Tameside selected for major investment to strengthen support for children and families

Children, young people and families in Tameside will benefit from earlier, more joined-up mental health and social care support after the borough was chosen to pilot a pioneering new approach.

The Care Together model will bring a share of £9 million investment over three years across Tameside, Stockport and Rochdale, helping ensure children and families can access the right help at the right time. The programme will be delivered in Tameside from early 2027 through a partnership between Tameside Council, and the NHS.

Developed by NHS England and supported by the Department for Education, Care Together is designed to make support easier to access, more coordinated and better tailored to the needs of children, young people and families.

The model aims to provide earlier, more accessible and more coordinated support for children and young people whose needs often sit between traditional service boundaries.

Tameside Council is committed to ensuring that children and young people receive the right support, at the right time, from the right professionals.

By bringing together expertise from our Family Help and Safeguarding service and mental health services, the partnership aims to improve outcomes, strengthen family relationships and reduce the need for more intensive interventions in the future.

The model recognises that positive outcomes for children are closely linked to the wellbeing of the adults who care for them and seeks to strengthen families through targeted, coordinated support.

The approach reflects Tameside Council’s commitment to prevention, early intervention and partnership working, helping children and families access support at the earliest opportunity.

The Care Together model will provide mental health and social care support through one team, giving children, young people, parents and carers earlier access to proven support. Rather than focusing on whether a child meets a particular service threshold, support will be based on individual need and informed by professional assessment and formulation.

It will take a whole-family approach that values strong relationships and improves coordination between services, reducing the need for families to repeat their story.

The service will focus on supporting children in need, children on child protection plans, cared for children, care leavers and families who may otherwise struggle to access timely mental health support.

Tameside Council’s Executive Member for Children and Families, Cllr Teresa Smith said: "We are delighted that Tameside has been selected to deliver the Care Together model. This investment represents a significant opportunity to strengthen the support available to some of our most vulnerable children, young people and families.

“This pilot enables us to build on our existing strengths, further strengthen our partnership with health colleagues and contribute to how services can work differently to support children."