I am delighted that Stockport will be part of the Government’s new £9.4 million Care Together pilot, bringing faster, simpler access to mental health and social care support for children, young people and families who need it most.
This is an important step towards ensuring that children who are supported by social care can get the right help, at the right time, without families having to navigate a complicated system to find the support they need.
The Care Together pilot will be led by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board, working in partnership with Stockport, Tameside and Rochdale councils. It is expected to support up to 7,000 children and young people, as well as their parents, carers and guardians, across the three boroughs.
For families in Stockport, this means the potential for more joined-up support between mental health professionals and children’s social care teams, helping to identify needs earlier and provide more tailored support.
Bringing mental health and social care together:
We know that children and young people who have contact with social care can face significant challenges, including the effects of trauma, adversity and difficult experiences in their lives. Their parents, carers and wider families can also need help and support.
Too often, accessing that support can mean navigating different services, repeating difficult experiences and waiting for the right help to arrive. Families should not have to struggle through a fragmented system at the very moment they need support most.
Care Together aims to change that. Mental health professionals from existing NHS services will be embedded within children’s social care settings, bringing expertise together in one team. This should make it easier for children and families to access the support they need, including family therapy and help for parents and primary caregivers.
The focus will be on understanding each child’s circumstances and responding to their individual needs. By bringing professionals together, the pilot will also help reduce the burden on families of finding their way between different services.
I particularly welcome the emphasis on earlier intervention. Getting the right support at an earlier stage can make a real difference to a child’s wellbeing, help families through difficult periods and reduce the risk of problems escalating into a crisis.
A positive step for Stockport families:
I want every child and young person in our community to have the opportunity to grow up feeling safe and supported.
The pilot will cover children in need, children on child protection plans, children in care, care leavers and adopted children, alongside their parents, carers and guardians. It therefore has the potential to make a meaningful difference to a wide range of families who may face particularly complex challenges.
The Government is investing up to £9.4 million over three years, with the pilot expected to launch in early 2027 and run until 2029. During that time, the programme will be evaluated to understand how well it works and whether it could be expanded to other parts of the country.
It will be important that the experience of children and families in Stockport helps shape that evaluation, so we can understand how services can continue to improve.
Part of a wider commitment to children and families:
Care Together is also part of the Government’s wider work to improve children’s social care.
That includes £2.4 billion through the Families First Partnership Programme to support earlier, targeted intervention and reform, a commitment to create 10,000 new foster places during this Parliament, and a £500 million investment in expanding children’s homes and improving the availability of appropriate care placements.
Support for young people leaving care is also important. Every young person deserves the chance to build a stable adult life, with access to the help they need with their health, education, housing and employment.
These commitments recognise that supporting children is not just about responding when something goes wrong. It is about building services that work together, supporting families earlier and helping young people establish secure, positive relationships for the future.
I am thankful to all NHS staff and mental health charities in Stockport for the vital work they do.
Notes -
Childline (08001111): https://www.childline.org.uk/
NSPCC (0808 800 5000): https://www.nspcc.org.uk/