The programme is designed to make it easier for families to access the right support at the right time by bringing services together, reducing duplication and ensuring children receive help that meets their needs.
Families First Partnership is being delivered through 3 key areas:
- Family Group Decision Making (FGDM), which helps families and their wider support networks become more involved in decisions affecting their children
- Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPT), which bring professionals together to make informed safeguarding decisions more quickly
- Family Help, which will provide earlier and more coordinated support for families through a single plan and services working together.
New approaches are already being used across the FGDM and MACPT areas of the programme, helping partners understand what works well before they are introduced more widely across Derbyshire.
Since May, the FGDM approach has supported 65 children from 31 families across North East Derbyshire, Bolsover and Amber Valley. The approach brings together family members, trusted networks and professionals to develop plans that help keep children safe while strengthening support within families. Early feedback shows families are becoming more involved in decisions affecting their children and helping to create practical plans that build on their strengths and relationships.
The MACPT approach has also shown encouraging early results. Since June 2026, the model has supported decision-making for 227 children across North East Derbyshire, Bolsover and South Derbyshire, helping professionals share information sooner and make better decisions about the support children need.
Early evidence suggests the model is helping ensure formal safeguarding processes remain focused on children who most need protection. Of the children discussed through MACPT consultations, 82 per cent progressed to a strategy meeting, while 40 children received support through alternative routes without the need for formal child protection processes.
The programme is also helping strengthen partnership working across Derbyshire, with more than half of Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams consultations involving partner agencies. Bringing together expertise from children's services, health, police and education, is supporting better information sharing and more informed decision-making.
Families continue to play an important role in shaping the programme. Recent parental engagement sessions have provided valuable insight into the experiences of parents and carers across Derbyshire, helping ensure future services reflect the needs of local families and communities. Preparations are also continuing for the introduction of Family Help across South Derbyshire and Erewash later this autumn.
Cabinet Member for Children and Families Councillor Paul Maginnis said:
"It is encouraging to see the positive impact Families First Partnership is already having for children, young people and families across Derbyshire.
"These early results show the benefits of services working more closely together to support families and help children get the right support at the right time.
"The learning from these new approaches will help us continue to improve services, strengthen support for families and shape how Families First Partnership is delivered across Derbyshire ahead of its planned countywide rollout in spring 2027."
Find out more about Families First Partnership.