icy reform, within its policy paper Keeping children safe, helping families thrive - GOV.UK Figure 1: Timeline of the implementation of FFCP across Wave 1 and Wave 2 This timeline represents a consolidated view of each wave, though specific dates vary slightly between local areas within each wave. Overview of the evaluation The Department for Education (DfE) commissioned Verian, an independent research organisation, to conduct an evaluation of the FFCP across Wave 1 and Wave 2, alongside Alma Economics and the National Children’s Bureau (NCB). The evaluation comprises three workstreams: • An Implementation and Process evaluation (IPE) led by Verian to understand how the FFCP is being implemented and to identify barriers, facilitators, and unintended consequences • An Impact Evaluation (IE) led by Alma Economics to assess the impact of the FFCP on children and families and the workforce (LA teams and stakeholders across Education, Police and Healthcare involved in FFCP delivery) • A Value for Money (VfM) Evaluation also led by Alma Economics to assess the FFCP’s value for money 16 As part of the evaluation, the NCB provides specialist advice and support on the evaluation design and delivery, to ensure it considers the nuances of the policy context and children’s social care more generally. It was agreed with the Department for Education, given the delivery timings of the FFCP in mid-late 2024, that the IE and VfM evaluations would not be carried out at this stage. Instead, qualitative perceptions of early impact were explored through the IPE - and a quantitative impact evaluation is planned for the first half of 2026. To support ongoing assessment, annual IPE, IE and VfM reports are planned from 2026 until 2028. Accordingly, this first report focuses exclusively on the I