They give information out on the wings and also use referral slips to refer men onto us for more intensive support. We have a rep on most wings, as well as in the visits hall and can tell people who are visiting about our service.'

The men provide feedback to the team about changes that might be helpful, such as offering leaflets in the visits hall.

'The users voice is always valued and important in shaping the services we offer and assessing their value to ensure the interventions we are providing are meeting the needs of those we support,' says Vicky. 

Learn more about our work with families affected by imprisonment