HMP Whatton Families and Significant Others Strategy

Our commitment to you

You can find visiting information and book a visit on the Whatton Prison main page.

We understand that families and significant others play an important role in supporting a safe, stable, and rehabilitative prison environment.

Evidence shows that prisoners who maintain positive family relationships during their sentence are less likely to reoffend.

Strong family ties can also contribute to improved behaviour, enhanced wellbeing, and better overall order within the establishment.

In addition, maintaining meaningful and constructive relationships while in custody can help reduce anxiety, alleviate the isolation of imprisonment, and reduce frustration - all of which may contribute to a reduction in violence.

Strengthening these relationships also supports prisoners in developing greater accountability for their behaviour and offending, ultimately improving resettlement outcomes and reducing reoffending.

HMP Whatton adopts a whole-prison approach to a rehabilitative culture, underpinned by a commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion.

We will:

• support prisoners and their families in maintaining positive and healthy relationships
• provide advice and guidance to prisoners and families, maintaining a strong family-focused approach
• encourage engagement in repairing and strengthening relationships, through Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT) casework and keyworker sessions
• reduce and where possible, remove barriers to family visits, ensuring access to quality visits within a welcoming and supportive environment
• involve families, where appropriate, in sentence planning, resettlement processes, and during times of crisis
• continuously develop and maintain links with local authorities and partner agencies to support families and children
• facilitate regular social visits and family days to strengthen family connections

Support and services offered

Partnership Working and Visits Provision

Our primary partner for families and significant others (FaSO) is the Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT), who provide family support services within the establishment.

The Visitors’ Centre at HMP Whatton is managed by Prison Service staff. It is designed to provide a welcoming and supportive environment for all visitors.

Visitors Centre process

On arrival at the Visitors’ Centre, all visitors will be required to present valid photographic identification for security checks.

After going through the main gate, visitors must follow the biometric identification process.

This system uses fingerprint recognition to confirm your identity.

We keep your fingerprints and photograph securely on the prison system for as long as you’re on the list of people approved to visit this prisoner.

Visitors must continue to bring valid identification for each visit in case of technical issues with the biometric system.

For further details, including:

• booking a visit
• visiting times
• alternative ways to maintain contact

Please refer to the Whatton GOV.UK page.

Children’s play facilities

The Visitors’ Centre provides books and games to support young children during visits.

Additional board games are available within the visits hall to encourage positive family interaction.

Family engagement work

PACT work within HMP Whatton to support prisoners and their families.

A full-time Family Engagement Manager is in post, supporting prisoners to maintain meaningful family contact during custody.

This support includes:

• maintaining regular family engagement
• rebuilding relationships where they have broken down
• supporting prisoners who do not receive visits

PACT staff are available during some visits, or can be contacted via their website.

Foreign national phone credit

Foreign national prisoners are entitled to a free, 5-minute international telephone call per month, where they have not received a social visit during that period.

Family support

PACT delivers a range of interventions in support of the Families and Significant Others Strategy, including:

• one-to-one support
• family forums and group work
• outreach and engagement activity

PACT works closely with the Offender Management Unit (OMU) and other departments to ensure all family-related activity complies with safeguarding requirements.

Family days

We hold 6 family days per year. These are enhanced visits designed to provide a more relaxed and engaging environment for prisoners and their families.

• Three family days are focused on adults, and three on children.
• All sessions are run together with PACT.
• Typically held every two months, (last Wednesday of the relevant month), from 10am to 3pm.
• Activities include crafts, themed events (for example, Easter, Christmas), and structured play.
• Lunch is provided by the prison.

Some family days may take place in alternative settings, such as the gym, to support physical activities and engagement.

Care leavers

HMP Whatton recognises the specific needs of care-experienced individuals. Staff members within the Offender Management Unit are designated points of contact for this group.

Staff are trained and experienced in supporting individuals with care backgrounds.

Ongoing support is offered to prisoners with care experience, recognising the additional challenges this group may face.

Library

The prison library supports family engagement through the following initiatives:

• Storybook Scheme: available to all prisoners with young family members (including children, siblings, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren). The use of recordings is subject to risk assessment.
• Family visit support: books and games during family visits to encourage interaction

Veterans

HMP Whatton has a significant veterans’ population.

The establishment is supported by Care After Combat, who attend monthly veterans’ meetings to provide support both during custody, in preparation for release and once back in the community.

Safeguarding measures

At HMP Whatton we have a safeguarding policy that ensures safeguarding measures are in place for people in our care, vulnerable adults and children.

All adults in need of safeguarding have the right to live their lives free from abuse of any description.

All agencies and individuals that have contact with adults in need of safeguarding have a duty to protect them from abuse.

Where abuse is reported to or suspected by any person the response will be prompt and in line with prison service policies.

The prison works as part of a multi-agency team to meet the needs of prisoners in ensuring that they remain safe.

See the main HMP Whatton page for contact details if you have a safeguarding concern.

For further reference to safeguarding measures, please see the HMPPS Child Safeguarding Policy Framework

What we have achieved

• The visitor’s survey has been completed, and feedback has been welcomed.
• A prisoner visit forum with families has been held in April 2026.

• We continue to help support prisoners and their families in maintaining their family ties as our family visits continue to be extremely popular; and we are aiming to enhance this experience for those attending moving forward.

• We are committed to meeting the targets set. We want to involve friends, families and significant others in as much as we can to support your loved ones through their journey with us.

You said, we did

Your feedback is important for us to make sure we provide the best visits experience; here’s how we use your feedback to keep improving:

• ‘We would like a Sports day Family event’ - in September 2025 Pact worked closely with the prison to facilitate a sports day event in the gym. This was highly requested by prisoners and visitors and was a huge success. We aim to hold another in 2026.
• ‘We need more notice to book annual leave’ - we now advertise the events 2 months before via Notice to Prisoners and have a closing date that is 4 weeks before the event. This ensures that checks are complete and applications are passed over to the correspondence department to contact families with 3 to 4 weeks’ notice.
• ‘Provide decaffeinated options’ - PACT have purchased decaf coffee, teas bags and herbal/fruit teas for families to use during family days.
• ‘Gluten free options were limited’ - we have liaised with the kitchen staff to ensure that the gluten free options are fresh. Also, any allergies highlighted on the application forms are sent to the kitchen staff to ensure that there are plenty of options.

How we measure our success

• Prisoner family needs questionnaire
• Prisoner Consultative committee
• Reducing reoffending meetings
• HMIP
• Prisoner MQPL
• Rehabilitative culture meetings
• Visitors Advisory board

Staffing structure

Governing Governor
Head of reducing reoffending
Head of Chaplaincy
Family and Significant Others Lead
Family Engagement Manager