 payments on the government’s commitment to prevention and children’s development. The Young Futures Programme will see further partnership focus here and hubs opening in communities to prevent serious youth violence and to address mental health issues among young people. 78 The further developments via the new government’s family help reforms should include strengthening the legal framework around the partnership provision of preventative services. When SP9 survey respondents were asked about their priorities for the new government, the most frequently mentioned were those that follow. Management and regulation of the placement market Since DCS interviews took place in summer 2024, a number of initiatives have been announced to help address the challenges in the placement market. These include measures to address profiteering from the care of children and a commitment to further capital investment in residential provision for children with the most complex needs. Further challenges identified include the level of delay in the Ofsted registration process, workforce sufficiency and the need for health partners to commit, collaborate and share the costs of supporting the needs and outcomes of children in care. Mental health and wellbeing provision for children Plans for new mental health legislation and review of the NHS are to be welcomed, with the proviso that children’s needs require distinct focus and attention here. In particular, wholesale transformation to address the inequalities in access to mental health support for children with social care involvement requires focused attention (Mannes et al., 2024). In the early help space, DCSs suggested that additional funding to local authorities to lead on the provision of earlier help to support positive mental health an