As a director of children's services, I've wholeheartedly embraced the children’s social care reforms. These changes represent the most significant overhaul of our system in a generation, aiming to address long-standing issues and improve the lives of vulnerable children and families across the country. However, whilst I welcome the increased funding, it comes after years of underfunding and there is significant work ahead.

Together with the senior leadership team, we have begun exploring how we will interpret and implement the Families First Partnership Guide in our local area. We're learning from various pathfinders and eagerly joining every webinar we can! It is timely, as the process has given us an opportunity to reflect and map out how and what we're currently doing, where we need to duplicate efforts, and how many ‘front doors’ we have to access services. It's confusing for us, let alone for families and partner agencies, so we're invested in change for the better.

I am grateful for the support from the wider corporate team. It is invaluable in managing the immense challenge of these reforms whilst also handling the daily responsibilities of delivering children's services, anticipating ILACS and SEND inspections, and keeping our workforce motivated and stable.

I'm a strong advocate for early intervention and prevention, so the Families First Partnership/Family Help approach aligns perfectly with my belief that addressing issues early can significantly improve outcomes for children and families. This belief is central to our work in Stockton-on-Tees, where we're using our transformation programme to design and implement systemic change within our communities.

One inspiring example of our work here is a targeted programme focused on improving children’s speech, language, and communication skills from nursery school age. I was alarmed to learn that at age three, the language skills gap between children living in disadvantage areas compared with those from wealthier backgrounds is 17 months. However, through this targeted programme, we're seeing this gap narrow. The improvement in a child’s language skills at such an early age, through engagement with schools, parents, and carers, can be life changing. Research tells us that good language skills by age five is an important factor in helping children escape poverty. Witnessing these transformations firsthand is incredibly fulfilling and motivates us to ensure that all schools and parents understand the importance of this and the difference it can make.

There's a buzz in our senior manager meetings; we're excited about the opportunities the reforms will bring for children’s services in Stockton-on-Tees, but we're realistic that there's a lot of hard work involved. We know that it is essential that we work as a team, bringing all stakeholders to the table and along with us on the journey. We're committed to engaging with our workforce to gather their insights and foster a sense of ownership in our service design. Understandably, there will be a lot of anxiety with any proposed changes, so regular engagement, feedback and communication will be essential whilst we work through this.

As we navigate our way through all these changes, we're continuing to seek and explore innovative ways to ensure children growing up in Stockton-on-Tees have the best possible start in life, and which provide us with valuable learnings and insights that will help shape how we implement the reforms. We're about to embark on another exciting early intervention and prevention pilot based on a local school in an area of high poverty and deprivation, chosen based on assessed needs. This pilot will involve active engagement with children, families, the community, and partner agencies to see how we can co-design services to improve outcomes and make sustainable changes that are owned by children, families, and the community.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and it's a timely reminder of why we do what we do. Research shows a significant link between neglect, poverty, and deprivation. In a North-East local area facing high poverty and deprivation, a significant number of children under child protection plans are categorised as neglected. It has never been more crucial to act.

As we look to the future, I'm filled with hope and determination. With ambitious plans to co-design our services and reach even more families in need, we can create a more supportive and effective system that truly makes a difference to the lives of children and families.