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Strengthening Families, Protecting Children (SFPC)

Lessons from the implementation of Family Valued in Newcastle

Strengthening Families, Protecting Children (SFPC)

Newcastle City Council (NCC) is in the process of implementing Family Valued after it began working with Leeds City Council in December 2020.

On this page:

One year on report: Lessons from the implementation of Family Valued in Newcastle

A guide to relational and restorative practice in Newcastle

One year on report: Lessons from the implementation of Family Valued in Newcastle

One year into the process, senior leaders, managers and practitioners in Newcastle share their views on what changes they are seeing, how the programme is being managed, and what their priorities are for the following year.

Lessons from the implementation of Family Valued in Newcastle describes NCC’s experience at a point in time. It is intended to provide a resource for other local authorities involved in or interested in Family Valued, including other participants in the SFPC programme. Lessons have been captured in a ‘Q&A’ format and divided into a series of thematic areas including programme management, leadership and impact on practice.

Key questions include:

  • How have the Family Valued principles and approach been received in Newcastle?
  • What new tools and approaches have proved most useful?
  • What has been the role for leaders so far in making the programme a success?
  • How has Family Valued changed practice across the service over the last year?
  • What are the key priorities for the programme in Year 2?

A guide to relational and restorative practice in Newcastle

NCC has produced a quick guide to relational and restorative practice, describing its approach to working with babies, children and families, and what this means for children’s services and partners.

The guide presents the information in a way that is meaningful to people in Newcastle and that they can relate to, using the Tyne Bridge as a metaphor for building relationships between families and services.

The guide does the following:

  • Gives a clear and concise explanation of relational and restorative practice.
  • Supports a local identity for the programme.
  • Outlines the six key elements of practice, including family-led decision-making, investing in relationships with partners, and the voice of the child.