Learning Together Club, Parc Prison

The Learning Together Club is an innovative project that gives fathers a chance to spend quality time with their children and maintain relationships that develop the family unit. Although originally designed for fathers with children aged 2 - 15, this has now been expanded to include younger children. All children attend a visit with their fathers without their mothers/carers on one evening per month, enabling children and fathers to interact. The children bring in work from school to show their fathers and work together. Parc provides educational resources for all curriculum and key stages for  children who forget to bring anything. The librarian also attends and operates a book lending service. Creche workers support the fathers with younger children and encourage learning through play. Originally LTC was aimed at fathers and their children, but that developed to include the wider family unit including grandchildren and younger siblings.

Success stories include a father and teenage son who didn't communicate at all. The father knew nothing about what his son's year 10 options, encouraged him through his exams and the son achieved unexpected GCSEs. Other fathers have experienced supporting their children for the first time. Previously they had taken no part in schoolwork or even reading to their children when they were at home. There have also been several cases where children afraid to come to the prison on normal visits have 'broken the ice' by attending the LTC, which is a more relaxed and informal setting, they have then continued to visit through domestic visits.

In 2010, the work of the LTC was highlighted in  a groundbreaking documentary at Parc. 'My Dad in Prison', narrated by Matt Lucas was made for CBBC as part of the series My Life which focused on real-life experiences of young people. It followed one of the children that attended the LTC and gave an insight into the work and success of the LTC and the children and families left at home. It was a moving documentary that gave on honest picture of how a parent being in prison affects the family, especially the children, highlighting the importance of family ties to the reduction of reoffending and the importance of supporting the whole family. Both prisoners and employees were moved to tears by watching the powerful story. Parc was chosen for the documentary because it is one of the few prisons in the country to offer a comprehensive range of family focused initiatives.

The LTC has developed over the last couple of years as a result of the passion, determination and commitment of the staff and volunteers involved who firmly believe in what they do. The LTC has further developed in response to the needs of the families, and in June of this year, children under the age of two also attended. Although everyone attending the LTC attends a short course to learn about key stages, the national curriculum, how children learn and the importance of supporting learning, this has also developed in response to changes in the school curriculum. In future groups, the following topics will also be included:

• Appreciated the importance of family learning and its contribution to raising the achievement of their child
• Know about ways in which members of different generations can support each others learning
• Know a variety of ways in which family members/carers can help their child with literacy and numeracy skills
• Know the different roles and responsibilities of family members/carers and teachers in supporting children's learning
• Recognise that being learners themselves can make a difference to children's attitude to lifelong learning
• Appreciate the value of working together to support family learning

The LTC has been recently nominated for the Marsh Trust Award for outstanding work with children and families and for the Prison Action Net Relationships Award!!!

Susan Ellis, Parc Prison