Families First Partnership Programme
Why are we making these changes?
Cheshire West and Chester is implementing the Government's Families First Partnership reforms to create a more joined-up system of help, support and protection for children and families. The reforms aim to strengthen earlier intervention, improve multi-agency working, make better use of family networks and ensure child protection activity benefits from stronger multi-agency oversight.
The programme will change how children's services, health, police, education and voluntary sector partners work together so that families experience a more coordinated response and professionals can make decisions with a fuller understanding of a family's circumstances.
What Has Changed so far?
Family Help
The most significant change is the introduction of Family Help.
Historically, families often experienced different pathways depending on whether they required Early Help or Children in Need services. Cheshire West and Chester has brought these functions together into a single Family Help service designed to provide a more seamless experience for families.
Partners will now encounter:
- Family Help services replacing the previously separate Early Help and Children in Need services.
- A single Children and Families assessment and plan used to coordinate support around a family.
- Greater emphasis on delivering support earlier and reducing unnecessary escalation.
- Locality-based Family Help teams serving families across Cheshire West and Chester. (Ellesmere Port, Chester, Northwich & Winsford)
Family Help Lead Practitioners and Family Help Social Workers
A new Family Help Lead Practitioner (FHLP) role has been introduced.
The FHLP is responsible for coordinating support around a family, maintaining oversight of assessment and planning, and ensuring that professionals work towards shared outcomes. The role is intended to provide families and practitioners with a consistent point of coordination and accountability.
Family Help Lead Practitioners are not required to have a social work qualification.
Partners are likely to have increased contact with FHLPs and may be asked to contribute information, participate in planning discussions or deliver agreed actions as part of a coordinated Family Help plan.
Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPTs)
Cheshire West and Chester has begun implementing Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams ahead of the national deadline in March 2027.
MACPTs bring together professionals from social care, health, police and education to strengthen child protection decision-making, improve oversight of safeguarding activity and provide greater multi-agency challenge.
Importantly, MACPTs are not designed to be additional case-holding teams. Their role is to oversee, challenge, support and inform child protection activity through multi-agency expertise and collective decision-making.
Partners may now encounter:
• Lead Child Protection Practitioners working alongside existing services to oversee Child Protection processes.
• Line of Sight meetings providing multi-agency feedback on CP activity, agreeing actions and tracking progress.
• Greater involvement of health, police and education professionals in safeguarding decision-making.
Family Networks
The Families First reforms place much greater emphasis on identifying and working with wider family networks. Cheshire West and Chester has expanded its Family Networks capacity with a new team and increased the use of Family Group Decision Making.
The intention is to ensure that families are supported to identify solutions within their own networks wherever it is safe and appropriate to do so. Family members and wider support networks are increasingly being considered earlier in assessment, planning and decision-making processes.
Partners may be invited to provide information that helps identify members of a family network, or to help families deliver on their plans they have developed and own to support children safely.
A More Integrated Approach
Across all reforms, partners will see a stronger emphasis on:
• One plan around the family.
• Earlier intervention and prevention.
• Shared responsibility for outcomes.
• Better coordination between agencies.
• Increased focus on family strengths and networks.
• Children and families experiencing fewer transitions between services.
What Does This Mean For Partners?
Partners are likely to experience:
• Greater involvement in coordinated Family Help planning.
• Contact with Family Help Lead Practitioners.
• Stronger multi-agency participation in child protection activity through MACPT arrangements.
• Greater use of Family Group Decision Making processes.
• Increased expectations around information sharing, joint planning and collaborative decision-making.
• Continued opportunities to shape and refine the local model as implementation develops.