The Joint Consultative Committee with Ethnic Minority Organisations of Merton Council met on Thursday 11 June 2026. The meeting's agenda included discussions on the Families First Partnership Programme and a review of the committee's future direction. Attendees were also scheduled to receive updates from member organisations.

Families First Partnership Programme

A significant portion of the meeting was scheduled to be dedicated to the Families First Partnership Programme. This programme aims to improve support for families by bringing services together to offer a seamless Family Help service. Key components of the programme include Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPTs) to assess and respond to child protection concerns, and Family Group Decision Making and Family Network Support Packages to recognise the role of relatives, friends, communities, and faith groups in supporting families. The programme also focuses on strengthening Multi-Agency Safeguarding Arrangements, including information sharing and integrated working with education settings.

The programme's delivery is planned in phases, with set-up and co-design occurring in 2025/26, phased implementation including pilot activities in 2026/27, and full embedment of programme principles into core practices by 2027/28. This initiative is running alongside developments in Child Poverty Strategy, Best Start Family Hubs, Integrated Neighbourhood Teams, and SEND Reform Plans.

The programme's intended impact on children and families centres on recognising that families often hold their own solutions, with support being more effective and lasting when family networks are involved from the outset. It prioritises relationship-based practice, ensuring that children, young people, and their families feel respected and supported. The programme aims for first contacts to be meaningful, impactful, and offer holistic support from the appropriate person at the right time, thereby reducing stigma.

Community organisations are identified as key partners in this programme, with the potential to contribute to the early detection of need, leverage trusted family relationships, provide insights into children's lived experiences, and support the development of realistic family plans. An illustrative story of a child named 'A' of Somali heritage highlighted how a voluntary sector group, with shared cultural understanding, was able to broker discussions and support the family in reconsidering their approach to the child's Education, Health and Care needs, achieving more headway than previous local authority engagement.

Community groups are encouraged to influence Family Group Decision Making approaches by supporting family networks, actively participating in meetings, and building trust and engagement. Suggestions include helping families identify key individuals in a child's life, encouraging the formation of supportive networks, and reassuring families that meetings are focused on support.

The report pack provided guidance on the role and contribution of community groups, encouraging them to read the Families First Partnership Programme Guide: Year 2 (2026 to 2027) and visit Merton Council's Best Start Family Hubs. Queries were to be directed to the FFP Programme Team at familiesfirstpartnership@merton.gov.uk.

Refreshing the JCC: A Way Forward for the Joint Consultative Committee with Ethnic Minority Organisations

The meeting was also scheduled to discuss a review of the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) with Ethnic Minority Organisations. The report highlighted a decline in organisational attendance in recent years and a tendency for agenda items to focus on council officers presenting existing policies and programmes. Efforts to include updates from organisations had seen limited success due to low attendance.

The opportunity was presented to refresh the JCC, with new councillor membership and a new Chair providing a chance to make the committee fit for the future. The aims of this refresh included improving engagement by ensuring an up-to-date membership list and enhancing the forum as a means for organisations to advise on policy.

The current Terms of Reference for the JCC were outlined, noting that it is not included in the Council's Constitution but its terms are agreed annually. The JCC's membership consists of seven Merton Councillors and representatives from community organisations. Its functions include advising and making recommendations on strategic policy issues relating to local concerns of ethnic minority communities, the provision of council services with reference to these needs, the elimination of discriminatory practices, the promotion of equal opportunities, and applications for funding. It also contributes to and monitors the Council's Equality and Diversity Statement and Policy, and Race Equality commitments.

A list of organisations represented was provided, intended to aid discussion on who should be invited to join the JCC. Suggestions for moving forward included more rigorous agenda-setting with papers sent out at least a week in advance, a buddy-up system for organisations to encourage attendance, and presentations from community sector organisations as well as council and local agencies. It was proposed that sessions could take the form of case studies demonstrating collaborative working in areas such as Health & Wellbeing, Community Safety, Heritage and Culture, and the Environment. Spotlight items for organisations to perform or present were also suggested, alongside a questionnaire to ascertain members' desired agenda topics.

A timeline for these discussions was proposed, with follow-up contact with the current membership to ensure engagement. The next meeting of the JCC on 8 October 2026 was intended to propose and agree new Terms of Reference, new organisation membership, and a new agenda-setting process.

JCC Member Update

The agenda also included a slot for JCC Member Updates, where representatives from ethnic minority organisations were scheduled to provide information on their work.

Any Other Business (AOB)

The agenda concluded with a slot for Any Other Business, allowing for any additional matters to be raised.