April 2026 - newsletter - Families First Partnership programme

What is the Families First Partnership Programme?

The Families First Partnership Programme is a major government initiative to transform how children and families receive support in England. The main goal is to help more families stay together safely and help children thrive. We will do this by providing early, joined-up, and family-focused support to prevent crises and improve long-term outcomes.

We aim to achieve;

• Right help at the right time ​
• Families tell their story once with one single assessment​
• Improved integration of support with the Team Around the Family​
• Increased family network support with the Family Group Decision Making service​
• The workforce is equipped and effective supported by a Multi Agency Child Protection Team​
• Families experience of services is more positive ​
• Children and families stay together ​
• Children and young people are safe in and outside of their homes

Families First Animation Project:

As part of the Families First Partnership Programme, Stoke‑on‑Trent City Council has been working on a creative animation project designed to help explain Families First, and what families can expect from the new approach.

The animation currently in progress has been co‑produced with children and young people, working alongside a local animation company, Carse & Waterman, based in Stoke‑on‑Trent.

Through a series of facilitated sessions, young people have helped shape the story, themes, language and visual style, ensuring the final piece reflects real experiences and what matters most to families.

Thank you to all young people that took part in the sessions, Carse & Waterman for working with us on the animation and to all staff that have supported with the animation.

If you have any ideas on how we could share the animation, please let us know!

Further updates will be coming soon!

Young people’s thoughts and experiences:

“I have enjoyed being part of the animation project it has allowed me to use blendr something I have never done before.  I loved working with everyone on the animation, all aspects of it and am so thankful to have listened and given my own input. This experience allowed me to gain new knowledge on the work of animators.”

“Being involved in this project has broadened my view on the animation field. Working with Carse & Waterman has been very enriching, and I have learnt a lot from it. The owners were brilliant, they explained each step of the process and ensured we were all happy and understood what we were doing. This project has been amazing for the development of many skills and introduced me to software’s and processes I have never tried before. I am so grateful to have been involved and have benefited greatly from it.”

“I have really enjoyed the project.  It has helped me to understand about all of the preparation and planning before the actual animation development.  “

Website and surveys:

Please visit our Families First website for updates, resources, families feedback and to take part in our staff survey.

Please do start visiting it regularly as we will be adding more information as things move forward. The feedback is for you to tell us what you want or need. Do also use the parents / carers and children feedback surveys to ask them what they need and support their voice being heard. https://families.stoke.gov.uk/familyfirst

Q&A sessions are continuing.

Q&A sessions are continuing across the next few months. Please see dates for these below. If you would like the link to join a session, please contact familiesfirst@stoke.gov.uk

1st May 1-2pm

15th May 1-2pm

Have your say on what the Single Assessment looks like:

If you want to ask families or children for their thoughts, please do review the single assessment with them. Please do share in your organisation, any feedback will be greatly appreciated. This is just a first draft! (Stoke-on-Trent Single Assessment DRAFT)

This link is a Microsoft form of all the questions. In the response section you can comment on the question/wording. These responses will come back to us and be a great way to hear what you think!

More information on Family Group Decision Making

Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) is one of the key areas within Families First. FGDM is an umbrella term for family-led approaches in which a child’s wider family network is supported through thorough preparation, provided with relevant information, and offered a safe and respectful space to come together and develop a plan that promotes the child’s safety, well-being, and long-term outcomes.

At its core, FGDM is a family-led process that recognises the rights of families to be central in decisions affecting them.

It is grounded in the belief that families are best placed to plan for a child’s safety and well-being, and that with the right support, they can develop effective, sustainable solutions.

FGDM is voluntary, inclusive, and designed to empower families through open dialogue, shared responsibility, and a clear focus on the child’s needs.

It is important to note that, whilst the term FGDM specifically refers to a ‘family group’, the concept explicitly aims to include each family’s wider network, which goes beyond family members and may, for example, extend to friends and neighbours.

Our FGDM will adhere to the following principles:

• FGDM is a voluntary process based on fully informed consent, at every stage.
• Families lead on decisions that shape the process and the plan.
• Facilitators remain impartial throughout the entire process.
• The child or children at the centre of the referral are actively involved at every stage, with their wellbeing and voice central to the process and any decisions made.
• Information is shared clearly and appropriately to enable informed planning. Confidentiality and privacy are respected unless doing so would be unsafe.
• FGDM is rooted in a strengths-based approach that values the capacity of families to manage risk and make safe, informed decisions.
• Participants are supported to engage safely through comprehensive preparation that includes identifying and addressing any safeguarding concerns in advance.
• The FGDM process does not replace statutory safeguarding procedures but complements them by enabling families to contribute meaningfully to safety planning.
• FGDM needs to be based on a strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, building on cultural humility, gender-informed, anti-racist and anti-discriminatory practice.

We hope to be launching an expanded FGDM service soon and are looking at defining the different roles, pathways and processes. Look out for further updates!

Thank you for reading this newsletter! Please let us know any comments, questions or suggestions you may have or if you want to get involved by emailing familiesfirst@stoke.gov.uk