Frontline to deliver five new Government programmes to improve outcomes for children

Frontline, in partnership with Lancaster University and Ambition Institute, has been selected to deliver five new programmes as part of the Government’s National Professional Development Offer for children’s social care. These programmes will support social workers, practitioners, managers and leaders across children’s services, strengthening the quality, consistency and confidence of the workforce that children and families rely on.

This announcement comes at a critical moment for children and young people. Demand for support remains very high, with many families facing increasing complexity, adversity and instability. Children’s services teams – from early help through to child protection and leadership – are working under sustained pressure and the growing needs of the communities they serve. Despite these challenges, practitioners across the system remain deeply committed to helping children feel safe, supported and able to thrive.

The Government’s wider children’s social care reforms aim to reset the system by strengthening early help, improving multi disciplinary working and ensuring children and families receive timely, high quality support. This new professional development offer is a central part of this agenda, representing one of the most significant investments in workforce development in over a decade. It is designed to equip professionals at every level with the skills, confidence and leadership needed to deliver excellent practice and better long term outcomes for children.

Following a competitive tender process, the Department for Education has selected Frontline to deliver all five programmes within the offer:

• Early Career Development Programme
• Family Help Team Manager Programme
• Lead Child Protection Practitioner Programme
• Leadership Programme
• Director of Children’s Services Leadership Programme

The Staff College (VSC Plus Ltd) has also been selected to deliver the Leadership Programme and the Director of Children’s Services Leadership Programme, in partnership with Research in Practice. Frontline and the Staff College will develop different versions of these programmes, independently, with local authorities having a choice between providers. The first programmes will begin from September 2027.

Professional development is central to Frontline’s mission. Over the past 13 years, the charity has worked to strengthen children’s services by training and developing individuals and teams across the system, from early career practitioners to senior leaders. Frontline’s programmes have consistently focused on improving practice, building confident leadership and supporting professionals to make better decisions for children at risk of harm. The new development offer will significantly accelerate this work, enabling Frontline and its partners to reach more professionals and deepen the impact across local authority children’s services – directly improving the lives of some of the country’s most vulnerable children.

The programmes will draw on Frontline’s extensive experience in practice development and leadership, combined with the deep expertise of Lancaster University and Ambition Institute, and the insight of partners, professionals and individuals with lived experience of social care. Together, they will deliver training that is rigorous, evidence based and rooted in the realities of frontline practice: supporting practitioners, managers and leaders to work more effectively with children and families.

Mary Jackson, Chief Executive of Frontline, commented:

Children deserve services that are effective, stable and built around their needs. Every day, practitioners across children’s services work with dedication and commitment to help children feel safe, supported and hopeful about their futures. This investment in professional development is a powerful commitment to those children, and to the professionals who support them.

“By strengthening early help, child protection practice, team management and leadership, these programmes will help ensure that children receive the right support at the right time. Frontline is proud to have been chosen to lead this work with Lancaster University and Ambition Institute and we look forward to supporting local authorities to deliver the high-quality services that children and families deserve.”

These programmes will support not only social workers, but also the wider children’s workforce, including family help teams, multi‑disciplinary practitioners, team managers, senior leaders and directors of children’s services. By investing in people at every level, the development offer will help build more confident teams, stronger leadership cultures and more effective early help pathways. This will contribute directly to improved safety, stability and long term outcomes for children and young people living complex lives.

Frontline has worked closely with the Department for Education and local authority children’s services since its founding. This new partnership with the Department for Education and local authorities represents an opportunity to deepen that collaboration and support the Government’s vision for a more joined‑up, child centred system of support to put children and young people’s needs first and deliver better long-lasting outcomes.

Programme development begins immediately, with further details to be shared in the coming months.

Karen Broadhurst, Distinguished Professor of Social Work at Lancaster University, said:

Investing in the professional development of practising social workers, managers and leaders across children’s services is essential to improving outcomes for children and families facing increasingly complex challenges and adversity. Lancaster University and the Centre for Child and Family Justice Research are delighted to bring our expertise to this partnership, supporting the Government’s ambitious family preservation agenda and recognising the vital contribution of the dedicated children’s social care workforce.”

About Lancaster University

Lancaster University is a collegiate university, known for impactful research and inspiring teaching. Consistently highly placed in all major UK league tables, Lancaster is ranked third in the UK for social work, top 10 overall in the Complete University Guide 2027 and ranked 10th for social work Graduate Prospects in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2027.

lancaster.ac.uk/about-us

About Ambition Institute

Ambition Institute is a national professional development charity working to give every child the best start in life, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. It designs and delivers evidence-informed training and development to help professionals strengthen their practice and improve outcomes for children and young people. Its work spans schools, early years, SEND and inclusion, and international education.

ambition.org.uk