Croydon Council is seeking a strategic transformation partner to drive forward significant changes within its Children, Young People and Education (CYPE) Directorate, aiming to enhance services and ensure long-term financial resilience.

The move, discussed at a recent Scrutiny Children & Young People Sub-Committee meeting, will see the 'Helping Families Thrive' programme implement a £12 million savings initiative. Budget proposals for 2026/27 indicate a projected saving of £3.4 million specifically for this programme.

A flowchart illustrating the relationship between the number of children in care (CLA), the cost of care, and placement spend, along with associated activities and impacts.
A flowchart illustrating the relationship between the number of children in care (CLA), the cost of care, and placement spend, along with associated activities and impacts.

The transformation programme, dubbed 'Helping Families Thrive', has four key strategic aims: practice improvement, demand reduction, increased effectiveness, and improved efficiency. Practice improvement is delivered through five interdependent workstreams: Early Intervention & Prevention, Sufficiency, Workforce, Leadership & Culture, Data & Digital, and Families First Partnership.

Councillor Patsy Cummings voiced concerns about the potential for delays and wasted resources with a new partner learning existing processes. However, Councillor Adele Benson supported the initiative, noting that the tender process had already concluded and that the partner would build upon previous work. Officers reassured the committee that a Senior Responsible Officer would oversee the process.

Payments to the strategic transformation partner are contingent upon meeting specific deliverables and milestones. These include end-to-end service redesign, signed off by the Transformation Improvement Oversight Group; a report detailing the evidence and analysis undertaken; a document with a table of prioritised opportunities, signed off by the Transformation Improvement Oversight Group and the Section 151 officer; presentations of findings to various groups; a fully updated transformation plan with their own key milestones; and a granular benefits realisation plan detailing how proposed savings will be achieved.

Bar chart showing Ofsted gradings for Croydon settings, comparing PVIs and Childminders across various categories.
Bar chart showing Ofsted gradings for Croydon settings, comparing PVIs and Childminders across various categories.

The 'Helping Families Thrive' programme is structured into five workstreams. Savings are expected to be heavily focused on sufficiency, addressing factors that impact the costs of placements and care. Specific factors mentioned in relation to cost pressures include demographic growth in SEND and Children's Social Care, and market cost pressures for placements and transport.

More information on the programme and its financial projections can be found in the CYPE Scrutiny - Transformation - Jan 2026 v2 document and the Appendix B - 2026-30 Draft Savings and Growth Proposals.

Further details regarding the budget scrutiny challenge are available in the Supplementary Agenda Item 5 - Budget Scrutiny Challenge 20th-Jan-2026 18.30 Scrutiny Children Y and CYPE Scrutiny - Budget Scrutiny - Jan 2026 v1.

The meeting agenda can be accessed here.