Hertfordshire’s Families First Partnership Programme
Building on the back of numerous reviews and policy documents, outlining the need for change, central government issued the guidelines in March 2025 for reforms to children’s social care that it requires all local authorities to make. The Families First Partnership Programme aims to transform family support systems by emphasising early intervention to prevent crises and ensuring that every family can access the right help when needed.
Since these were issued, we have been working in partnership across Hertfordshire to co-design a system which incorporates the changes required of us. In Hertfordshire, this means merging our successful multi-agency working approach across our targeted early help and family safeguarding partnerships, encompassing assessment and specialist adolescent responses. A workforce transformation programme is in place to enable the delivery of seamless community-based support for families across four geographical areas.
We have real strength in our partnership and multi-agency approaches in family safeguarding and early help, giving us firm foundations in Hertfordshire to build upon. Throughout the process of redesign, we are working closely with partners and engaging with as many organisations and individuals as possible to reshape our services to meet the needs of families in Hertfordshire.
The first phase of this programme is complete, with leadership teams from our Children and Families’ directorate, in our Children’s Services department, moving into their new locality areas (North, East, South and West) from Monday 2 February 2026. After years of developing our Hertfordshire Families First supporting families collaboration, Karen Dorney will hand over the role of Head of Service for Families First to Jason Beaumont.
If you have any questions about what this means for you or a specific activity you are involved in, please talk to the colleague who you are working with now and they’ll be able to advise you of the relevant transition information. To report concerns about a child or request support there is no change: Report concerns about a child or request support | Hertfordshire County Council
The wider Children’s Services workforce consultations will take place in 2026 and will be planned when incoming Director of Children and Families Janet Jones has had the opportunity to appraise and lead the transformation.
Changes to the Family Help estate will be in place as each locality area stands up their community-based delivery. Programme support roles are under review to align with revised rollout plans and available funding.
Subject Matter Experts are working collaboratively in the multi-agency programme team and lead communication, engagement and consultation with their own agency colleagues and contributing to the programmes decision-making about new models and ways to working which help and protect children. The four agencies were identified by the Department for Education guidance and are:
Education and Schools – Sharon Coubray, Hertfordshire Education - Sharon.Coubray@hertfordshire.gov.uk
Police – DCI Pete Howlett-Bolton, Hertfordshire Constabulary - peter.howlett-bolton@herts.police.uk
Health – Chris Harvey and Jen Sarsby, Hertfordshire and West Essex (Central East from April 2026) Integrated Care Board - chris.harvey2@nhs.net and jen.sarsby1@nhs.net
Children’s Social Care – Jennifer Weeks, Hertfordshire Children’s Services - Jennifer.Weeks@hertfordshire.gov.uk