Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department issues to schools on identifying and supporting children whose parents are in custody; whether there is any additional guidance when no formal notification is received from other agencies.

The government has a key mission to break down the barriers to opportunity for every child, which is why we are committed to identifying children affected by parental imprisonment and ensuring they get the community support they need to thrive.

This government recognises the impact that a parent going to prison could have on a child’s learning, behaviour, mental health and wellbeing. We also recognise that support should be based on children's individual needs, which may change over time.

The department sets out in the ‘Keeping children safe in education’ statutory guidance for schools and colleges that staff should consider the additional needs of children with a family member or parent in prison. The guidance highlights the risk of poor outcomes including poverty, stigma, isolation and poor mental health.

Parental imprisonment is a sensitive issue, and officials from both the Department for Education and the Ministry of Justice are working with a wide range of stakeholders, including people with lived experience, to ensure that any future guidance issued sets out a child-centred, trauma-informed and age-appropriate approach. Exact details of how this will work in practice will be confirmed in due course.