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September 2026
Welcome to our September Newsletter!
Happy 1st Birthday TAF!
It has been one year since the launch of the Team Around the Family (TAF), and what an incredible year it has been.
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It's hard to believe that a year has passed since the Team around the Family Service was launched. Over the past 12 months so much has been achieved across the Partnership. From welcoming a number of agencies into TAF Awareness and Lead Professional Training , strengthening Multi Agency working and support for families earlier, the commitment and passion of our partners makes a real difference.
This newsletter is a celebration of what we have achieved together as a partnership over the past year. Since the launch of the Team Around the Family (TAF) Service, we have seen incredible commitment, collaboration, and innovation across Nottingham City. As we mark our first anniversary, we want to reflect on and celebrate the collective achievements that have made this journey such a success. Thank you to everyone who has played a part in making TAF what it is today.
We look forward to building on these successes in the year ahead.
One year on from the launch of Team Around the Family (TAF), the approach is now firmly embedded in practice across the city. Awareness continues to grow, and - most importantly - we are seeing the positive difference TAF is making for children, young people, and families. Through earlier intervention, stronger partnership working, and more coordinated support, TAF is helping to improve outcomes and ensure families receive the right help at the right time.
Over the past year, 80 TAFs have been initiated across the partnership, supporting 130 children, demonstrating a strong and growing commitment to early help and collaborative working:
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1 Probation
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1 Early Years Provision
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6 Alternative Provision
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45 Primary Schools
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28 Secondary Schools
TAFs have supported families with a wide range of needs, enabling professionals to work together to understand concerns, explore underlying issues, and identify appropriate support. Common themes include:
- Behaviour
- School Attendance
- SEND
- Housing
- Parental Mental Health
- Child Mental Health
- Substance Use
- School Transition
- Inclusion
- Exploitation
- Domestic Abuse
- Neglect
- Young Carers
- Anti‑Social Behaviour
As TAFs continue to develop, we are now reviewing the outcomes of the TAFs initiated to date. This data tells us that:
- 17 children required Family Help/Adolescence Support
- 1 child required Social Care intervention
- 112 childrens needs have been met or continue to be met through the TAF process
This analysis will help us strengthen early help pathways, celebrate what is working well, and identify opportunities to further enhance multi‑agency support for families.
TAF is proving to be a powerful tool in bringing professionals together, building shared understanding, and ensuring families feel supported rather than overwhelmed.
We look forward to continuing this work and building on the strong foundations established over the past year.
- 80 partnership‑led TAFs launched across Nottingham City, supporting 130 children with coordinated, timely help.
- Extensive multi‑agency collaboration including Juno Women’s Aid, GPs, Paediatricians, DWP, Housing, CAMHS, Schools, Daycare providers, Police and Probation, all working together to strengthen family support.
- Interactive Lead Professional training delivered, with partners reporting they feel confident, supported, and equipped to initiate a TAF.
- Families receiving the right support at the right time, reducing escalation and improving outcomes.
- TAFs promoting inclusion, ensuring children’s needs are recognised and responded to early.
- TAFs supporting smooth school transitions, helping children settle confidently into new settings.
- TAFs helping keep children and families safe, through coordinated planning and shared responsibility.
- Growing TAF awareness through inset days, DSL training, network days, team meetings, Lunch & Learns, and the launch of our new TAF E‑learning module.
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We're thrilled to welcome even more TAF adopters this month, further expanding and strengthening our partnership network.
A big congratulations and thank you to our newest TAF Adopters:
- My Start Day Nursery
- Stepping Stones Day Nursery
- Scotholme Primary School
- Probation
Thank you for joining the TAF community. We look forward to working together to help ensure children and families receive the right support, at the right time, through a coordinated and collaborative approach.
This month’s shout out goes to Cassie from the Probation Service for her support in strengthening partnership working and helping to embed the Team Around the Family (TAF) approach within probation services. Cassie has initiated the first TAF for the Probation Service. |
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Our TAF Advisors, Alisha and Ali, have been working closely with the Probation Service to raise awareness of the TAF model and incorporate TAF into induction processes for new colleagues and trainees. This is a fantastic step forward in ensuring that staff have an understanding of the TAF approach from the very beginning of their journey.
Cassie shared:
I am really pleased to be implementing Team Around the Family (TAF) within my work in probation. At the heart of it, we all want the same thing - for children to be safe, supported, and given every opportunity to thrive.
TAF allows different organisations to come together and work collaboratively, ensuring that families receive the right support from the right people at the right time. As probation practitioners, we often identify needs that go beyond what we can provide ourselves. Through TAF, we can connect families with specialist services and create a coordinated support network around them.
I believe this approach gives people on probation and their families the best chance of achieving positive outcomes, while helping us work more effectively together to safeguard children and strengthen families.
I am excited to begin this journey and to see the positive impact that collaborative working can have for children, families, and people on probation.
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In January 2026, Lillie Yange, Family Practitioner at Fairhaven Academy (formerly Unity Academy), completed the Team Around the Family (TAF) Lead Professional Training. Since undertaking the training, Lillie has fully embraced the TAF approach and has demonstrated a strong commitment to collaborative, family-centred working.
Since January 2026, Lillie has successfully initiated six TAFs for young people and families she is supporting, ensuring that families receive coordinated and timely support from the professionals involved in their lives.
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Her proactive use of the TAF process has helped strengthen multi-agency collaboration and has placed the needs and voices of children and families at the centre of planning and decision-making.
Reflecting on her experience of the training and implementing the TAF approach, Lillie said:
"At Raleigh Education Trust, we recognise that families are a vital part of a child's educational journey. We share Nottingham City's commitment to providing the support, guidance and collaborative approach needed to help children and families thrive. The Team Around the Family (TAF) process has strengthened our ability to work alongside families and partner agencies, ensuring that support is coordinated, responsive and focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for children.
An example of the positive impact of the TAF process was seen at one of our schools, where it brought together education, family and external professional perspectives to create a more complete picture of a child's needs and circumstances. Through multi-agency collaboration, the school gained a deeper understanding of how factors beyond the classroom were influencing the child's experiences and behaviours. This enabled staff to develop a more tailored support plan, strengthen engagement with the family and ensure support was aligned across all agencies involved. As a result, the child and family received more effective and coordinated support, leading to improved outcomes and demonstrating the value of a truly holistic approach."
Lillie also had some great feedback from a parent supported by TAF which she has shared with us:
"I was really anxious about attending the meeting as I thought it would be a lot of people (professionals) judging me. Instead I felt included and my views mattered. I can see my family plan and which people are supporting my family. I feel more confident now understanding my family needs and engaging positively with services".
Thank you Lillie for your enthusiasm and commitment to the TAF. It really highlights the positive impact that skilled Lead Professionals can have in bringing services together, and making a difference for children, young people and their families.
As part of our ongoing efforts to spread TAF awareness across services, we have been looking at new and engaging ways to share information. We are delighted to launch the new TAF E-Learning Module, designed to help practitioners develop their understanding of the TAF approach at a time and pace that suits them.
This self-led workshop has been designed to provide external services with an overview of the Team Around the Family (TAF) process, the role of the Lead Professional, and how your allocated TAF Advisor can support you.
The workshop is suitable for all staff and can be accessed using the link below. Some staff may need to create an account if new to using our Learning Zone.
Click here to access TAF E-Learning Module
Please note that you must pass the quiz for the workshop to be marked as complete.
Once you have successfully completed the workshop, you will be able to access further training, including TAF Lead Professional Training, which can be booked via asktaf@nottinghamcity.gov.uk or your allocated TAF Advisor.
In addition, your TAF Advisor is available to meet with you to discuss how TAF can be implemented within your setting and to explore how the approach could support any families you are working with.
Don't miss out - places are still available on our September Lead Professional Training!
If you've been meaning to book, now is your chance to snap up one of the remaining spaces. Join colleagues from across the partnership to develop your understanding of the TAF approach and strengthen your practice.
The next training dates and venues are:
- 30th September - Bestwood Family Hub
- 5th November - Council House
To book onto one of our upcoming training sessions, please complete our LP Training booking form to secure your place or send an email to AskTAF@nottinghamcity.gov.uk.
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We want this newsletter to be a helpful and practical tool for you all. If there’s anything you’d like to see included, please scan this QR code or click the link below to share your suggestions, we’d really value your feedback.
Link: TAF Newsletter Feedback Form
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