The Department for Education has chosen three local authorities to pilot the initial stage of its Families First for Children (FFC) programme, designed in response to recommendations made in the Independent Review of Children's Social Care.
Wolverhampton, Dorset and Lincolnshire will take part in the FFC pilot (see box), designed to “test new ways to reform every part of the children's social care system, helping children to stay with their families in safe and loving homes, whilst protecting vulnerable children where needed”.
Backed by just under £40m in funding, it will trial a move towards locally based, multi-disciplinary family help services and a shift towards the government's aim to “keep families together”, shared in Stable Homes, Built On Love, its response to Care Review chair Josh MacAlister's final report. Ministers aim to meet this goal through an increased use of family-based early intervention techniques including the appointment of a child protection social worker and plans to strengthen data sharing among partner agencies in a drive towards improving safeguarding partnerships as well as a greater focus on kinship care.
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