Ben Raikes - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Ben Raikes

Springer eBooks, 2019

Although there is some literature in relation to grandmothers who care for their children full ti... more Although there is some literature in relation to grandmothers who care for their children full time, there is little that has been written specifically about grandmothers caring for children when the children’s parents are in prison. It was for this reason that this small pilot project was conducted to start to understand and compare the situation of grandmothers caring for children in a diverse range of countries when their parents are in prison. The aim was to begin to draw out the commonalities and differences and to understand what policymakers need to take into account when considering the needs of children and grandmothers in this situation.

Acorn House is an overnight visiting facility at Askham Grange women’s open prison near York in t... more Acorn House is an overnight visiting facility at Askham Grange women’s open prison near York in the North of England which is operated in partnership with the children’s charity Barnardo’s.

Routledge eBooks, Oct 23, 2019

Probation Journal, Jul 10, 2016

Picturing Diversity' is a multimedia-based learning resource which aims to help learners to devel... more Picturing Diversity' is a multimedia-based learning resource which aims to help learners to develop a better understanding of diversity and community issues through the use of videobased interviews, with local community members. The aim of this resource is to encourage students' to engage with some of the richness and complexity around such concepts as 'identity', 'community', 'diversity' and 'equality'.

Sustainability, Sep 15, 2014

Identities and Citizenship Education: Controversy, crisis and challenges. Selected papers from th... more Identities and Citizenship Education: Controversy, crisis and challenges. Selected papers from the fifteenth Conference of the Children's Identity and Citizenship in Europe Academic Network London: CiCe 2013 Edited by Peter Cunningham Technical Editor: Angela Kamara and published in London by CiCe, ISBN 978-1-907675-20-1 Without explicit authorisation from CiCe (the copyright holder) • only a single copy may be made by any individual or institution for the purposes of private study only • multiple copies may be made only by  members of the CiCe Thematic Network Project or CiCe Association, or  a official of the European Commission  a member of the European parliament

Parental Imprisonment and Children’s Rights, 2021

Child Care in Practice, 2018

There is now a growing body of literature which is centred upon the negative outcomes that occur ... more There is now a growing body of literature which is centred upon the negative outcomes that occur for many families, and by extension, children who experience the imprisonment of a father. Typically families suffer the consequences of living with stigma and financial difficulties, while children are often affected by being provided with limited information about what has happened to their incarcerated parent. These factors can combine to increase the chances of children and family members in this position developing mental and physical health issues and other associated difficulties. Drawing on the findings from the lead author's research on the impact of Indeterminate Sentences of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPPs) upon families, the authors will argue that for families where fathers are serving IPPs the potentially negative effects of parental incarceration are considerably magnified. With no definite release date there is an absence of hope, which can quickly lead to despair for IPP prisoners and their families. Since IPPs are reserved for those offenders who are deemed to pose the most potential risk to the public in the future there is inevitably an increased level of stigma that attaches to those prisoners who are subject to them, and by extension to their families. The prisoners themselves are often provided with limited information regarding the consequences for them of being subject to an IPP, which in turn means their families also have very little understanding of the gravity of their predicament. The evidence gathered suggested a worrying picture, as the nature of the IPP sentence resulted in a severely detrimental impact upon families and children; it will be argued here even more so than Life and determinate prison sentences.

Probation Journal, 2016

This article focusses on the issues that arise when grandmothers are put in the position of carin... more This article focusses on the issues that arise when grandmothers are put in the position of caring for their grandchildren while their parents are in prison. It will present the lived experience of three grandmothers who are in this position and 16 imprisoned mothers, whose mothers were caring for their children, who participated in two focus groups at two different female prisons. It is now well established that parental imprisonment generally has a negative impact upon children. Children with imprisoned mothers often face the most disruption to their lives. Many children with mothers in prison are cared for by their grandparents, with grandmothers generally doing the majority of the care. Pressures faced by grandparent carers of children with incarcerated parents occur as a result of stigma, loss, isolation, poor health and a lack of practical, emotional and financial support. If grandparents were not willing to provide this care, many more children with parents in prison would fa...

Social Work Education, 2016

Abstract This paper considers the provision of an inter-disciplinary workshop day held for Social... more Abstract This paper considers the provision of an inter-disciplinary workshop day held for Social Work, Police and Nursing students at a UK university. The focus of the day was to give the students an insight into the reality of being a mother in prison, and the impact that having a mother in prison has upon children. A key feature of the day was the involvement of a group of imprisoned mothers from an open prison, who shared their experiences and engaged with students in small groups. The workshop allowed the stereotypes that the prisoners and student professionals held in relation to one another to be challenged. The planning, aims, process and outcomes of the day are considered along with feedback from those taking part. Students reported increased awareness of the stigma faced by this often overlooked vulnerable group of service users, an increased recognition of the needs of children with mothers in prison and an appreciation of the power of interdisciplinary working to deliver a good service. The imprisoned mothers welcomed the chance to educate the students about the issues faced by themselves and their children, and they found the experience of participating to be positive and empowering.

Social Work, 1975

When children’s parents go to prison, the impact on the child can be devastating. How do other Eu... more When children’s parents go to prison, the impact on the child can be devastating. How do other European countries manage this challenge? Ben Raikes reports on the COPING research project which investigated responses from four European countries.