Family Link Work Service
In some prisons, Pact operates a Family Link Work service. Caseworkers attached to the healthcare team work alongside healthcare colleagues and other local partners to identify cases in which patients would benefit from greater family involvement.
They aim to build bridges between the patients, their families and carers, and the prison/healthcare team, with a view to improving health outcomes.
Contact Pact on listentofamilies@prisonadvice.org.uk if you would like to discuss Family Link Work.
The Pact team went well beyond to help him... I was worried about him, and the Pact team offered to check on him. He felt listened to, and he knew that he could ask them for help in future …. As parents, we were grateful for the people at Pact who helped him.
Family Member from HMP Huntercombe
Review the routes for families to share concerns
One of the most important priorities for families is to have a route to share both routine and urgent health concerns with the healthcare team.
This would normally be done via the prison's Safer Custody phoneline or Safer Custody portal. Pact's Engaging Families and Significant Others in Prisoner Safety and Wellbeing Toolkit has guidance for prisons about how to ensure that families are able to share serious concerns effectively through this route
However, there is a clear role for healthcare teams to work closely with colleagues in Safer Custody. How can you make sure you have a very clear line of communication with Safer Custody colleagues, to make sure that health concerns reach the right person in healthcare quickly and effectively?
In London, PPG run the Call Phill helpline which enables families to submit routine health information or concerns directly to the healthcare team.
Proactive outreach to establish family involvement
What regular processes can you put in place to identify patients on your caseload who might benefit from family involvement, and reach out to them to discuss?
You could work with peer workers to promote the benefits of family involvement, but remember that peer workers should not have access to anyone’s personal health information and so cannot support targeted outreach;
As a reminder, evidence suggests that family involvement will have the greatest benefit for people who are neurodivergent, have mental health needs, have a long-term condition or serious illness, are pregnant or have recently given birth are self-isolating or vulnerable, or are receiving end-of-life care.
Use virtual communication tools to involve family in meetings and consultations
Technology in prisons can be limited. However, there may be quick and easy ways to involve family members on video calls.
For example, HMP Aylesbury has put in place a process with the Offender Management Unit and Safer Custody for holding video calls with family members. You may be able to utilise existing processes and vetting arrangements used for social video calls.
You could use a multi-disciplinary meeting – for example Safety Intervention Meetings – to make sure everyone is aware of the new process.
You could also consider writing up a short informative document for families to read in advance which lets them know what to expect and sets out any important ground rules.