Agenda item

Report from the Strategic Director of Children and Young People’s Services.

Recommendations:

That Cabinet:

1. Notes the progress made since the last update on 9th June 2025.

2. Notes the expenditure of the Children’s Social Care Prevention Grant since the last update on 9th June 2025.

3. Agrees to receive a further update in March 2026.

Consideration was given to the report which provided an update on the progress to date of the Families First Partnership Programme in Rotherham, including the expenditure of the Children’s Social Care Prevention Grant. In February 2025, the Government published the grant determination for the Children’s Social Care Prevention Grant for 2025-26 (Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) allocation £2.083m). This new grant was specifically  for direct investment in additional prevention activity for children and families through the implementation of Family Help and Child Protection reforms. It was intended to fund local authorities to deliver against the planned new legislative duties. This was in addition to the Children and Families Grant, which was now mainstreamed funding, initially for the Supporting Families programme and intended to enable continuation of existing Prevention Services.

Following Cabinet approval on 9th June 2025, to establish the governance structure for the management, oversight, and scrutiny of the Families First Partnership Transformation Programme, progress had been made by the Council in realising the ambition of the Programme and initiating a partnership approach to delivery. The inaugural meeting of the Families First Programme Delivery Group was held in September 2025. This meeting had good representation from key officers across the Partnership including South Yorkshire Police, Health, and Education, along with Council Service areas.

On 9th June 2025, Cabinet received confirmation of the intended enabling workstreams which would be accountable to the Families First Partnership Programme Delivery Group, for mobilising and driving forward some of the key changes and opportunities within the Programme. These were the Family Help Partnership Group, Workforce Group, Practice Development Group, Statutory Children’s Service Multi-Agency Steering Group, ICT Development Group and Voice Steering Group. Further details on the workstreams were set out in paragraph 2.4 of the report.

In addition to the Programme, governance arrangements being established, a number of key appointments had been made. These additional resources would form a transformation team providing dedicated capacity to enable the Programme to accelerate delivery. These included the Strategic Programme Lead; Participation Lead; Communication and Marketing Manager and Family Help Navigators.

The Cabinet report dated 9th June 2025 confirmed that Rotherham had been allocated £2.083 million for the financial year 2025/26 through the Children’s Social Care Prevention Grant. This funding was ringfenced for direct investment in enhanced prevention activities for children and families, delivered through the implementation of the Family First Partnership Programme (FFPP). Subsequently, the Government had awarded an additional £0.127 million to support further transformation initiatives. This brought the total funding allocated to Rotherham for 2025/26 to £2.210 million.

In addition to confirming the funding allocation, the Cabinet report of June 2025 set out the intended use of the Children’s Social Care Prevention Grant in line with the conditions outlined in the Grant Determination Letter. The funding would be used to support the following: to deliver transformation activity; increased direct delivery of Family Help; practice development, workforce development and ICT development; and children and family voice. The table at paragraph 6.4 of the report set out the planned expenditure and commitments to date for 2025/26.

It was agreed that a further update would be presented to Cabinet in March 2026.

Resolved:

That Cabinet:

1.    Notes the progress made since the last update on 9th June 2025.

2.    Notes the expenditure of the Children’s Social Care Prevention Grant since the last update on 9th June 2025.

3.    Agrees to receive a further update in March 2026.