Brighton & Hove chosen to deliver new Family Network pilot
Brighton and Hove have been chosen to deliver a new Family Network pilot. (FNP)
Funded by the Department for Education as part of their proposed reforms of children's social care, Stable Homes, Built on Love Strategy; the scheme will look at transformative ways to involve wider family members in supporting parents so that children can stay at home.
The programme will provide £1.2 million in funding to Brighton & Hove over two years.
Supporting Brighton and Hove's families
We will use the funding to support extended families, providing them with an opportunity to think differently about how they can help parents to look after children.
The funding will help families provide additional support to parents who need time to address difficulties they may be experiencing. For example, to support grandparents to run a car to collect and take children to school, to convert a room in their home for a child or enable them to take unpaid leave from work to support the child's care.
Developing best practice for the future care system
Stable Homes Bult on Love responds to recommendations made in the Independent Review of Children's Social Care, led by Josh MacAlister as well as the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel's review triggered by the tragic deaths of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson.
The programme will look to develop the best practice models for the entire children's social care system, which can then be rolled out across the country.
Councillor Lucy Helliwell, joint chair of the Children, Families & Schools committee, said: "Brighton & Hove City Council is committed to ensuring that all families needing support receive this in the right way at the right time, and this funding will help us to focus on practical ways to do that.
"We're encouraged that the UK government are looking to address the problems raised within the independent reviews, as it recognises profound shortcomings over previous years.
"We look forward to seeing the results of this pilot and hope that Brighton & Hove can lead by example to other councils across the UK and help provide solutions to the issues raised within the care system."