Families First Partnership Programme (FFPP) is an initiative led by the UK Government’s Department for Education. Its aim is to transform the children’s services system by shifting the focus from crisis intervention to early, preventative, and family-led support—helping more families stay together safely.
Every local authority is working towards implementing this programme by April 2027. In Sandwell, we have been actively progressing towards this goal over the past five months. Below is an update on our progress.
Sandwell Children’s Safeguarding Partnership –
Multi-Agency Families First
The Multi-Agency Families First Group, comprising
representatives from across the children’s partnership, met for the second time
in December. The focus of this meeting was to deepen understanding of the
expectations set out in the Families First Programme Guide - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6825b992a60aeba5ab34e006/The_families_first_partnership_programme_guide.pdf.
Our next steps will involve aligning these national
expectations with local flexibility to ensure that Sandwell’s Families First
model reflects the needs of our borough and works effectively for children,
young people, and families.
A key priority for early 2026 will be the revision of the
threshold document. You will be invited to participate in the consultation
process—please look out for your invitation soon.
Oldbury Families First Pilot
- The
pilot is now in its fourth month of operation
- The
recent Family Allocation Meeting (FAM) review was positive, with more
partners joining and encouraging feedback received. However, some capacity
challenges remain for certain partners. A review of FAM meeting frequency,
based on demand, is currently being considered
- To
support new partners, a Family Allocation Induction is being developed
- An
early evaluation of the pilot has been completed to identify initial
strengths and areas for improvement
- Within
the pilot team, the focus remains on quality assurance and assessing
impact
Next Steps
- Share
findings from the early evaluation
- Consult
on implementing a single assessment across the Family Help system
- Continue
to bring partners into Family Allocation meetings as needs are identified
Looking ahead to 2026, activity will increase around
communication and engagement for Families First, with a strong emphasis on
consultation and co-production across the workforce, families, and children.
Please look out for upcoming consultation events and opportunities.
For any queries, please contact: ffp@sandwellchildrenstrust.org