Stronger Families keeps children out of care for the equivalent of 1,000 years

We’re delighted to announce that Stronger Families – a partnership made up of Bridges Outcomes Partnerships, Norfolk County Council, Suffolk County Council, and Family Psychology Mutual – which delivers innovative family therapy, has supported 584 children at risk of being taken into care, or who have returned to their families from care, to remain safely with their families (as of 30^th September) – cumulatively saving the equivalent of 1,000 years of days in care.

With over 105,000 children in care across the UK[1], and about one child in care in every 140 in England[2], too many children are being separated from their family. Research suggests that looked-after children tend to experience significantly poorer life outcomes than other children, affecting areas including mental and physical health, education and socioeconomic circumstance[3]^,[4].

As well as limiting life chances, the growing population of children in care is putting local authority resources under increasing pressure; nationally all 151 councils with children’s services responsibility overspent on their budgets following growing demand to remove children to care[5].

Since 2019, 584 families have completed Stronger Families’ evidence-based clinical interventions, Functional Family Therapy (FFT) and FFT Child Welfare (FFT CW), remaining out of care for over 365,000 cumulative days as of 30^th September 2024.

Stronger Families’ approach enables families to address challenging patterns of behaviour and communication in order to build their capacity for sustainable, positive change. The delivery works to prevent family breakdown and give families the tools to cope, so that children can remain safely with their families and experience reduced involvement with children’s services.

The programme’s tracking process monitors number of care days saved alongside other measurable impacts that go beyond at-risk children to benefit whole families: the 365,000-day milestone saw 93% of children not entering/re-entering care during the tracking period, and a majority reporting improved family functioning[6].

Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils have taken bold steps to support this innovative and collaborative outcomes-based approach, which champions a more flexible, tailored, data-driven delivery model, and better value for money.

Keeping these families together is directly linked to cost reductions for the local authorities in both care costs avoided (where children are on a trajectory to care) and immediate cost savings (where children have been reunified with their families). During the initial 18-month tracking period, the delivery saves between £39,000 and £88,000 per family that successfully completes the intervention, in relation to the estimated cost of supporting a child in care – amounting to a total net savings to date of at least £29.4m. When compared to pay-for-inputs approaches, outcomes-based family therapy delivers an average 25% better outcomes for 80% more families at 20%-50% lower cost per family, keeping more children safely out of care[7].

Of the service, one young person reflected: “The therapist helped us understand each other. Thank you so much for your help, I appreciate it millions. [I] don’t know what we’d [have] done without you.”

Robbie Smyth, Director at Stronger Families said: “We are absolutely delighted to have kept young people we supported out of care for an enormous one thousand years’ worth of days since 2019, strengthening the relationships of so many young people and families.

The milestone goes to show just how effective outcomes partnership can be – not only in supporting individuals and families to create long-term, positive change, but in providing a clear partnership blueprint for the entire system to support families in personalised, sensitive, and effective ways. Thanks to our partners Family Psychology Mutual, Family Functional Therapy LLC and to Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils, for embracing innovation.”

Councillor Penny Carpenter, cabinet member for Children’s Services at Norfolk County Council, said: “Keeping children and young people with their families is always the aim, where it is safe and possible to do so, and the Stronger Families service has supplied a new way of working to achieve this.  Dedicated therapists work as a partnership with our multi-disciplinary teams of professionals, including social workers, family support workers, substance misuse and domestic abuse specialists and community partners, who work tirelessly to support families through difficult times to make a lasting impact on the lives of children and families in Norfolk.

Norfolk County Council will always put the children and family first, making sure they are supported where needed and as early as possible, so the children and young people can flourish.”

Cllr Bobby Bennett, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services at Suffolk County Council, said: “Families tell us that the work the Stronger Families Partnership is doing alongside wider children’s services in Suffolk, provides help that really, really matters.

Working with families that are facing a wide range of pressures and that have the potential to result in family breakdown and young people potentially needing to become Looked After, the partnership is supporting more families to safely stay together.

It’s an achievement that Suffolk County Council is proud to be a part of.”

Dr. Tom Jefford, Joint CEO of Family Psychology Mutual said “This result is a testament to the hard work both of the partnership and of our dedicated therapeutic teams, working collaboratively with children’s services. Achieving sustainable behavioural change and helping families to rebuild relationships through times of acute crisis and challenge takes great skill and perseverance. We build on family strengths and by working with parents and their children in their own homes we can deliver a high quality and consistent service that can bring about lasting change.

Stronger Families builds on the learnings of BOP’s broader family therapy work, including from Positive Families Partnerships, which delivered therapy to families across London.

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[1] https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/statistics-briefings/looked-after-children

[2] https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/blog/new-evidence-on-unaccompanied-children-seeking-asylum/

[3] https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/media/4j5nsulc/statistics-briefing-children-in-care.pdf

[4] https://www.adruk.org/our-mission/our-impact/the-lifelong-health-and-wellbeing-trajectories-of-people-who-have-been-in-care/

[5] https://www.countycouncilsnetwork.org.uk/councils-face-surge-in-young-people-coming-into-care-as-new-report-shows-how-local-authorities-are-managing-demand/

[6] Combined Score-15 clinical scores for children/young people and parent/carers

[7] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a80e3b440f0b62305b8db80/Step_Change_an_evaluation.pdf