Children and Families Social Care Families First Partnership

Feedback updated 22 Apr 2026

Results updated 21 Apr 2026

Thank you for taking part

Thank you to everyone who shared their views as part of the Families First Partnership consultation. Your experiences, ideas and concerns have helped Somerset Council understand what is working well, what is not working, and what needs to change to better support children and families.

This summary explains what you told us and what will happen next.

Who took part

• 188 people in Somerset took part, including children and young people, parents, foster carers, connected carers and special guardians, and professionals
• Many people had recent experience of Children’s Social Care
• People shared their views throughout October and November 2025

What you told us

1. You want to feel listened to

The most common message was the need to feel heard and taken seriously.

• Many people said they want professionals to:
• Take time to listen
• Understand their situation properly
• Involve them in decisions

As one person said:

“Free up more time for social workers etc to actually ‘talk with families’ and listen to them.”

Families also told us it is important to listen to everyone in the family, not just one person:

“More of working with the whole family & listening to the whole families views.”

2. You want quicker help and clearer communication

Many said support can take too long, especially when families are worried or asking for help early.

You told us you want:

• Faster responses to referrals and concerns
• Clear information about what is happening and why
• Honest, open communication

One person said:

“Quicker responses, faster actions, so that young people don’t have to wait so long to get the support they need.”

3. You want consistent workers and stable relationships

You said it is hard when workers change often. Having to repeat your story again and again can be upsetting and frustrating.

You told us you need:

• The same worker for consistency
• Fewer handovers
• Stable relationships

As one response explained:

“Same case worker so I’m not telling issues [more than] once and not [having a] stop start approach as next staff comes along.”

4. You value workers who are kind and supportive

Families did say that individual workers are often caring and supportive.

This shows that relationships matter and that families value workers who:

• Are approachable
• Treat them with respect
• Work alongside them, not against them

 5. You want support earlier, not just when things reach crisis

You told us there is not enough early help, and that support often arrives too late.

People suggested:

• Walk‑in support where parents can talk to someone without fear of judgement:

“Where a parent can go for a talk with a non‑judgemental listening person who can help.”

• More help before problems get worse.

6. What children and care experienced young people told us

The Somerset in Care Council (SiCC) and Somerset Leaving Care Council (SLCC) shared a joint response.

They told us:

• Consistent workers are very important
• Decisions should be explained clearly
• Families should be involved in decisions
• People need to know what support is available

They also said there should be:

“More people on the ground to notice need and changes for children, young people & families.”

What is already working and should continue

Some families said it is important that these supports continue:

• Route1 advocacy service
• Homes and Horizons
• CWD Activity Passes
• Adoption Support Fund

What Somerset Council will do next

Based on what you told us, Somerset Council will now:

1. Look closely at what you said

Senior leaders will:

• Review the consultation findings
• Look at other local data
• Explore where changes will make the biggest difference

2. Learn from other areas

We will:

• Look at what has worked well in other councils
• Learn from national pilot areas
• Use this learning to shape changes in Somerset

3. Involve people

We will:

• Run focus groups with families and young people as well as multi-agency professionals
• Use these to develop ideas together
• Make sure lived experience helps shape services

4. Give clear communication

We will:

• Be clear about what is changing and when
• Explain how feedback has influenced decisions
• Consider the best ways to share updates with families
• Make information easy to understand
• Be open about next steps and progress

A final message

You told us clearly that families want to be listened to, supported earlier, and treated with respect. You also told us that change needs to feel real, not tokenistic.

Somerset Council recognises both the frustration and the hope in your responses and is committed to using your feedback to improve how children and families are supported in the future.