Leading offender rehabilitation charity Lincolnshire Action Trust is celebrating the success of its women and family support services.

In January 2017, LAT launched a bespoke Women’s Service in partnership with Humberside, Lincolnshire & North Yorkshire Community Rehabilitation Company (HLNY CRC).

The service, designed in response to the 2007 Corston Report, delivers a holistic, women-centred, integrated approach to supporting female offenders in female only sessions.

A year on, and more than 140 women have accessed one of the eight groups meeting regularly in Boston, Grantham, Grimsby, Gainsborough, Lincoln, Skegness and Scunthorpe.

Christina Hall, Director of Operations at Lincolnshire Action Trust, said: “Initially, we thought there might be slow take-up for the sessions, but due to the high level of interest, our women’s service has had to develop quickly over the last twelve months.

“Guided by the needs of the women, we’ve delivered group employability skills, food hygiene and health and safety workshops, and sessions on domestic abuse awareness, resilience and confident building.”

One of the women LAT has been working with, who hasn’t been allowed in shops until recently, said: “The Women’s Service has helped me to do my own shopping for the first time in months. It feels like normality, thank you.”

In another first for LAT, the team has started delivering family services at IRC Morton Hall, HMP Hull and HMP Humber.

At IRC Morton Hall the team are responsible for booking in family visits and delivering welfare services to detainees.

At HMP Hull, as well as the usual case work with prisoners, staff have established play work activities with families in the visiting hall and are liaising with schools, so that children with a parent in prison are fully supported.

Meanwhile at HMP Humber, LAT are supporting families during prison visits. Relatives are offered advice on what to expect and what to bring and can raise any concerns before each visit. LAT specialist staff are also available on visit days to offer additional support where needed.

Christina added: “Our experienced team offer a range of support services, to help families deal with issues such as housing, finances and childcare.

“Having a parent in prison can result in children feeling withdrawn and guilty. Sometimes, their behaviour will deteriorate, especially around visiting time, so it’s important that schools are kept in the loop.

“Through our women and family services, we’re aiming to help people build their resilience and regain some of the control which has been lost due to a prison sentence.”

The Women’s Service recently received a donation of £1,000 worth of clothes and toiletries from Dr Ruth Tully from Tully Forensic Psychology Ltd.

Dr Tully carries out psychological assessments in prisons and the courts and recognised the need faced by some of the women accessing LAT’s Woman’s Service.

To find out more about Lincolnshire Action Trust please visit: latcharity.org.uk