Families First: What Are We Actually Trying to Change?

Across the country, local areas are working to put new Families First arrangements into place. There is a huge amount to think about – Family Help, multi-agency child protection, family networks, workforce development, partnerships, pathways and systems.

Amid all of that implementation activity, there is an important question to keep coming back to: What are we actually trying to change for children and families?

In the first of our Families First conversations, Interface Managing Director Wendy Weal is joined by Interface Associates Sue Gill and Jo Adams to step back from the mechanics of implementation and explore the purpose behind the reforms.

Watch the video here

_{What should feel different for families?}

Families First builds on principles that will be familiar to many people working across children and family services: earlier help, strong relationships, whole-family working and effective multi-agency practice. The opportunity is to make these ways of working more coherent and consistent across the system.

In our conversation, we explore what this should mean for families: getting the right help earlier, greater continuity, fewer unnecessary handovers, a coherent plan, trusted relationships and services working together around the whole family. We also discuss the importance of families and their wider networks being genuinely involved in identifying solutions and shaping plans.

_{What needs to change in practice?}

Changing structures and pathways is only part of the reform. Families experience Families First through the practice that sits within those arrangements. Our discussion explores what practitioners need to work differently and confidently, including skills and workforce development, clarity about roles and accountability, good supervision, access to expertise and the permission to exercise professional judgement. We also consider what genuine multi-agency working looks like – moving beyond different agencies simply being involved towards shared understanding, shared responsibility and different professional expertise combining around the child and family.

_{Keeping hold of the purpose}

As areas work to get their new arrangements operational, perhaps the most important question to keep asking is: What is different for children and families because of the changes we have made?

That is ultimately where the success of Families First will be seen.