Families First Partnership set to transform support for Derbyshire families and children

Credit: DCC

A new programme designed to improve how children, young people and families are supported is being introduced across Derbyshire through the Families First Partnership (FFP), led by Derbyshire County Council.

The FFP programme will help families get the support they need earlier, making it easier to understand what help is available and where to go. It will bring services together so families do not have to repeat their story to different professionals.

It is aimed at families who may be finding things difficult at times in their lives, as well as those who need extra support to help their children grow and thrive. This includes families with children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

The partnership brings together services including schools, health visitors, GPs, children’s services, police and voluntary groups so they can work more closely to support families.

The programme is being delivered through three key strands:

• Family Help, which provides earlier support for families by bringing professionals together to plan and offer help in a more joined up way
• Family Group Decision Making, which supports families and their wider networks to contribute to creating safe plans for children, with professional oversight
• Multi Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPT), which bring expert practitioners together to make clearer, faster safeguarding decisions where there are serious concerns

As the programme moves from planning into delivery, test and learn activity is launching across several local areas during late spring and early summer. This will give partners the opportunity to test new ways of working and learn what works best before wider rollout.

This includes Family Help pilots in Erewash and South Derbyshire, a Family Group Decision Making trial across North East Derbyshire and Bolsover, working with Amber Valley, and Multi Agency Child Protection Team pilots based in Chesterfield and South Derbyshire.

Alongside this, the Best Start in Life programme is creating Best Start Family Hubs as accessible community locations where families can more easily access advice and support on parenting, early years development, health and SEND needs in one place. Birdholme and Cotmanhay have been identified as the first main hub bases, with further locations planned.

Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Children and Families Councillor Paul Maginnis said: “Every family is different and bringing up children is one of the most important and sometimes most challenging things people will do. From time to time, families may need a little extra help.

“By working closely with schools, health visitors, GPs and other local services, we can make sure families know where to go and get the right support at the right time.

“By offering help earlier, we can support families through life’s ups and downs and give children the best chance to grow, develop and thrive.”

The programme is being developed with partners and families themselves to make sure support reflects what people really need and works well in practice. As part of this, parents and carers of children and young people of all ages, along with anyone with lived experience of family support services, are being invited to take part in engagement sessions across Derbyshire to help shape the future of support for children, young people and families, including those with SEND.

Find out more about the sessions and register to attend at www.eventbrite.com.

To find out more about Families First Partnership visit: www.derbyshire.gov.uk/FFP