Working Together for Better Children and Families Services in Glasgow

19th June 2025

Tracey Jenkins reflects on the partnerships collaborating to improve Glasgow’s Children’s Services and the vital role charities and community organisations play.

I’ve had the privilege of working alongside a range of third sector organisations across Glasgow, as well as Children in Scotland, and our colleagues in the Health & Social Care Partnership (HSCP). Together, we have explored what’s working well and what can be strengthened when it comes to Third-Sector involvement in children’s services planning. These conversations have been honest, thought-provoking, at times challenging, but are always rooted in our shared ambition to do better for children, young people and families in Glasgow.

Thanks to the support of Children in Scotland and their toolkit “How Good Is Our Third Sector Participation in Children’s Services Planning?”, we have taken a fresh and structured look at where we are as a city. We co-hosted two sessions through GCVS, bringing together a rich mix of voices from grassroots organisations to larger charities, and statutory colleagues in health, education and social work. Across these spaces, we explored participation, representation, governance, data, and (most importantly) the voice and experience of children, young people and families.

The energy in the room at both sessions was incredibly positive. What struck me most was the openness and sincerity with which people contributed. There was a shared willingness to be honest, to listen, and to find ways to work together more meaningfully to improve the system for citizens.

I’m especially grateful to our colleagues in the HSCP, whose inclusive approach throughout this work has helped foster genuine collaboration. Their openness to shared learning and commitment to listening has been key to creating a more balanced, respectful space where everyone can contribute. Likewise, support from Children in Scotland has been invaluable, bringing national learning and a compassionate, facilitative approach that kept the focus on what matters most – people.

It’s clear we’ve made progress, but there is more work ahead.

There are already strong examples of co-production and meaningful collaboration in action, such as the Family Support Strategy and the redesign of the 16+ service, but we also heard that Third Sector participation can sometimes feel inconsistent. Smaller organisations often lack the time, funding or capacity to engage fully, and some voices remain underrepresented.

Standout Themes and Learning

Representation and Inclusion:

We need to continue amplifying voices from smaller and underrepresented organisations, including those working with ethnic minority families, asylum seekers, and young people with additional support needs. And we need to be mindful of the ongoing power dynamics that can make spaces feel less equitable.

Data and Practice:

Third sector data is often underused or gets pulled in to validate decisions already made. We need to get better at treating it as core intelligence, data that’s deeply rooted in lived experience.

Equitable Partnerships:

There’s a genuine willingness to collaborate, but we need structures that reflect shared power. That includes transparency in decision-making, inclusive commissioning processes, and space for honest feedback, without fear of funding consequences.

Service Mapping & Communication:

Glasgow is a big complex city, and navigating services, whether you’re a family or a practitioner, can be difficult. We need sustainable, shared ways of keeping service maps updated and accessible.

What’s Next?

The Children in Scotland toolkit helped us articulate these challenges and generated practical, people-centred solutions. Their final report sets out a range of recommendations, from embedding reflection points in the planning cycle to advocating for upstream, preventative funding and broadening the ways we engage communities.

There’s no perfect model and no single path forward. But what these sessions have shown is that when we create compassionate, inclusive spaces and commit to learning from one another, we lay the foundations for real and lasting change.

As we look ahead to support shaping the next iteration of Glasgow’s Integrated Children’s Services Plan and the Children’s Rights Report, I’m feeling hopeful. We’re not starting from scratch, we’re building on strong relationships, good practice, and a shared belief that we can do better for our city’s children and families.

Whether you’re new to the Children’s Services Planning process or have been around it for a while, your voice matters. There are many ways to contribute, and we’re committed to making that involvement as accessible, inclusive and meaningful as possible.

Joining our Networks

Together we can share knowledge, build partnerships, and facilitate collaboration on key policy and service delivery issues. That’s why we manage and support various third sector networks and promote opportunities to collaborate and be involved with local decision-making.

Our networks, including the Children’s Services Network, foster opportunities for collaboration and involvement in local decision-making. They also help inform those working and volunteering in the sector about relevant news and developments. Read more and get involved here on our Networks page.