Voices Unlocked

Voices Unlocked

🎙️Voices Unlocked Podcast Breaking Silence. Breaking Stigma Supporting youth with incarcerated parents You are more than your story✨

  1. 6d ago

    Voices Unlocked Ep. 17 | Nanny Carol Returns

    Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com We welcome back Liv’s Nanny Carol, joking about messages praising Carol’s looks and discussing skincare and sun protection. Carol reflects on the prison visit process, including waiting with other families without judgement, preparing children for sniffer dogs, and the intense travel, queues, and anxiety involved. They discuss how visits can be especially difficult for neurodivergent children and families, mention efforts to make visits more neurodiversity-friendly, and describe Olivia’s childhood asthma and the stress of having inhalers stored in lockers. Carol talks about the fear and anger during Melanie’s release and why she couldn’t visit during the third imprisonment, while Olivia shares the mental health impact and family support. They end with gratitude for Nanny Ginger, including a brief FaceTime hello. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 06:10 Visit Waiting Room 08:16 Neurodiversity Challenges 12:58 Travel Day Stress 15:07 Asthma and Security 18:52 Release Day Anxiety 19:37 Teen Years Breakdown 27:29 School Contact Secret 28:47 First Visit for Megan 29:24 Posting Parcels to Prison 32:21 Scouse Comfort Culture 34:21 Watching the Film Back 36:01 Pseudonyms and Protection 46:51 Messiness and ADHD Banter 49:06 Gratitude and Nanny Ginger 52:30 Family Stories and Goodbye

  2. Jul 6

    Voices Unlocked Ep. 16 | The Media’s Impact on Children of Incarcerated Parents

    Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com In this episode of Voices Unlocked, we discuss how media and social media coverage can affect children and families when a parent is imprisoned. Liv shares her experience of seeing a video involving her mum spread online when she was 13–14, leading to intense questions at school, worsening mental health, withdrawal from friends, truancy, and efforts to hide school communications by changing contact details.  The conversation explores how children can feel personally attacked by sensationalised court reporting that mentions parents’ status, family details, or addresses, creating fear and “collateral damage” for innocent relatives. Lauren explains her recent research on court reporting, the tension between children’s human rights and open justice, and early recommendations including training journalists for greater sensitivity and empowering families to understand terminology and complain about unethical reporting. Chapters: 00:00 Quick Disclaimer 00:34 Welcome Back 01:08 Morning Catch Up 03:59 Topic Media Begins 04:05 Mum In The Video 06:16 School Fallout 07:57 Hiding From School 10:48 Turning Point Support 12:27 Ripple Effect Reflection 13:20 Anger and Love 14:02 Media Pressure on Kids 16:01 Court Reports and Social Sharing 17:37 Families as Collateral Damage 19:59 Why Addresses Get Printed 23:02 Open Justice vs Child Rights 25:14 Empowerment and Complaints 28:32 Finding Solutions Together 30:57 Gratitude and Goodbye

  3. Jun 29

    Voices Unlocked Ep. 15 | Turning Lived Experience Into Change

    Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com In episode 15 of Voices Unlocked, the hosts welcome Abby, who shares how she found Time Matters after her mum went to prison and how she became responsible for supporting her younger sister and grandmother while coping with the shock and emotions of a parent’s sentence. Abby discusses the importance of taking things day by day, seeking support, and allowing space for anger, embarrassment, and guilt. The conversation covers contributing to the short film That Girl to raise awareness about children affected by parental imprisonment, speaking at conferences including with prison inspectorates about improving visits, and consulting on police training to make arrests more child-friendly. Abby reflects on therapy, mental health, independence, and resilience through shared experiences, and the episode ends with gratitude and encouragement to reach out for support. Chapters: 00:00 Disclaimer And Care 00:34 Meet Abby And The Crew 03:15 How Abby Found Support 05:49 Turning Pain Into Film 11:07 Watching It With Mum 16:03 Advice For Other Kids 17:29 Prison Visits Reality Check 22:32 Speaking Truth To Professionals 24:15 Ikea Life Metaphor 24:41 What Kids Need 25:33 Working In Support 26:49 Home Leave Emotions 28:41 Lessons And Independence 30:03 Resilience In Community 32:18 Future Plans And Goals 33:10 Hillsborough Story 37:10 Child Friendly Arrests 42:46 Gratitude And Wrap Up

  4. Jun 23

    Voices Unlocked Ep. 14 | The Note on the Door

    Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com Episode 14 of Voices Unlocked features Janine, a Time Matters board director, sharing how she met Lorna and how her childhood was shaped when her stepdad - who was like a father to her - went to prison when she was 12/13. She describes police raids, a lack of safeguarding and support, stigma and ostracisation at school, housing insecurity, and becoming parentified while coping with anxiety, depression, and an eating disorder that went unnoticed because she performed well academically.  Janine also reflects on the impact and stress of prison visits and later working inside prisons as a substance misuse practitioner, where she saw systemic barriers to rehabilitation and the need to treat people with decency. She explains why Time Matters’ community matters, her current work leading a University of Liverpool justice research centre, training as a counsellor, and ends with hopes to remove stigma and strengthen family support. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:34 Episode Intro Guest Reveal 01:15 How We Met Again 03:24 Janine Lived Experience 05:04 Police Raid No Safeguarding 06:47 Visiting Remand Prison 08:42 Parentification Teen Pressure 10:14 Stigma Housing Instability 13:26 School Missed Mental Health 14:45 Friends Drift Away 16:18 Guilt Skipping Visits 18:05 What Visits Felt Like 19:29 Prison Visit Searches 20:23 Family Resentment Healing 20:46 Working Inside Prisons 22:26 Rehab Systems Fail 24:02 Detox Wing Reality 25:36 Treat People Humanely 26:55 Full Circle Staff Role 28:43 Time Matters Community 31:52 Owning Your Story 33:04 Career Purpose Path 34:20 Support Networks Self Care 37:23 Advice End Stigma 39:22 Gratitude Wrap Up

  5. Jun 15

    Voices Unlocked Ep. 13 | Nanny Carol on Family, Prison Visits, and Unconditional Love

    Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com In Episode 13 of Voices Unlocked, Lorna and Liv welcome special guest Nanny Carol and begin with a disclaimer that they are not therapists, sharing lived experiences that may be heavy. Carol and Liv discuss their close-knit family, childhood memories, and Carol’s saying “I love you every day and twice on Sunday.” The conversation focuses on Liv’s mum being arrested while pregnant and later imprisoned again when Liv was eight, and what it was like for Carol as a mother and grandmother—fear, stigma, panic, and the challenges of court, delayed contact, and prison visits, including the distress of leaving and an unexpected closed visit. They also reflect on how prison routines, education, and courses helped Liv’s mum, stress the importance of rehabilitation, and offer advice to grandparents raising grandchildren to take things day by day and stay positive. Chapters: 00:00 Important Disclaimer 00:34 Meet Nanny Carol 01:03 Family Sayings and Bonds 03:41 First Arrest While Pregnant 05:13 ADHD and Vulnerability 07:52 Olivia Born Into Love 10:17 Childhood Memories and Trauma 14:43 Stigma and Self Blame 16:04 Traumatic Birth Story 20:41 Second Prison Sentence Begins 21:34 Court Delays Anxiety 23:08 Custody Silence Waiting 25:23 First Visit Fears 28:34 Prison Routine Benefits 32:26 Advice For Grandparents 36:07 Visits And Goodbyes 38:04 Family Love Gratitude

  6. Jun 8

    Voices Unlocked Ep. 12 | What Helps (and What Doesn’t) When a Parent Is in Prison

    Email us at voicesunlocked26@gmail.com In this episode of Voices Unlocked, Liz and Lorna reflect on the podcast’s growing support before discussing practical “do’s and don’ts” for supporting children with a parent in prison. Liv shares how a handmade teddy from when her mum was in jail, letters, tattoos, and a “missing you box” helped her cope with ambiguous loss and anxiety, and explains how creativity like journaling, drawing, and writing can be cathartic. Liv reads her poem “Magic Wand,” exploring intergenerational worry, trauma triggers, and the child’s instinct to protect a parent. They advise practitioners to “go slow,” let children lead, and use the PACE approach -playfulness, acceptance, curiosity, and empathy - then close with “magic wand” wishes, including hopes for a UK government manifesto shaped by families’ voices. Chapters: 00:00 Listener Disclaimer 00:34 Welcome Back Update 01:21 Fans Keep Us Accountable 01:58 Scary Movies And Comfort 02:35 Helpful Tips Setup 03:09 The Fairy Teddy Story 06:15 Missing You Box Explained 07:23 Letters And Tattoo Memories 09:50 Creativity As An Outlet 11:41 Magic Wand Poem 14:20 Protecting Mum And Boundaries 15:52 Why Kids Hide Their Worries 16:39 Kids And Guilt 17:30 Journaling As Release 19:25 Go Slow Build Trust 21:05 Decompress And Masking 22:08 PACE Training Explained 22:47 Playfulness Acceptance Curiosity 26:00 Empathy In Practice 27:40 Magic Wand Wishes 30:39 Closing And Next Guests

  7. Jun 1

    Voices Unlocked Ep. 11 | Release, Probation & Rebuilding Family Life After Prison

    In this episode of Voices Unlocked, Liv and Lorna discuss what “release” is really like after prison, challenging the idea that it’s simply the end of the journey. Liv shares her experience of her mum coming home, including the surprise of probation, daily reporting, and being placed on an ankle tag with strict curfew rules, and how confusing and scary that felt as a child. They explore how release can disrupt family routines and create difficult power dynamics when other relatives have been primary caregivers, alongside the emotional impact of lost time and a parent struggling to adjust to a child growing up. Lorna explains probation, licence conditions, and why families may fear probation’s power, while also highlighting how supportive probation can be. Liv reflects on wanting to give back through her work and possibly becoming a probation officer. Chapters: 00:00 Quick Disclaimer 01:42 Release Expectations 04:02 Release Day Stories 05:08 Tag And Curfew Shock 06:19 Family Dynamics After Release 08:49 Routine Changes And Adjustment 11:15 Time Stopped Feeling 14:36 Bonding Moments Return 15:48 What Probation Means 17:35 Kids Fear Probation Power 18:47 Probation Meeting Panic 20:02 Probation Helps Mum Thrive 22:21 Lived Experience Careers 24:26 Probation Is Supportive 26:52 Stigma and Fear of Authority 29:47 Using Your Voice 31:26 Release Advice Take It Slow 34:31 Listener Questions and Guests 35:09 Studio Shoutouts Goodbye

  8. May 25

    Voices Unlocked Ep. 10 | Sarah Beresford on Children Impacted by Parental Imprisonment

    In this episode of Voices Unlocked Pod, Lorna and Liv welcome Sarah Beresford OBE, reflecting on how their connection began and Sarah’s journey from Scottish secondary school teacher into work supporting children affected by parental imprisonment. Sarah recounts a pivotal case where a pupil’s mother received a life sentence and no services considered the children, prompting Sarah to visit the mother in prison and help maintain parenting through school reports, teacher contact, and supported visits. She explains Families Outside and her Churchill Fellowship research, and describes developing Child Impact Assessment resources. Child-led conversation tools adaptable for different family situations to help adults understand how children are feeling and what support they want, with room to change their minds. We also discuss HMPPS Think Child, practical system changes driven by young people (like the clocks and kindness campaign), and the need for kindness, consistency, and sustainable funding for Time Matters. 00:00 Disclaimer and Support 00:34 Meet Sarah 01:03 How We First Connected 02:57 Teacher to Advocate 05:56 First Prison Visit 10:26 Leaving Teaching for Change 10:55 What Families Outside Does 12:34 Children Lead the Work 14:53 Child Impact Tool Origins 17:41 Making the Tool Usable 20:09 Opt In Not Statutory 25:06 Adapting for Every Family 27:23 OBE and Policy Impact 28:43 Next Project HMPS Think Child 29:12 Think Child Origins 30:59 Probation Leaflet Idea 32:36 Be Kind Message 33:58 Clocks And Kindness 35:21 Small Changes Matter 35:57 Photos Letters Memories 38:00 Why Not Keep Asking 39:04 Visit Rules Anxiety 40:50 Child Friendly Visit Halls 43:31 Time Matters Impact 44:31 Funding And Mentoring 47:50 Future Plans And Thanks 48:43 Gratitude And Wrap Up

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About

🎙️Voices Unlocked Podcast Breaking Silence. Breaking Stigma Supporting youth with incarcerated parents You are more than your story✨

Information

  • Creator
    Voices Unlocked
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Voices Unlocked
  • Show Website
    Voices Unlocked