WIRRAL Council has been chosen to deliver an improvement programme of services to help more children stay with their families in safe and loving homes and protect vulnerable children from harm where needed.

The Families First for Children Pathfinder programme, announced today (Wednesday, April 10) aims to make sure targeted early help is available for families suffering domestic abuse, addiction, or poor mental health, to help them overcome adversity before issues escalate and children are put at risk of harm.

Wirral will receive upwards of £3m to enhance the children’s social care offer across local communities.

Elizabeth Hartley, director for children, families and education at Wirral Council said: "We’re of course thrilled that our bid to join the pathfinder programme has been successful.

"Locally we’ve made great strides to work together with families to help prevent issues before they escalate.

"This funding will enable us to continue to make fantastic progress in this area, ensuring that we work with families to support and empower them. It will also provide more opportunities to improve our support for families with children and young people with SEND."

Where child protection is necessary, it will be carried out by social workers with greater expertise and experience, and the wider family will stay involved in decision-making.

Wirral is one of seven areas chosen for the programme. Other areas selected include Luton, Redbridge, Walsall, Warrington, Warwickshire and Lewisham, and follow initial testing which began last year in Dorset, Lincolnshire, and Wolverhampton.

The pathfinder, backed by up to £19.5 million, is part of the government's ambitious children's social care reform strategy, Stable Homes, Built on Love, that aims to revamp the current system to focus more on early intervention and best practice child protection where that is required.

Other reforms being tested include strengthened support for wider family members like grandparents, aunts or uncles to help them step in and provide support to children to help them continue living with their parents – for example help with additional weekly costs, buying a new bed, or topping up lost wages.

Children, families and wellbeing minister, David Johnston, said: "Every child deserves a safe and loving environment, where they are protected and can thrive.

"The progress we are making with our children’s social care reforms with the support of Wirral will make sure all families can access the right support before issues escalate, helping keep more children in safe and loving homes."

The Families First programme will transform how Wirral supports families and children by: 

  • Creating multi-disciplinary family help teams, to make sure families with multiple needs can access all the support they need earlier and in one place
  • Making greater use of extended family members, with them being the first port of call if extra support is required, and practical and financial support provided to them if needed  
  • Establishing dedicated multi-agency child protection teams
  • Creating stronger and clearer multi-agency safeguarding processes, including an increased role for education and improved information sharing

The children’s social care reform strategy published last year, Stable Homes, Built on Love responded to recommendations made in the Independent Review of Children's Social Care, led by Josh MacAlister and the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel’s review into the tragic deaths of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson.

The findings showed the care system was often fragmented and struggling to meet the needs of children and families across England.