Better communication and more SEND help needed for children

Communication could be improved to avoid “duplication and families having to repeat their stories to different professionals”, and partners could take a lead with families with whom they had built up relationships, “rather than just referring them to the council services all the time”, Stockton Council’s people select committee heard. And one committee member has expressed worries about the “horrendous” growing cost of children’s services.

The committee has reviewed partnerships in early help in a bid to improve services following the announcement of the Department for Education’s Families First Partnership Programme, national reforms bringing together social and support workers with other specialists to support families. Councillors heard of a wide range of services including the Children’s Hub – which acts as a “front door” for referrals – along with family hubs, teams, health and voluntary services and projects helping families and young people.

They found “good working relationships” with accessible family hubs bringing together services and information, and professionals offering a “comprehensive support system for families” at the earliest opportunity. But no action was taken on almost two thirds of social care assessments, suggesting “clarity is needed on the triage process at the front door”.

The report says: “Inconsistent communication, duplication in services, and gaps in data sharing protocols have been reported, which hinder the effectiveness of partnerships and lead to partners working in silos with the same families. The committee believes that a greater understanding of the different services available along with a more joined-up approach and access to information systems between services is therefore an area for improvement.

“Expanding outreach groups such as fathers and families with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is also critical… The offer for SEND families has been highlighted as an area for improvement, with training needed for professionals to understand the needs of SEND children to better equip them to offer the right support, as well as ensuring that support is offered earlier, and there is increased and purposeful communication between families and services, making sure this is well coordinated.”

The early help service received 1,311 referrals between November 2024 and January 2025. The report details services used by hundreds of families including parenting programmes, sessions, family group conferencing, youth and school support, NHS care, voluntary and community work, outreach, a police-led early intervention, a Ministry of Justice-funded “turnaround” programme for children who are arrested but not charged.

Social care assessment teams received an average of 71 referrals a week in May to June 2025, 66% of which resulted in no further action. Staff and events at family hubs were praised in a focus group, and the early help service got good feedback praising its “support and empathy” and “a neutral place to meet and you can be open and honest and say what you feel”.

However the Stockton Parent Carer Forum, a volunteer service representing parents and carers of children with SEND, said “the early help offer is poor and they are not involved in the planning”, with people finding “professionals not understanding the needs of SEND, not offering adequate support and not offering support early enough”. They called for better communication with families and between services, as well as training, practical support, “building relationships, accountability, trust and transparency”, though the forum was involved with the Families First reforms.

The report said: “It is felt that there is not enough information readily available for families with SEND and parents need to seek out help rather than being signposted to the hubs and early help. It is also felt that dads are missing from the family hub offer, as they need support and to talk to other dads too.”

The committee said there was a “strong commitment to early intervention through a wide range of services and partnerships”. It said: “Evidence gathered throughout the review from partners and service users shows that families value the support they receive.

“However, the review also identified areas for improvement, particularly around inconsistencies in communication, data sharing, service duplication, and the clarity of the early help offer for families and professionals. The high rate of no further action following statutory assessments suggests that referrals may not always be appropriately triaged, and that professionals need more confidence and clarity in navigating the early help system.

“The need for more inclusive and better coordinated support, particularly for those with SEND, has also been highlighted. There has been calls for improved signposting, more targeted programmes, and greater involvement in service planning.”

The committee recommended “a culture of shared responsibilities” to make sure early help is “everyone’s business” in schools, health and the voluntary sector, as well as a redesign of children’s services “front door” and advice, training, tools and guidance for schools and others, to get families the right support at the right time and reduce demand. It also recommends more support for people to understand the needs of SEND families, encouragement to use family hubs, systems and assessments “to ensure effective and timely communication between the council and its partners”, a robust data collection system, and the update, relaunch and promotion of online tools “to empower families to access early, universal support”.

At its latest meeting on Monday (December 8), Councillor Clare Besford, cabinet member for children and young people, said the report would benefit children and young people: “I was completely blown away by how in-depth the review was. I think what it really does evidence is that there’s some excellent partnership working within our early help team already.

“But I think as a service we would completely accept that there is room for improvement in terms of communication. It’s one of the key cornerstones of the work that’s been undertaken with regards to the Families First Partnership and also the work around the Children’s Hub and the front door, so I think the review is really timely.”

Cllr Barry Woodhouse said: “To say I’m more informed now is an understatement. It’s a brilliant piece of work.

“The thing that really worries me, though, is the increased costs of children’s services. To say it’s frightening is putting it mildly, it’s horrendous.

“Hopefully we can get over that hurdle, but with the officers and members working so hard on it, I’m sure we’ll do our best.”

Chair Cllr Marilyn Surtees also thanked officers and the committee, saying: “This was a very complex review, I found.” The committee’s report will go to cabinet in January and, if approved, will be followed by an action plan.