The Children, Families and Skills Scrutiny Committee of Lancashire County Council met on Wednesday 3rd December 2025 to discuss the Principal Social Worker's Annual Report and the Families First Programme. The committee reviewed significant progress in social worker recruitment and retention, and considered the phased implementation plan for the Families First initiative, which aims to transform children's social care services.

Principal Social Worker's Annual Report

The committee received a comprehensive annual report from Tonya Harrison, Principal Social Worker for Children's Services, detailing achievements in workforce strategy over the past year. A key focus was on recruitment and retention, with significant reductions in social worker vacancies and agency staff usage. The report highlighted that Lancashire now has a vacancy rate of 4.3%, considerably lower than the national average of 17%, and agency reliance has fallen to 6.4% of the social work workforce, compared to the national average of 16%. These improvements have resulted in savings of over £3 million in workforce costs.

The report also detailed efforts to improve staff retention, including enhanced induction pathways, the development of senior social worker and career progression frameworks, and investment in team manager training. Staff surveys indicated high levels of job satisfaction, with 93% of the workforce reporting they enjoy their job and feel supported by their managers. The committee heard that Lancashire is becoming a destination employer for social workers, with a turnover rate of just over 10% for case-holding social workers, which is below the national average.

Workforce development initiatives, including practice weeks focusing on trauma-informed approaches and neurodiversity, and a comprehensive Social Work Academy programme, were also presented. The committee was assured that the council is actively working to ensure a skilled and stable workforce to meet the needs of children and families in Lancashire.

Families First Programme

Louise Anderson, Director of Children's Social Care, presented an overview of the Families First Programme, a national initiative funded by the Department for Education (DfE) aimed at transforming children's social care. The programme, which Lancashire has received over £5 million to implement, focuses on three core components: Family Help, Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPTs), and Family Group Decision-Making (FGDM). The aim is to provide early, relationship-based help through integrated services, reducing fragmentation and ensuring children receive the right support at the right time.

The implementation will be phased, building on Lancashire's existing Family Safeguarding and Early Help models. Key immediate actions include expanding FGDM capacity, strengthening social work supervision within intensive family support teams, and upgrading data infrastructure. The programme aims to reduce the number of children entering the care system by promoting family-led solutions and improving multi-agency collaboration.

The committee discussed the potential benefits, including strengthened family stability, more effective multi-agency coordination, and enhanced workforce skills. Challenges such as capacity constraints, financial sustainability, and inter-agency coordination, particularly in light of the upcoming Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), were also acknowledged. The committee recommended further actions and areas for assurance regarding the programme's implementation and governance.

Children, Families and Skills Work Programme 2025/26

The committee reviewed and noted the work programme for 2025/26. Key items scheduled for the next meeting on 14th January 2026 include reports on the Child and Youth Justice Service and the Education Strategy Annual Report and Attainment Data. The committee also discussed the potential impact of Local Government Reorganisation on the Families First Programme and agreed to ensure this is a specific focus for future discussions.