Tender: HMPPS Prisoner’s Family Helpline Service (2026–2029)

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HMPPS is seeking a supplier to deliver the Prisoner’s Family Helpline to provide advice, information and emotional support to families and significant others of people involved in the criminal justice system. The service will offer practical guidance on arrest, detention, court, prison visits and how prisons operate, information on benefits and financial help, parenting and relationship support, coping with stress and disruption, advocacy for families, and high‑quality information for professionals working with affected families; it must also refer callers to services that meet cultural needs, including for Gypsy Roma Traveller communities. The tender cites context including 17,600 people committed to custody in England and Wales between January and March 2024, high rates of reconviction and loss of family contact, and that 26% of prisoners are from ethnically diverse communities, underlining the helpline’s role in supporting family contact and reducing reoffending.