Stoke-on-Trent City Council: Working with the voluntary and community sector to ensure families can thrive

With its rich history and important role in England’s industrial past, Stoke-on-Trent has a lot to celebrate. In recent years, the city has faced challenges. Significant gaps exist between outcomes for people here and in other parts of England. These include life expectancy, educational attainment, development rates for young children, economic productivity, wage levels and the number of children in local authority care. 

In March 2024, the number of children in care in Stoke-on-Trent reached a record high of 1,156 – relative to population, more than any other local authority area in the country. A major factor influencing this is poverty. In 2022/23, 46.3 per cent of children here were living in poverty, against a regional average of 39 per cent (End Child Poverty Coalition). 

Stoke-on-Trent City Council recognises that persistent inequality and consequent low wellbeing are the greatest challenges facing the city. The council has renewed its focus on driving down inequalities in all areas of life, for everyone from the youngest residents to the oldest. As a foundation for this, the council is strengthening partnership working to ensure that children across the city have the best start in life.

‘Family Matters’ was launched in March 2024 as a multi-agency programme designed to give Stoke-on-Trent families access to the support they need to thrive, stay together and flourish. It reflects the city council’s commitment, outlined in the Corporate Strategy 2024-28, to investing in the voluntary and community sector to develop family support within communities. 

The Family Matters approach ensures better coordination and targeted delivery of support through ‘locally trusted organisations’ (LTOs). Four LTOs were appointed to design and coordinate support for families, each covering a different area of the city. They are Just Family CIC, YMCA North Staffordshire, Alice Charity and Family Focus. The LTOs are contracted to deliver a ‘family coordinator’ service, pulling in other organisations to address issues that a family might encounter from time to time. 

Alongside the LTO family coordinator service, Family Matters includes other workstreams: 

• Citywide play – ensuring that under-fours have access to play and physical activity opportunities, particularly in disadvantaged communities.
• Youth provision – ensuring that every area of the city has accessible, high-quality provision for young people, including outreach in under-served areas.
• Family learning – led by Stoke-on-Trent College, this provides opportunities for parents and children to learn together through activities.
• Mental health and wellbeing – support in three schools, including regular drop-in sessions and a full-time member of staff for emotional support.
• Alignment of 0-19 activity across those services directed towards families, along with the expansion of activity to meet the varied needs both in universal and early family help settings, including family hubs. 

Patrick Myers is Programme Director for Family Matters and a former assistant director of children’s services. He explained that the idea came about through concern over the rising number of looked-after children in Stoke-on-Trent. 

“We recognised that one way to make a difference would be through early help for families. One of the best ways to do that is through voluntary sector organisations who know their communities and are located within them, rather than dealing with it when it comes to our attention as statutory services. The idea is to provide support very early on before issues escalate and intervention is required.”

Family Matters is part of an enhanced family support offer across Stoke-on-Trent based around the growing network of family hubs. The programme was initially funded for two years, with Stoke-on-Trent City Council investing £1.5 million from the public health grant and the NHS Integrated Care Board investing £1 million. Other partners have provided support in kind. The team is now working to secure funding from 2026. 

Less than a year into the programme, signs of change could already be seen. From the record high of 1,156 children in care in March 2024, by December the figure had fallen to 1,091. Referrals to children’s social care had decreased, as had the number of children subject to protection plans. 

Patrick Myers believes that locating this work in public health, rather than in children and family services, enables a community-based approach to be adopted along with a focus on how inequalities in health impact on family resilience. Delivering support through trusted organisations removes the direct link with statutory services and can encourage greater take-up. 

The programme is overseen by an executive board and a wider partnership forum. Here, the whole council and wider partners connect to ensure that everyone is focused on the shared agenda of creating strong families and strong communities. 

Ultimately, Family Matters is expected to reduce the financial pressures from the care system and reduce the amount spent on children’s care placements. Its full impact will be felt over the coming few years and decades, as today’s children grow into adults. Patrick Myers said: “This is about increasing community-based activity through pump-priming new resources to reduce the need for more intensive support. It’s about working with and through our communities.” 

Councillor Lynn Watkins, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “Childhood experiences can have a lasting impact on health and wellbeing into adulthood, so it’s fantastic that Family Matters is already making a difference in our communities. 

“We will always start from the perspective of understanding the strengths of people and communities, rather than just seeing their needs, and that’s exactly what Family Matters does.” 

Patrick Myers added: “The spirit of partnership has been really important. The partners for this work are participants in its delivery, so everyone has an interest. Equally important has been a joining up of funding, such as the Household Support Fund and UK Shared Prosperity Fund, because the work of Family Matters links with the outcomes they want to secure as well.” 

‘Our City, Our Wellbeing’ Corporate Strategy 2024-28