Improved life chances

We will focus on early help services to ensure our children have the best start in life and parents have the right support and environments in which to raise their families.

We care for our vulnerable children as a priority and duty. Our Children's Trust will provide timely and proportionate support to keep our children safe. If we need to intervene we will work with families and children to help them achieve their outcomes and listen to their voice. As corporate parents we are committed to making sure all our looked after children thrive, develop life skills and aspire with our support.

We will invest in good quality local secondary and primary schools and special education facilities that drive higher attainment and help our children work hard towards bright futures. This includes developing strong educational links and forums that help drive attainment and support strong, future job prospects.

We will support adults in West Northamptonshire to live independent and self-sufficient lives for as long as possible. Where, they are vulnerable or lack a support network, we will provide the support they need. We will work with health in more integrated ways ensuring our residents can “chose well, stay well and live well”.

We will tackle homelessness through the provision of suitable accommodation and by providing support to help people turn their lives around, into employment and more settled accommodation. We will support our public sector key workers, armed forces veterans and their families to access services and support when resettling post service.

Working with partners in 5 years we will:

• support our Children’s Trust improvement journey
• adopt and progress early years’ prevention and intervention offers to help children get the best start in life
• drive an increase fostering and support foster families
• invest in secondary schools and new primary schools in our urban extensions
• provide facilities for Special Educational Needs closer to home
• work closely with health partners to keep people safe and well in their own homes as long as possible, avoid unnecessary and lengthy hospital stays
• grow our Community Hubs providing public services at the heart of communities
• support residents to have healthier lifestyles and reduce inequalities
• develop an anti-poverty strategy

What success will look like:

• our Children’s Trust is classed as Good by OFSTED
• increased number of children achieve good GCSE passes
• Care Leavers Charter in place by 2022
• we are recognised as an age-friendly place with joined up health and care
• nobody is forced to sleep rough in West Northamptonshire
• we have an anti poverty strategy that considers how we support those facing food poverty and food and financial challenges, to get them back on their feet and avoid crisis

Last updated 12 February 2024