Families Affected by Offending

The charity supports families with a loved one involved in the criminal justice system, offering a vital lifeline through:

Prisoners' Family Services: Operating in 8 prison locations across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, these services create welcoming, child-friendly environments, reduce stigma and offer emotional support to families. Contracted by the Justice Department.

Probation Family Services: Helping maintain family connections post-sentence, to support rehabilitation and emotional recovery.

Breaking Barriers: One-to-one counselling for children impacted by parental imprisonment, focusing on emotional regulation, improved confidence, and school engagement.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Recognising the critical importance of mental health, the charity delivers early intervention and therapeutic services including:

Stars: A specialist bereavement programme supporting children and young people aged 4–19 across Cambridgeshire, and recently re-introduced pre-bereavement support services.

Supporting Smiles & YOUnited: Emotional and mental health services across Norfolk and Suffolk, providing rapid, accessible support for children and families before crises escalate.

Community-Focused Family Support

Helping families thrive within their communities through:

Mpower: Supporting mothers whose children have entered care, using trauma-informed approaches to rebuild stability, self-worth, and agency.

Stronger Together: Peer-led support groups for carers of children with additional needs, fostering empowerment and social connection.

Play Out: At their Head Office on Felixstowe Road, Ormiston Families operates a highly successful nursery (Play Out) for up to 100 children. With a strong reputation for supporting children and families with SEND needs (20% of intake), this nursery is the charity’s only commercial venture. It generates £489k in revenue and a small surplus reinvested into wider services. Previously, multiple nurseries were run but consolidated to one due to location, revenue, and funding changes.

Key Highlights from the Year

Impactful Outcomes:

- 89% of families felt safer

- 84% felt emotionally healthier

- 86% felt more resilient

Operational Improvements:

- Strengthened partnerships

- Improved Head Office systems and infrastructure

- Enhanced service quality and reach

Ongoing Advocacy for:

- Better children’s mental health support

- Support for parents of children with additional needs

- Compassionate help for mothers separated from their children

- Increased investment in early intervention

Ambition

Ormiston Families aims to strengthen its long-term sustainability by becoming financially robust and self-reliant, reducing dependency on external donations from Ormiston Trust and Provide.

Alongside this, they are committed to expanding the reach of their impactful services, particularly Stars and Supporting Smiles, to more communities across Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire—ensuring more children and families can access the early support they need.