Services for Family Members
These services are about supporting people who have a family member who has been or is currently in the justice system.
Your family member does not need to have been convicted or sent to prison. You are an important part of their life regardless of what has happened or where they are within the system or process and you need support too.
Examples of the sorts of services families may need:
- 1-1 counselling or befriending services
- Support to help children or dependents understand
- Understanding where your loved one can get help
- Practical information about how to support and see their loved one
- Support to manage financially
Next Chapter Scotland
Next Chapter Scotland is here for anyone in Scotland who’s affected by the criminal justice system — whether that’s through a conviction, an ongoing investigation, or the impact on a loved one. We offer non-judgemental, rights-based support to help people navigate the stigma, isolation and barriers that too often come with justice involvement. Advice is provided via our helpline (including email and text/WhatsApp), our information website and our mutual support Facebook group. We support people with their own convictions or with a family member with a conviction, and we work with people related to all offence categories without exception.
Families Outside
Families Outside are Scotland’s national charity supporting children and families affected by imprisonment. We can offer practical, emotional and social support to children and adults through 121 and group work across Scotland. This support is open to anyone with a person in their life who is involved with the criminal justice system.
Barnardos
Barnardo’s HEAD2WORK through CashBack will deliver an integrated personal development, health and employability focussed project, meeting the aim of diverting young people from anti-social/criminal behaviour.
Our tailored activities/interventions have been co-designed with YP to address these barriers through intensive 1:1 support and an interactive 8-week programme for YP aged 14 – 21
HEAD2WORK will focus on three key areas of support:
- Health and Wellbeing – YP will participate in a range of activities that will promote their wellbeing.
- Money Management – We will explore budgeting, pay, and other areas of money management.
- Personal/Skills Development – Activities will build the soft/core/vocational skills of participants and will include work placements/volunteering opportunities; CV/interview techniques.
RASASH (Rape & Sexual Abuse Service Highland)
RASASH provides free, confidential support and information to anyone affected by sexual violence in Highland (age 13+). This includes survivors of sexual violence and their non-abusing partners, friends, and families. We support all genders – women, men, non-binary, and trans. We also develop and deliver training and workshops to schools, youth groups, and professionals on a range of topics related to sexual violence and gender equality. This, alongside our youth-led campaigning, is part of our work to change societal attitudes which contribute to sexual violence and the shaming of survivors.
Phone: 03330 066909
Text: 07451 288080
Our support line is open:
Monday 9.30am – 1pm
Tuesday 1pm – 4.30pm
Wednesday 9.30pm – 1pm
Thursday 1pm – 4.30pm
Friday 9.30am – 1pm
Apex Scotland
Apex Scotland helps people with experience of the justice system to move towards a new life through support, training and hope. Since we started, thousands of people have benefited from our caring, individual and hopeful approach. By treating everyone as an individual, we create a feeling of dignity, understanding, mutual respect and most importantly, hope for the future. We provide various services across the country to people of all ages and backgrounds. Every journey is one we’re proud to take together.
ACI Recovery Services
We offer free, one-to-one, specialist addictions counselling, group recovery therapies, and recovery coaching. Additionally, we provide CRAFT training for family members affected by addiction, risk-taking workshops, and mindfulness programs. Our services are rooted in person-centred counselling and humanistic psychotherapy models. All services are available to individuals and families dealing with addiction issues. Eligibility criteria include residing in Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey or Easter Ross areas and a commitment to actively engage in the recovery process.
We also provide counselling online into HMP Inverness for people on remand, as well as support their recovery cafes.
New Start Highland
New Start Highland supports people from all walks of life to realise their potential. We offer supported placements in a range of activities which contribute to delivery of some of our services including:
Administration
Bike repair
Gardening
Retail – preparing and sorting goods, keeping the retail outlets well presented and dealing with customers.
Upcycling – painting, repairing and re-upholstering furniture
Warehousing – loading and unloading vans, cleaning and sorting donated household goods.
As an accredited SQA Centre, people can gain qualifications. We teach life skills including cooking, budgeting and IT and we offer training in Health and Safety and First Aid.
Citizens Advice Bureau
Citizens Advice Bureaux are local, independent charities that provide free and confidential advice and information whoever you are and whatever your problem. Find your local Bureau using the link below
Civil Legal Assistance Office Highlands & Islands
The Civil Legal Assistance Office can help you with civil law problems in our core areas of work – Housing/Homelessness, certain Money/debt/welfare issues, Child Protection/Children’s Hearings, certain Family law, Mental Health/AWI and Vulnerable Adult Protection. We can represent you with expert civil legal advice if you are eligible for legal aid and resident in the Highland and Islands. We also operate a referral service to other providers of legal assistance when we cannot assist, and offer second tier support and training to advice organisations.
Inverness Women’s Aid
Since 1979, we support women, young people and children in Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey who are or have experienced domestic abuse. We provide refuge accommodation when this is required or support in finding suitable accommodation. Our Women’s Support Workers can assist in a number of areas such as applying for benefits or money matters, we provide advocacy and support at meetings with agencies such as Police, Social Work and GP appointments, we provide emotional support and we can help you obtain legal advice. This list is varied as we tailor our support for the individual we are working with. We also have a small team of Family Support Workers who can provide support to mothers with their children, and young adults. This can be anything from parenting support, work one to one with children and can also attending meetings with schools, social work or such like.
Citizens Advice Scotland Gambling Support Service
The Gambling Support Service exists to raise awareness and reduce the effects of gambling harms in local communities across Scotland. Gambling harms are usually seen to affect between 6% and 8.5% of the gambling population. People affected by another person’s harmful gambling are normally seen as at least 4 times the number of problem gamblers.
We provide two services:
Awareness training for frontline workers to support their clients by recognising gambling harms and offering appropriate sources of help;
A 1-2-1 local service, referring clients to appropriate sources of help to address gambling and other associated issues (available from all Highland CABs).
Lochaber Hope
Lochaber Hope is a person-centred organisation primarily offering counselling, mentoring, employability services and volunteering opportunities to all persons, regardless of backgrounds or needs within the Lochaber area. Based in Fort William, Lochaber Hope also supports The Workshop Studios and the Fort William Community Hub (New Connections) to help encourage and foster relationships within the Lochaber community. Lochaber Hope would like to extend warmth and understanding to all persons and their families who have been involved with the justice system.
Cafe 1668
Cafe 1668 , based at 86 Church Street in Inverness, provides a space where customers can receive a free meal each Monday, Wednesday or Friday lunchtime, this also includes tea and coffee. In addition the cafe has a food larder from which anyone is able to take any supplies they might require. Staff at the cafe are welcoming and discreet and can provide food and toiletry packages (where stocks permit) to anyone who might find themselves in particular need. The cafe is also a space where there is no judgement and no questions, and a range of information resources which you might find helpful.