Published May 2023
Welcome to the fifth issue of the Strengthening Families Journal – the regular publication dedicated to capturing learning from the Strengthening Families, Protecting Children (SFPC) programme.
SFPC is a five-year Department for Education programme to support local authorities to improve their work with families and safely reduce the number of children entering care by implementing successful sector-designed innovations.
The Strengthening Families Learning Journal shares learning from the Programme, focusing on the changes to systems and practice taking place in local authorities across England, where teams are adopting three innovations in children’s social care: Hertfordshire’s Family Safeguarding; Leeds’ Family Valued and North Yorkshire’s No Wrong Door.
Who is the journal for?
The Strengthening Families Journal is intended for people working in, and in partnership with, children’s social care. Directors and service managers and frontline practitioners, along with partners from education, health, housing, police and adult services, will all find articles relevant to their work. In fact, anyone interested in the role innovation has to play in improving children’s lives will find something of interest.
About the fifth issue
The theme of this issue is ‘Putting voices of children and families at the heart of transforming local systems’ and focuses on learning from local authorities who are participating in the SFPC programme. Drawing on learning and case studies into the implementation of the models and their effectiveness, we focus on the value of stories in communicating the impact of these innovations, how to make culture change happen, insights from professionals in multi-disciplinary teams, best practice in developing a strong and effective workforce, and leadership that puts children and families at the heart of systems.
We hear first hand from three Adopters on how they are engaging children in service design, partnering with parents to change their approach to child protection and support, and how they are building positive relationships with young people in everything they do.
The fifth issue Includes:
Reflections on five years of the SFPC programme from DfE and programme support partners
Newcastle’s journey with Family Valued and how they are shifting power from services to families
Telford and Wrekin’s ‘Dandelion Group’ and how they have developed a parental partnership working group as part of their adoption of Family Safeguarding
Redcar and Cleveland’s focus on relationship building as part of their adoption of No Wrong Door
How to make culture change happen
Insights from professionals in multi-disciplinary teams
How to create the conditions for social work to flourish
Leadership that is values driven and puts children and families first
What Works Centre – Evaluation Round-Up