New family help strategy shaped by local families

03 March 2026

Keeping families strong, and helping children live healthy, happy, and independent lives, is the aim of a new strategy launched this week.

North Northamptonshire Council, together with Northamptonshire Children’s Trust and partners across Health, Education, Police, and the voluntary and community sector, is launching its new Family Help Strategy – a shared commitment to ensuring that children, young people and their families receive the right support, at the right time, from the right person.

Co produced with parents, carers, young people and frontline professionals, the three-year strategy sets out a clear vision for earlier, more effective support. It strengthens partnership working and places a strong focus on family strengths, trusted relationships and support rooted in local communities.

Central to the new approach is the introduction of the Family Help Conversation – a voluntary, strengths based discussion that replaces the former Early Help Assessment. The Family Help Conversation supports families and practitioners to explore what is going well, what matters most, and what support would make the greatest difference. It brings everyone’s needs into one clear, joined up plan and reduces the need for families to repeat their story.

The new strategy focuses on building trust, recognising family strengths, and ensuring families feel heard and included. By working together across the four local areas – Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering and Wellingborough – the strategy aims to make support more accessible, more inclusive, and delivered closer to home.

By putting families’ experiences at the centre and strengthening partnership working across services, this strategy aligns with national reforms ensuring North Northamptonshire continues to improve outcomes for children and families.

The four key priorities outlined in the strategy are:

• Locality based, inclusive, accessible and timely support for all – making sure everyone feels welcome and gets the help they need
• Think family, act together – supporting the whole family to help children thrive
• Right support, right time, right person – building a confident, skilled workforce to help families in the best way possible
• Families’ voices meet evidence-based action – use data and listen to families to understand what works best for them

Cllr Elizabeth Wright, Executive Member for Children, Education and Families, said: “We want children, young people, and families in North Northamptonshire to be safe, happy, and able to be the best they can be. This strategy represents a major step forward in the way we support families. It places relationships, strengths and family help at the heart of practice. Families told us they want simple, accessible support, and the Family Help Conversation will help deliver exactly that – support closer to home and one joined up plan, built with them, not for them. This strategy shows a clear commitment to delivering the right support at the right time with the right people, and puts North Northamptonshire in a strong position to move forward confidently in line with national changes and wider national reforms.” 

The North Northamptonshire Family Help Strategy is available to read in full on the council’s website.