On Thursday 13 February, Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families hosted a national conference on how evidence and practice learning on parental relationships can drive local early help systems and family support services.
This exciting event, with a range of local and national speakers, was an opportunity to consider learning to date from the Reducing Parental Conflict Programme and how national and local government can draw on this in the development of wider family policy and delivery. The conference highlighted local practice and innovation.
This event was aimed at senior local authority leads for early help and family support, for example Assistant Directors, Strategic Leads and Commissioners.
Agenda
| Timing | Agenda item | Speaker/facilitator |
| 10:30 – 10:50 | Welcome | Ben Lewing, Assistant Director – Local Development, Foundations |
| 10:50 – 11:10 | Opening remarks | James Fuller, Department for Work & Pensions |
| 11:10 – 11:45 | Vision for children, young people, and families | Flora Wilkie, Local Government Association |
| 11:45 – 12:00 | Break | – |
| 12:00 – 13:00 | Breakout room 1: Local integration of family support | Monica Hingorani, Anna Freud |
| 12:00 – 13:00 | Breakout room 2: Engaging partners in early help & family support | Bethan Le Maistre & Helen Burridge, Foundations |
| 12:00 – 13:00 | Breakout room 3: Taking a whole family approach to parental relationships | Kate McKenna, The Staff College |
| 12:00 – 13:00 | Breakout room 4: Family support services & equality, diversity, inclusion and equity | Leandra Box & Maryam Chowdhry, Race Equality Foundation |
| 12:00 – 13:00 | Breakout room 5: Engaging parents in service and system design | Emma Higgins, Haringey Council & Angela Kenny, Bolton Council |
| 13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch | – |
| 14:00 – 15:00 | Breakout rooms | As above |
| 15:00 – 15:15 | Break | – |
| 15:15 – 15:45 | Panel discussion: What next? Early help, family support and parental relationships | Florah Shiringo, Wiltshire Council James Fuller, DWP Leandra Box, Race Equality Foundation Monica Hingorani, Anna Freud |
| 15:45 – 16:00 | Closing remarks | Ben Lewing, Foundations |
