nce in identifying key contacts across agencies. Positive early feedback on key roles • The Lead Child Protection Practitioner (LCPP) role was widely seen as adding consistency and expertise to child protection processes. • The Family Help Lead Practitioner (FHLP) role was valued for offering families a single point of contact and opportunities for staff development. Embedding family network practice: • Local areas are embedding family-led decision-making in meaningful ways, with staff reporting that FGCs are helping families co-create solutions. • Confidence in using FNSP funding has grown, with more areas now distributing support effectively. Early perceptions of positive impact • Staff anticipated long-term benefits including reduced caseloads, improved job satisfaction, and more robust support for families. 12 2. Background and context Introduction to the Families First for Children Pathfinder (FFCP) and the wider policy context Over the last two decades, the Government and the children's services sector have been working to improve and reform the children’s social care system. Several recent reports and reviews set out key priorities for improving the children’s social care system: • The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care (2022) examined the experience and outcomes of children and young people who interact with the children’s social care system, from Early Help through to child protection arrangements and the care system. It recommended fundamental reforms across the system. • The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel’s National Review into Child Protection in England (2022) cited system-wide, multi-agency failures in child protection following its review into the circumstances leading up to the murders of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson. • The F