Families First Partnership Programme in Sandwell
Working together to put families first.
About the programme
At Sandwell Children’s Trust, we are building on our shared Family Help vision to bring together partners to provide stronger local support and intervention services for children, young people and families.
Our partners include council officers, police officers, doctors, nurses, teachers, community leaders and colleagues from the voluntary sector.
We are consulting with professionals, children, young people and families across Sandwell to help shape how Family Help services are delivered. Their feedback will ensure families receive the right support at the right time.
Our goal is to prevent children from entering the child protection system wherever possible and support more children to live safely and sustainably within their family networks.
Why are we doing this?
The Families First Partnership Programme was introduced by the Department for Education (DfE) following the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care by Josh MacAlister MP in 2022.
Through Families First, the government is asking local partners, children and families to work together to design services that meet the needs of their communities.
Families First is a national programme that represents a significant change in how children and families access support, from targeted help through to statutory services.
Programme aims
- Provide more coordinated and family-centred support.
- Improve outcomes for children, young people and families.
- Reduce the need for intrusive statutory intervention wherever possible.
- Promote earlier intervention and prevention.
- Help more children remain safely within their family networks.
Local authorities are required to implement these changes by April 2027.
What’s changing?
Supporting children and families through a family-centred approach is not new to Sandwell. Strategic leaders across Children’s Services have been working towards a shared Family Help vision since 2023.
Children and young people will remain at the centre of everything we do. The new model will focus on a whole-family approach with:
- One Family Help Lead Practitioner (FHLP).
- Access to expert-led specialist support teams.
- Improved access to local early help services.
- Better coordination between partner agencies.
SEND and Families First
As part of these changes, we are exploring how recently announced SEND reforms can work alongside Families First to provide a more integrated early help approach.
This includes stronger inclusion support in schools and the introduction of the Expert at Hand model.
You can learn more about the SEND reforms on the Department for Education Education Hub.
Find out how we support disabled children at Sandwell Children’s Trust
Focus of the changes
Our work is focused on three key areas:
Family Help Services
Locally based teams providing support and intervention for families.
Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPT)
Specialist oversight and coordinated action when children may be at risk of harm.
Family Group Decision Making
Helping families play a central role in decisions affecting their children and supporting children to remain safely at home where possible. Read more
Who is involved?
The Families First Partnership Programme brings together organisations across Sandwell to improve support for children and families.
- Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
- Education Services
- West Midlands Police
- Barnardo’s
- Best Start Family Hubs
- Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust
- Black Country Integrated Care Board
- Voluntary Sector Organisations
- Sandwell Health Visiting Service
- Midwifery Services
- Voluntary, community and faith sector
Support for all parents and families
Support is available through Family Hubs across Sandwell
If you need more help Speak to your school, family, or health visitor.
Find out more
For further information about the Families First Partnership Programme, please contact: FFP@sandwellchildrenstrust.org