Partnership working

Local Authorities

4Children has worked closely with many local authorities across the country for the past 30 years. We help local authorities to research, design and deliver crucial front line services for children, young people and families such as childcare, Out of School Clubs, Children's Centres and targeted early help.
 

We also deliver:

• 98 Children’s Centres. We are known for our partnership approach and our pioneering of the integrated 0-19 model (for example, our Carousel Children’s Centre in Braintree, Essex). This is now being more widely adopted as children’s services move towards an Early Help model focusing on whole family support. Our percentage of Ofsted rated outstanding children’s centres is above the national average.
• 55 Nurseries and Out of Schools Clubs. We have been very successful in shaping services to local need and delivering quality service sometimes within budgetary constraints.
• Family Turnaround projects We work with families in the London Boroughs of Wandsworth and Enfield with multiple and complex needs living in the areas of highest deprivation. 
• Improvements to the quality of childcare settings. We are working closely with Enfield Council and Wandsworth Council to deliver targeted family support to disadvantaged young people and families and are improving the quality of childcare settings for Harrow Council and Birmingham City Council.
• Knowsley Youth Mutual. We played a key role in the creation of the highly acclaimed Knowsley Youth Mutual, the first outsourced local authority Youth Service that is now wholly owned by staff and young people.
   

Other Commissioners

Our commissioned work spans research, policy development, consultancy, management and strategic support, training, and direct delivery of services for children, young people and families. We have spearheaded a joined-up, integrated approach to children, family and youth services and work with a wide range of commissioners to ensure they can deliver the services and support communities need.

As well as delivering support and consultancy to local authorities we also provide services to a range of other funders and commissioners:

• Department for Education. As the Government’s strategic partner we have a crucial role in co-producing policy with the Department for Education and representing the sector’s views and experiences in advising on early years and childcare.
• Big Lottery Improving Futures Fund. Enfield Family Turnaround project, taking on a ‘whole family’ approach to build on families’ strengths, abilities and capacities helping them to provide a safe and nurturing environment where their children can grow up.
• RAF Benevolent Fund. We deliver the Airplay programme, where we provide trained youth workers in all 25 RAF stations across the UK and provide a programme of safe and stimulating activities for young people. Our Airplay programme has so far supported over 3000 children and young people. 
• Nestle. A national partnership to deliver the innovative Make Space for Health campaign across Britain. The programme was designed to inspire, inform and enable young people to live healthier lives in their community