How to help a child have a good video call with a parent in prison: adding them to the call, preparing them, using 30 minutes well and why a call might pause.
Children can join video calls with a parent or family member in prison. You add each child to your Purple Visits account as an additional participant before the call. Children under 18 don’t need photo ID, just a selfie. Most calls are 30 minutes, so a little planning helps. And if anyone who isn’t added to the call comes into view of the camera, the call pauses until they leave the frame – so it helps to know that before it happens.
This article is for the adult whose account the call is booked on: a parent, grandparent, carer or foster carer. It covers the practical steps and a few things that make calls easier for children.
Everyone on a video call has to be added to your account first, including children. Up to 4 people can be on a call, including you.
Some establishments may ask for ID for a child on a case-by-case basis. You’ll be told in the app if this applies. As the account holder, you’re responsible for the child being on the call and for their behaviour during it, and you should have the permission of their parent or guardian to include them.
Full details are in Adding additional participants.
Important: Children under 18 can’t have their own Purple Visits account. They always join as a participant on an adult’s account.
Children often find video calls easier than visits – they’re at home, in their own space, with their own things. But the first one can still feel strange. A few things help.
Tip: If the child gets upset, that’s OK. Let them step out of the frame for a moment (see below about pausing) and come back when they’re ready. Short and happy beats long and forced.
Most calls are 30 minutes. Some prisons offer 60. Thirty minutes goes quickly with a child, so it helps to have a loose plan.
Younger children may only manage 10 minutes of attention. That’s normal. Let them drift off to play nearby and come back to wave goodbye.
Tip: Sit the child on your lap or right next to you so you’re both in frame, and keep the phone steady – prop it against something rather than holding it. See Preparing for your video call for set-up tips.
Purple Visits checks who’s on the call. Before the call starts, you (the account holder) take a security selfie. During the call, the app keeps checking the faces it can see.
If a face it doesn’t recognise comes into the frame – for example, a child who wasn’t added as a participant, a friend who pops in, or someone walking past behind you – the call pauses. It starts again when that person leaves the frame.
This isn’t anyone being in trouble. It’s a safety rule set by the establishment, so that only approved people are on the call. To avoid pauses:
More on this in During your video call.
Note: Calls are recorded and may be monitored by the establishment, as prison phone calls are. It’s worth knowing this, but most families find it doesn’t get in the way once the call starts.
If the child would like to hear the person’s voice between calls, Storybook Dads (and Storybook Mums) helps parents in prison record a bedtime story for their child. The recording is sent home. Ask the prison whether they take part, or visit storybookdads.org.uk.
At HMP Five Wells, HMP & YOI Parc and HMP Rye Hill, you can also send photos, drawings and voice notes through Purple Post.
Does my child need ID? No. Children under 18 are checked with a selfie only. Some establishments may ask for ID on a case-by-case basis, and you’ll be told in the app if so. Adults joining the call each need their own photo ID and proof of address – see What ID do I need?
Can a child be on a call without an adult? No. Every call is on an adult’s account, and the adult account holder must be on the call.
Can I add a child who isn’t mine – a niece, or a friend’s child? You can add them as a participant, but you should have permission from their parent or guardian. Some establishments have their own rules about who can join, so check your loved one’s page on the establishments list.
The person in prison is at a secure training centre or young offender institution. Is it different? The steps are the same. Some establishments have their own rules about calls, so check their page on the establishments list.
My child got upset and we ended early. Is that a problem? No. It happens, especially on the first call. Next time, try a shorter plan, a different time of day, or something to do together on the call. A short, happy call is still a good call.
If you’re not sure how to add a child, or a call paused and you don’t know why, email [email protected] or use the contact form. We usually reply within one working day. Live chat in the app is usually answered within a few minutes during business hours.
For support with talking to children about a parent in prison, the Prisoners’ Families Helpline on 0808 808 2003 (prisonersfamilies.org) is free and confidential.
New to Purple Visits? Download the app to get started.