Families first for children pathfinder Implementation and process evaluation report: early findings July 2025 Authors: Verian, National Children’s Bureau (NCB) 1 Contents List of figures 3 List of tables 4 1. Executive summary 5 Background 5 Early perceptions, understanding and buy-in to the FFCP 7 FFCP set-up and delivery progress 7 Implementation of key elements of the FFCP 8 Early experience of delivering FFCP 8 Outcomes and impacts 9 2. Background and context 12 Introduction to the Families First for Children Pathfinder (FFCP) and the wider policy context 12 Overview of the evaluation 15 Implementation and process evaluation methodology 17 Evaluation context 20 3. Early perceptions, understanding and buy-in to the FFCP 22 Perceptions and understanding of the FFCP 22 Buy-in to the FFCP amongst partner agencies 23 Reservations about specific elements of the programme 24 4. FFCP set-up and delivery progress 26 Initial set-up (Wave 1 and Wave 2 local areas) 26 FFCP delivery approach and progress 30 Implementation of key elements of FFCP 31 Sustainability of FFCP 37 5. Delivery experience across Wave 1 and 2 Local areas 39 What worked well 40 Enablers of effective delivery 43 Operational enablers 45 What worked less well 46 2 Barriers to delivery of FFCP 48 5. Outcomes and impacts 51 Family insights into their initial experience 51 Early perceptions of FFCP impacts from strategic leads and frontline workers 53 7. Summary of key learnings and implications 56 Key learnings 56 Implications 58 Appendices 60 Appendix 1 – Research methodology and sample 60 Appendix 2 – Proforma for local areas 61 Appendix 3 – Proforma for local areas by the number of local areas who have implemented each stage 68 Appendix 4 – The design specifications for Wave 1 and Wave 2, including a summary