Families First Partnership Programme
The Families First Partnership Programme is a national initiative supporting the transformation of children’s social care in England. It promotes a more integrated, family-focused approach to early help and child protection by encouraging multi-agency collaboration. The programme outlines expectations for delivering Family Help, establishing Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPTs), and embedding Family Group Decision Making. Grounded in the Working Together to Safeguard Children framework, it aims to ensure children and families receive timely, coordinated, and effective support tailored to their needs.
Key Components
A proactive, early intervention approach that brings together professionals from different services to support families before problems escalate. It includes a lead practitioner coordinating support, structured assessments, and clear access pathways.
This involves co-located teams of professionals (MACPTs) working together to protect children at risk. It ensures consistent oversight through a lead child protection practitioner and tailors’ responses to local needs, including support for parents and carers.
A process that empowers families to be part of the decision-making around their child’s care. It is embedded across the system and used especially before legal proceedings, with clear guidelines on when it should or should not be used.
These are the foundational elements that support the programme’s success, including alignment with national safeguarding frameworks, effective information sharing, and the use of evidence-based practices to guide interventions.
Impact
Expected impact of the Families First Partnership Programme:
- Better outcomes for children and families through earlier, more effective support.
- Stronger collaboration between agencies, leading to more coordinated care.
- Reduced pressure on crisis services by preventing issues from escalating.
- Empowered families who are actively involved in decision-making.
- More efficient use of resources by streamlining services and targeting support.
Implementation
The implementation of the Families First Partnership Programme is guided by national support and tailored local delivery. The Department for Education provides a national delivery support offer, including tools, training, and resources to help local areas adopt the programme effectively. Local safeguarding partners—such as local authorities, police, and health services—are responsible for leading the implementation, adapting the approach to meet their community’s specific needs. The rollout is phased, allowing time for workforce development, system redesign, and community engagement. Key elements like Family Help, multi-agency teams, and Family Group Decision Making are gradually embedded into everyday practice. Professionals receive targeted training to prepare for new roles, and local systems are redesigned to ensure seamless access to support. Progress is monitored through evaluation frameworks, with learning shared across regions to drive continuous improvement.