'Hear Me See Me' - Parental Imprisonment Lived Experience Conference

Hear Me See Me: Children with a Parent in Pr*son Day – Led by lived experience. Built for change.

The 'Hear Me See Me' conference will be the national focal point of Children with a Parent in Pr*son Day 2025. It is designed to create a space where children, young people, and adults with lived experience can take the lead in telling their stories, shaping public understanding, and driving change.

This day is not just symbolic — it is strategic. It will confront the silence and misunderstanding that so often surrounds parental imprisonment, giving those most affected the platform and recognition they deserve. By creating a national moment, the conference aims to unify voices across sectors and generations to catalyse awareness, compassion, and reform.

The event aims to:

• Amplify lived experience to challenge stigma and injustice
• Equip professionals with greater understanding and empathy
• Inspire systemic change through creative storytelling and direct testimony
• Celebrate the strength, resilience, and diversity of children and families affected
• This will be a day of visibility, action, and connection — a powerful statement that these children are not forgotten.

Speakers on the day will include: Josh MacAlister (Children's Minister), Lord Mott, Kerry McCarthy MP, and others to be confirmed.

The day will include panel discussions and workshops facilitated by people with lived experience of parental imprisonment. Attendees will be able to attend a choice of two specific parental imprisonment workshops. The choices are:

1. 'Beyond the Silence' - Amplifying the Voices of Children Affected by Parental Imprisonment: Helping schools to hear, see, and understand hidden experiences

2. 'Beyond the Sentence' - Building Resilience in Children of Parents Convicted of Sexual Offences: Supporting hope, reducing stigma, and promoting recovery

3. 'Beyond the Hurt' - Raising Awareness of Children’s Experiences of Domestic Abuse: Shining a light on hidden harms, amplifying children’s voices.

4. 'Beyond the Barriers' - Legal Support for Families Affected by Parental Imprisonment: Strengthening access to justice, stability, and children’s rights

5. 'Learning to be Free' - In this participatory workshop, author Andy West (The Life Inside - soon to be a BBC Drama) will talk about the challenges that came through his own experience of family imprisonment and his own journey to try and be free of them. He will invite us to imagine how we would want to change the world to help children experiencing those same challenges today.

6. 'Beyond the Numbers' - Using Existing Data to Recognise and Support Children Affected by Parental Imprisonment: Exploring statutory data in potential solutions to the issue of parental imprisonment.

*The timetable of events for the day is subject to change.*

We welcome attendees from various sectors including: education, criminal justice, prisons, probation, police, social work, academia, and anyone who shares an interest in understanding more about the impacts of parental imprisonment.

A light lunch will be provided at the venue.

*Please note: Ticket orders are limited to one per person, to allow attendees to each select their preferred workshops. If you would like to purchase multiple tickets, please order separately.

Info: 1. 'Beyond the Silence' - Amplifying the Voices of Children Affected by Parental Imprisonment: Helping schools to hear, see, and understand hidden experiences
2. 'Beyond the Sentence' - Building Resilience in Children of Parents Convicted of Sexual Offences: Supporting hope, reducing stigma, and promoting recovery
3. 'Beyond the Hurt' - Raising Awareness of Children’s Experiences of Domestic Abuse: Shining a light on hidden harms, amplifying children’s voices.
4. 'Beyond the Barriers' - Legal Support for Families Affected by Parental Imprisonment: Strengthening access to justice, stability, and children’s rights
5. 'Learning to be Free' - In this participatory workshop, author Andy West will talk about the challenges that came through his own experience of family imprisonment and his own journey to try and be free of them. He will invite us to imagine how we would want to change the world to help children experiencing those same challenges today.

Info: Marina Litvinenko, wife of Alexander Litvinenko and author of 'Death of a Dissident', demonstrates how themes and experiences caring for children with a parent in Pr*son can be universal.

Info: This film focuses on the impact on children when one parent is imprisoned for killing another, raising awareness of the importance of support for children impacted by domestic homicide.

Info: 2. 'Beyond the Sentence' - Building Resilience in Children of Parents Convicted of Sexual Offences: Supporting hope, reducing stigma, and promoting recovery
3. 'Beyond the Hurt' - Raising Awareness of Children’s Experiences of Domestic Abuse: Shining a light on hidden harms, amplifying children’s voices.
4. 'Beyond the Barriers' - Legal Support for Families Affected by Parental Imprisonment: Strengthening access to justice, stability, and children’s rights
5. 'Learning to be Free' - In this participatory workshop, author Andy West will talk about the challenges that came through his own experience of family imprisonment and his own journey to try and be free of them. He will invite us to imagine how we would want to change the world to help children experiencing those same challenges today. 6. 'Beyond the Numbers' - Using Existing Data to Recognise and Support Children Affected by Parental Imprisonment: Exploring statutory data in solutions to the issue of parental imprisonment

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