The North West Safeguarding Partnership have prioritised listening to the voice and experience of babies, children, young people and communities:
We will be Child and Family Led
Every action we take will be grounded in the views, experiences, and needs of babies, children, young people and families, ensuring they are at the heart of all safeguarding efforts
Listening to Babies, Children, Young People and Families
Across the Northwest of England, safeguarding professionals are placing lived experience at the heart of decision-making, policy, and culture. Since 2024, the North West Improvement Programme has supported Multi-Agency Safeguarding Arrangements (MASAs) across 24 local areas.
Together, we have:
Delivered diagnostic tools and participation audits across the 24 areas.
- Co-produced a sector-leading Voice & Participation Toolkit
- Worked alongside over 800 professionals in children, youth and family voice, co-production and trauma-informed practice.
- Supported 4 areas with intensive bespoke consultancy,
- Facilitated cross-regional events, Problem Solving Workshops and Train the Trainer activities.
- Captured and showcased over 200 stories of lived experience from the North West’s babies, children, young people and families.
- Developed over 1,200 actions, commitments and promises from those people in power to listen, value and act on the voices, thoughts and feelings of the people who matter most – babies, children, young people and families.
Our Year 2 (25-26) Priorities
- Launch a Safeguarding Voices Leadership Network – a regional advisory group for professionals to improve how they listen to, and value families voices.
- Expand and refine our toolkit and story bank, with live feedback loops and co-created media – with children, young people and families.
- Embed Experts by Experience (young people, parents, carers) into local governance and quality assurance boards
- Host a regional voice panel to guide insight, innovation and accountability across the system
Everything is anchored in Lundy’s Model of Participation – ensuring young people and families have the space, voice, audience and influence they need to shape a safer, more responsive safeguarding system.
