The Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel of Doncaster Council met on Thursday 10 September 2026 to discuss the progress of children's social care reforms and the council's work plan. The meeting's agenda included a detailed performance report on the Families First Partnership Programme, which aims to rebalance the system towards prevention and early intervention.

Children's Social Care Transformation and Families First Performance Report

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to discussing the Children's Social Care Transformation and Families First Performance Report. This report outlines the progress of children's services in Doncaster in relation to the government's national reform programme, the Families First Partnership Programme (FFP). The FFP, linked to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, represents a major overhaul of children's services, aiming to shift focus from crisis intervention to prevention, earlier help, stronger family networks, and improved multi-agency safeguarding.

The report highlighted that over the past decade, children's services nationally have faced increasing demand and complexity. The FFP reforms are intended to transform the system to ensure children and families receive earlier intervention, consistent relationships, a single assessment and plan, and coordinated safeguarding responses. Key to these reforms is Family Group Decision Making (FGDM), which will be integrated into the new operating model. Doncaster's approach is guided by the Doncaster Family Model, which incorporates principles of Signs of Safety, solution-focused practice, trauma-informed care, restorative practice, and FGDM.

The report detailed the three core pillars of the FFP: Family Help, Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPTs), and Family Networks. Family Help will consolidate targeted early help, Child in Need services, and multi-disciplinary support into a single system, aiming to reduce duplication and improve family experience. MACPTs will lead child protection decision-making, bringing together specialists from social care, police, education, and health. Family Networks will centre family-led decision-making through FGDM and Family Group Conferences.

The report also addressed the necessary workforce changes to support these reforms, noting that the current structure of Children's Services was designed for a different system. The aim is to remove duplication, increase direct work with families, improve pathways, and establish sustainable staffing models. The Best Start in Life (BSIL) Transformation was also discussed, detailing redesigns in Early Intervention and Prevention services, including increased investment in Early Days Workers, the creation of Early Years Assistant roles, and the enhanced role of Family Hubs.

Challenges and risks associated with the reforms were also outlined, including workforce recruitment and retention, service continuity during implementation, embedding cultural change, and data and system changes. The report noted that the Department for Education (DfE) is monitoring progress through quarterly data returns, and plans are in place to mitigate risks related to data and IT systems.

Overview & Scrutiny Work-Plan and the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions

The Panel also considered the Overview & Scrutiny Work-Plan for 2026-27 and the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions for the period of 1st August 2026 to 30th November 2026. The work plan outlines the scheduled scrutiny activities across various committees, including the Children and Young People Panel. The Forward Plan details key decisions expected to be taken by the Cabinet, Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Portfolio Holders, or Officers within the specified timeframe. These decisions are defined as those likely to result in significant expenditure or savings, or have a significant impact on communities across two or more wards.

The Forward Plan indicated potential key decisions relevant to children and young people, such as the adoption of a refreshed Get Doncaster Moving Strategy, the approval of the 2026-2029 Corporate Parenting Strategy, and the approval of a refreshed Youth Strategy. These are subject to the decision-making process outlined in the Forward Plan.