Familes First Partnership Programme

Family Help brings together Early Help and Child in Need support into a more integrated service.

Families will benefit from:

• A single, coordinated approach to support.
• Earlier access to the help they need.
• Stronger relationships with professionals.
• Better joined-up working across agencies.

The focus is on helping families overcome challenges before they escalate and ensuring support feels accessible and non-stigmatising.

What this means in Sheffield

The Family Help workstream is leading Sheffield's preparation for the introduction of the new Family Help model, bringing together partners from across the system to review current practice and identify opportunities for improvement. The workstream is focused on building on Sheffield's existing strengths while aligning with the national reforms outlined within the Families First Partnership Programme.

• Assessment Process - Reviewing and refining Sheffield's assessment process to develop a single, streamlined assessment approach that aligns with the Families First Partnership Programme while building on existing strengths. This will simplify processes, improve consistency, and create a more seamless experience for families and professionals. 

• Front Door - Reviewing Sheffield's existing Front Door arrangements to ensure they align with the Family Help model, building on current strengths while identifying opportunities to enhance access, coordination and support for families. Work also includes what families might want this service to be named to ensure it is easily recognisable and understandable to Sheffield families
• Family Help Lead Practitioner - The workstream is exploring how this role will operate within Sheffield and what it will mean for both Sheffield City Council services and partner organisations across the wider system. Discussions are focusing on responsibilities, coordination arrangements and how professionals can work together effectively around families while maintaining clear accountability and a shared focus on achieving positive outcomes.

As the work progresses, partners continue to work collaboratively to shape a Family Help model that builds on Sheffield's existing strengths, supports integrated working across agencies and delivers a simpler, more connected experience for children, young people and families. The work aims to create a system where support is easier to access, more coordinated and centred on helping families thrive.

Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPTs) will bring professionals together to respond more effectively when children are at risk of significant harm.

By working collaboratively across agencies, teams will be able to:

• Share information more effectively.
• Make timely decisions.
• Improve safeguarding responses.
• Ensure children receive the protection they need.

This approach strengthens partnership working while keeping children's safety at the heart of practice.

What this means in Sheffield

In Sheffield, the MACPT workstream is leading the development of a local delivery model that reflects both national reform requirements and the needs of our local safeguarding partnership. The workstream brings together representatives from across the safeguarding system and meets monthly to review progress, share learning, and ensure alignment with the wider Families First transformation programme. Regular updates from other workstreams help to maintain a coordinated approach across all areas of reform and support the development of an integrated system for children and families.

Partnership representation has been a significant focus of the workstream. Sheffield already has dedicated involvement from a South Yorkshire Police representative, helping to ensure policing expertise is embedded within the development of the model. Alongside this, recruitment has been completed for an Education representative, who will join the workstream once in post. Discussions are also continuing with health partners as part of the process to secure a dedicated Health representative and ensure strong multi-agency representation across the partnership.

Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) gives families a greater voice in decisions that affect their children.

It provides opportunities for:

• Families to identify their own strengths and support networks.
• Wider family members and trusted adults to be involved.
• Family-led plans to be developed before situations reach crisis point.
• Children and young people to have their voices heard.

Research shows that family networks often play a vital role in helping children remain safely connected to the people who matter most to them.

What this means in Sheffield

As part of Sheffield's Families First Partnership Programme, Family Group Decision Making is a key area of transformation and is being developed through a dedicated multi-agency workstream. The workstream is bringing together partners from across children's services and the wider safeguarding system to design an approach that reflects the needs of Sheffield's children, young people and families.

The workstream is developing a professional toolkit to support consistent practice across Sheffield. The toolkit will provide guidance, resources and practical tools to help practitioners understand when and how Family Group Decision Making can be used, enabling a shared approach across organisations and services.

A central part of this work is co-design. We are currently working with children, young people and families to understand their experiences and perspectives, ensuring that the future model is shaped by those who will use it. This approach reflects our commitment to creating services with families rather than for them, helping to ensure the model is practical, accessible and grounded in lived experience.

Workstream leads are exploring how learning and development can be embedded across the city through a phased training and workforce development programme. This will help equip professionals with the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to facilitate meaningful family participation and ensure that Family Group Decision Making becomes an integral part of how we work with families.

By developing the model collaboratively and investing in workforce development, Sheffield aims to create a Family Group Decision Making approach that strengthens family networks, empowers families to find their own solutions, and supports better outcomes for children and young people. This work forms an important part of the city's wider ambition to build a more preventative, relationship-based and family-centred system through the Families First Partnership Programme.