More funding extends child protection pilot scheme

Two councils are to continue working with the government on a pilot programme to improve child protection.

Walsall and Wolverhampton councils are two of 10 areas in England trialling the Families First for Children (FFC) programme, introduced after a major child care review in 2022 along with reports into the murders of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson in 2020.

The Department for Education (DfE) confirmed extra funding for the £45m programme.

The decision means the two authorities can carry on working on the scheme for another year.

The pilot was aimed at making sure targeted early help was available for families experiencing domestic abuse, addiction or poor mental health before issues escalated and children were put at risk of harm, ministers said.

The 2022 review found tens of thousands more children could end up in care without radical changes to child protection.

The FFC scheme is aiming to keep more children in stable family homes and to try to prevent cases of neglect.

The councils have been working with partners, agencies, voluntary and community sector and local communities while evaluating the work as it was carried out.

The model would be rolled out nationwide in the future, a DfE spokesperson said.

Wolverhampton was selected to pilot the programme in 2023 with Walsall joining through a second wave of funding announced in April 2024, a Walsall Council spokesperson said.

Other areas taking part in the programme including Dorset, Lewisham, Lincolnshire, Luton, Redbridge, Warrington, Warwickshire and The Wirral.

Councillor Stacie Elson said staff had spent a lot of time listening to families and organisations "to really understand how we can design a better model of family help together".

Arthur Labinjo-Hughes died in Solihull in 2020 after being tortured by Thomas Hughes and Emma Tustin, who were jailed for manslaughter and murder respectively.

Star Hobson, from Keighley, died in September 2020 after enduring months of abuse at the hands of her mother, Frankie Smith, and her partner, Savannah Brockhill.

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