The Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel of Doncaster Council met on Thursday 10 September 2026 to discuss the progress of the Families First Partnership Programme and the council's work plan. The panel was scheduled to review performance reports on children's social care transformation and consider the council's forward plan of key decisions.

Children's Social Care Transformation and Families First Performance Report

The panel was scheduled to consider a report on the Children's Social Care Transformation and the Families First Performance Report. This report outlines the government's national reform programme for children's social care, safeguarding, and family support services, known as the Families First Partnership Programme (FFP). The FFP, linked to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, aims to rebalance the system towards prevention and earlier help, moving away from crisis intervention.

The report detailed that over the past decade, children's services nationally have faced increasing demand and complexity. The FFP seeks to address concerns about how effectively systems support families before difficulties escalate. For Doncaster, these reforms necessitate a transformation of the entire system of help, support, and protection, ensuring earlier intervention, consistent relationships, single assessments and plans, stronger family-led decision-making, and coordinated safeguarding responses.

Key to the reforms is Family Group Decision Making (FGDM), which will be integrated into the new operating model. The overarching ambition is to create a system that centres around children and families, rather than expecting families to navigate organisational boundaries. Doncaster's approach is encapsulated in the Doncaster Family Model, which utilises five key areas of practice: Signs of Safety, Solution-focused, trauma-aware/informed, restorative practice, and FGDM.

The report also highlighted the need for workforce change, as the current structure of Children's Services was designed for a different system. The FFP reforms require services to operate as an integrated system, aiming to remove duplication, increase direct work with families, improve pathways, and establish sustainable staffing models.

The report also touched upon the Best Start in Life (BSIL) Transformation, which involves redesigning the Early Intervention and Prevention Service. This includes increased investment in Early Days Workers, the creation of Lead Early Days Worker posts, and enhanced support for vulnerable families during the first 1,001 days of life. The Early Years offer has also been redesigned with the creation of Early Years Assistant roles and the introduction of Best Start Inclusion Practitioners. Family Hubs are to continue as the primary point of access for support.

Challenges and risks associated with the reforms were also outlined, including workforce recruitment and retention, service continuity during implementation, embedding cultural change, developing new ways of working, partner agency capacity, and data and system changes. The report noted that the Department for Education (DfE) monitors progress through quarterly data returns, with increasing data requests as the implementation date approaches.

The report recommended that the Panel consider the content of the report, along with the opportunities and challenges it presents.

Overview & Scrutiny Work-Plan and the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions

The panel was also scheduled to consider the Overview & Scrutiny Work-Plan for 2026-27 and the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions for the period of 1st August 2026 to 30th November 2026. The Forward Plan details key decisions expected to be taken by the Cabinet, the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Portfolio Holders, or Officers. A key decision is defined as one likely to result in significant expenditure or savings, or have a significant impact on communities across two or more wards.

The Forward Plan indicated several key decisions scheduled for the period, including the adoption of a refreshed Get Doncaster Moving Strategy, the reprocurement of Doncaster's Integrated Community Equipment Loan Service, and the approval and publication of the 2026-2031 Dementia Strategy. Other planned decisions included an update on the Medium-term Financial Strategy (MTFS) and the approval of the 2026-2029 Corporate Parenting Strategy.

Additionally, the plan listed a refreshed Youth Strategy, the approval of the Doncaster Market Enhancement and Investment Strategy, and the renewal of the Alleygate Public Spaces Protection Order. The St Leger Homes Performance Report for Quarter 2 of 2026/27 was also scheduled for consideration.

The report pack also included details of the previous meeting of the Children & Young People Overview & Scrutiny Panel held on 17th July 2026, which had discussed the Best Start for Life Program, Early Intervention and Universal and Targeted Youth Services. This previous meeting had also included a site visit to the EPIC Hub.