AllChild

In September 2024, AllChild launched its Impact Programme in Wigan – the first time the AllChild model has been translated to a new context outside of London. This blog distils the key learnings from the listening, co-design, set-up and implementation of the programme in Wigan, as researched by Coram, our learning partner for Wigan. These learnings will be used to inform our ongoing work in Wigan, as well as our approach to any potential new places for our work.

This blog follows on from the previous one which can be found here and is aimed at local authorities, school leaders, policy makers and other potential partner-organisations who are interested in learning more about AllChild’s place-based, community-focused approach, and the key drivers behind its success.

The co-design process

Every place is unique: translating a model of support from London to Wigan necessitated curiosity and the centring of local voices. With this in mind, AllChild undertook an 18-month co-design process, comprised of a 6-month ‘listening phase and a 12-month co-design phase for local engagement.

During the listening phase, AllChild worked closely with Wigan Local Authority to test values alignment, and to ensure alignment in agenda and approach. This phase also entailed a series of workshops and joint data-analysis to understand local needs and existing service provision and gaps.

This was followed by the 12-month co-design and set-up period, which involved extensive engagement with local stakeholders, including schools, local Voluntary Community Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) organisations, and children, young people, and families.

Through the co-design process, a set of strategic priorities emerged based on the needs of the communities in Wigan and local authority itself, centred on three key areas:

school attendance

school inclusion

children and young people’s mental wellbeing.

Wigan local authority and AllChild also agreed on their shared commitment to a whole-family approach, which included AllChild’s delivery staff being integrated into Wigan’s Early Help system and plans for them to work alongside incoming Family Hubs.

How did stakeholders find the co-design process?

As part of their evaluation of the AllChild programme, Coram conducted research with key stakeholders involved in the co-design and set-up process in Wigan including senior local authority staff, school heads and VCFSE groups engaged in the programme as delivery partners.

Stakeholders reported positive experiences of the co-design process, emphasising AllChild’s commitment to understanding local needs and voices, and their willingness to adapt their model accordingly. For the local authority, the adoption of a whole-family approach and the integration of AllChild delivery staff into their existing Early Help system were seen as crucially important adaptations from AllChild’s model in London. As one local authority officer described:

“It was a very open, transparent conversation. We were allowed to say [this is what] we want to see, these are the expected outcomes. And the team were great listeners…they listen, adapt and are flexible… They [were] willing to shift the boundaries of [their model] for Wigan”.

Stakeholders also appreciated the sensitivity with which AllChild engaged with children, young people, and families during the co-design process, as well as their commitment to building trust and rapport with the local community through sustained, in-person engagement over time, and through the recruitment of staff locally. Where problems or knowledge gaps arose, it was felt that AllChild were quick to acknowledge this and take steps to address it, demonstrating humility and transparency.

Finally, stakeholders appreciated that the co-design process was led entirely by AllChild. This included drafting materials, coordinating activities, and providing support to maintain momentum, therefore ensuring that the process did not place additional pressures on the stakeholders involved.

How did the co-design process inform set-up and implementation in Wigan?

Embedding into Early Help

One of the most important outcomes of the co-design process was the decision to embed the AllChild programme into the existing Early Help system in Wigan. Despite initial concerns that this could create a barrier for families, AllChild have found that the response from families has been very positive, and the quality of engagement has been strong. This integration has reduced duplication of work and led to better alignment with the work of other services and with existing outcome frameworks. AllChild Link Workers are now leading on over 130 Early Help episodes, adding considerable capacity to the local support offer.

Focus on strategic priorities

Given the agreed strategic priorities around school inclusion, attendance and mental wellbeing, the decision was taken through the co-design process that these would be the focus of the first year and academic support would be introduced in the second year of the Impact Programme. Academic support will now be phased in, building on the gains in wellbeing and confidence that children have made through their work with the Link Worker and AllChild’s partners in Year 1.

Focus on integration with existing services

The AllChild model focuses on supporting schools to work as a bridge between families and services, and to build their connections with local community organisations. The co-design process revealed that the VCFSE landscape was quite fragmented, and that AllChild could add value by connecting local groups with each other, and with schools. AllChild have done this by continuing to engage with a range of VCFSE groups, including hyperlocal providers, both as delivery partners and linking partners.

Participating schools have reported that AllChild have helped them to identify and connect with previously unknown community-assets. The local authority has also reported that they feel better connected to the voluntary sector as a result of their work with AllChild.

What wider factors contributed to the successful co-design, set-up and implementation process in Wigan?

The close alignment between AllChild and the local authority’s existing approach to Early Help has been critical to the success of the Wigan programme so far. As identified in the listening phase of the co-design, both organisations share a focus on community engagement and empowerment. As initiated in the 2011 ‘Wigan Deal’ (and now its new strategy ‘Progress to Unity’), Wigan has a long-standing commitment to empowering individuals and communities through an ‘asset-based approach’: that is, an approach focused on nurturing people’s existing strengths and resilience.

In relation to Children’s Services, this has corresponded with an increased recognition of the needs of families experiencing deprivation, and of the importance of early intervention and prevention in improving children’s outcomes. For AllChild, this presented an important opportunity to apply their existing expertise around early intervention and community engagement, while also adapting their model to focus on a whole-family approach. This shared vision and commitment between the two organisations helped with buy-in from senior leadership in Wigan.

Existing infrastructure in the local authority – as well as a shared commitment to joined-up working – further facilitated the smooth set-up of the programme in Wigan. Wigan has a well-established Early Help system that is anchored in schools, with whom the local authority have strong relationships. Wigan are also accustomed to joined-up working between social care, education and public health. However, the local authority had identified a need for more services at a neighbourhood level to support those families who were just below statutory thresholds – a gap that AllChild were well-suited to meet, especially within the context of the existing strong infrastructure in Wigan around education and early help.

While these factors are specific to Wigan – and are likely to look quite different in different local authorities – they underline the benefits of a listening and co-design period during which priorities and approaches tailored to local context are explored and adapted accordingly.

What could have been improved about the co-design, set-up and implementation process?

Both AllChild and local stakeholders in Wigan identified a number of potential improvements that could be made to the co-design, set-up and implementation process, as follows

Introduction of early-stage, local governance structures (such as a steering group) could have increased clarity on roles and responsibilities within the co-design process. In subsequent programmes, AllChild will look to form a steering group early on in the co-design process.

Engagement with families and local VCFSE organisations was an important part of the programme, but the level of outreach possible was limited by the capacity available. In the absence of a centralised network for VCFSE organisations in Wigan, AllChild relied on the local authority’s existing relationships for connecting with the community. While this approach worked in part, some organisations were not reached in time, or at all. Looking ahead, future programmes would benefit from dedicating additional capacity and resource to voluntary sector engagement, ensuring the insights of a wider range of organisations are included from the outset.

Relational dynamics within the local voluntary sector are important to consider early. While many local organisations in Wigan were engaged from the outset, some expressed concerns about why funding and recognition were being diverted away from local providers. Over time, as the model and ways of working became clearer, open and transparent communication by AllChild addressed these concerns, and tensions eased.

Alignment of strategic priorities into the selection of the target cohort needs extensive communication to ensure alignment and mutual understanding between all involved. While AllChild is an early intervention and prevention programme, some schools and local authorities wanted to include students with high needs or who were already known to social services. There were also different views among local stakeholders about the attendance levels of selected children and young people, with AllChild including children with higher attendance levels than expected by some. In future co-design, it will be important to ensure clarity about what is and what isn’t in scope as part of the AllChild model, both with schools and with the local authority, to set expectations in the early stages of the programme.

Concluding reflections

The listening, co-design, set-up and implementation of the AllChild Impact Programme in Wigan demonstrates the value of a genuinely collaborative, place-based approach. By centring local voices, embedding within existing systems, and remaining flexible and responsive throughout, AllChild has been able to translate its model meaningfully to a new context. The experience in Wigan has also highlighted important lessons which will inform future iterations of the programme. As AllChild continues its work in Wigan and explores opportunities in other areas, these reflections will be critical in shaping a model that is both scalable and deeply rooted in the communities it serves.

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Reflections on listening, co-design and implementation in Wigan, by the Coram team