We offer support across key areas of reform at three levels, depending on local authority needs.
Our comprehensive support includes a multi-agency perspective, with active participation from health, education, and police. Our success in implementing large-scale change through the DfE Strengthening Families, Protecting Children Programme is due to cultural changes achieved through our restorative and relational practice approach, early help investment, and applying a safe uncertainty model.
- The Early Support (previously known as Early Help) offer, including the family intervention service
- Multi-agency decision-making through integrated ‘front door’ arrangements
- Strong extra-familiar harm service, supported by our dedicated Family and Adolescent Support Team
- Child protection, including:
- Reducing the number of children in child protection
- Developing a service that is confident in ‘safe uncertainty’
- Strong pre-proceedings and reducing-care proceedings, including:
- Streamlined processes
- A single children’s decision-making meeting with legal representation and a restorative approach, chaired by a senior social worker manager
- Establishing a Systemic Practice and Family Therapy Team
- Developing strong UASC and care leaver services, focused on:
- Restorative practice and key initiatives for example our brothers and sisters in care project, which won the Best Project Award from the national Leaving Care Benchmarking Forum
- Education
- Employment
- Social opportunities
- Establishing an effective leadership and workforce strategy, including:
- ‘Grow your own practitioners’ initiatives
- A workforce wellbeing offer
- Utilising AI and technology to assist with administrative tasks and streamline service
- Developing a child-friendly initiative and bringing together resources to help communities and individuals be safe, healthy and independent, including:
- Improving the voice of the child
- Influencing and changing the approach with children, young people, and parents and carers
We are open to exploring further avenues of assistance beyond those outlined above, tailored to facilitate your ongoing journey of improvement.
Contact
George Shipman, Head of Families First and Sector Led Improvement.