by Vicky McLeod, Director for Children, Young People and Families, Northumberland County Council
As leaders in children’s services, we are often reminded that meaningful change is rarely a single event, it is a journey. It can take courage to challenge long-established ways of working, commitment to maintain momentum when things are not going smoothly, and a collective belief that things can be further improved for our children, young people and families.
A quote that springs to mind as we have moved through our Families First Partnership journey is: “Change is not something that happens to us; it is something we create together.”
This has reflected the essence of what we are seeking to achieve across Northumberland – shared understanding, collaboration and a workforce who are included and knowledgeable about what is happening, why and the timescales for change. I am passionate about making sure our workforce are informed and given the opportunity to hear and shape how we take things forward.
The Families First Partnership programme is far more than a reform agenda. At its heart lies a simple but powerful ambition, which is to make sure our children and families receive the right help, at the right time, from the right people, before challenges escalate into a crisis. It asks us to think differently about how we work with families and each other. It challenges us to move beyond organisational boundaries, to think about systems and to focus relentlessly on what matters most, which is improving outcomes for children and young people and having a system that is built on love.
Reflecting on the progress we’ve made so far, I am struck by the strength of our workforce here in Northumberland and our committed partnerships. Across children’s services, health, police, education, the voluntary and community sector, and our wider local authority colleagues, there is a growing recognition that no single agency can meet the complex needs of families alone and I believe the commitment to working together has never been stronger.
Of course, transformation is not without its challenges and genuine partnership working requires trust, honesty and a willingness to listen to different perspectives. It means questioning long-established processes and being comfortable with uncertainty whilst new approaches take shape. At times, this can feel uncomfortable and it is often in that discomfort that the most important learning happens.
I am incredibly proud of the team here in Northumberland, who have worked tirelessly supporting the changes through pilots, counting staffing numbers (which turned into the most complicated of tasks!!!), supporting me every step of the way through conferences, roadshows, development days and at times weekly meetings that have been challenging (head scratching at times). However, what we have been able to accomplish is 135 staff expressing their first and second preference for which part of the ‘system’ (family help, family safeguarding or cared for children) they wished to work in, a staff advisory group that supports our thinking and a participation team who have harnessed the views of our children and families. All bar four of the 135 staff have gained their first or second choice. The collective effort to make changes in a caring and collaborative way has been embraced and I am lucky to work with colleagues who have a determination to create a system that responds consistently and early to our children and families’ needs. They are relational and caring in their approach and seek to make sure that what we do is built on love and a determination to keeping families together safely. There is a shared focus and sense of purpose that is driving us forward.
We are beginning to see the foundations of a system that is more connected, more responsive and more focused on building family strengths through things like our family group decision making framework, the redesign of our Stronger Together service and a pilot which has seen social workers move into a Best Start Family Hub to form our first family help team, as well as a pilot with Lead Child Protection Practitioners and with family safeguarding. There is still much to do, but progress is not measured solely by milestones and plans. It is reflected in the conversations we have, the relationships we build, and the confidence we are developing together to work in different ways and to learn and adopt as we move forward.
As we continue this journey, it is important that we pause to recognise how far we have come while remaining ambitious about what lies ahead. Lasting change is built through persistence rather than perfection. It requires us to keep learning, adapting and improving and our mantra at the minute is 2027 – the Year of Practice. The Families First Partnership programme offers us an opportunity to create a legacy of earlier help, stronger communities and networks as well as better experiences for children, young people and families, and this responsibility belongs to all of us.
I do believe that together we are creating that change, and together we can ensure that every child and family in Northumberland has the opportunity to thrive, to have a system that holds and supports them, and as Josh MacAlister said in a recent webinar our obsession should be ‘how we fill our children and young people’s lives with love’ and ‘build connections‘.
I want to end this by saying in Northumberland, Families First is not just a programme of reform, it is an opportunity to reshape our culture, strengthen our partnerships and most importantly, place children, young people and families firmly at the centre of everything we do, so we fill their young lives with the love and support that they need.