TASS in action

What has been identified as an issue/theme?

• There continue to be higher numbers of young people at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training).

• Identified by: Locality Group partners, district councils and youth work support staff

What are we going to do to address this?

• Increase awareness of offers around careers provision and conversations in primary schools to raise aspirations and awareness of career pathways.

• Form local networks connecting schools and colleges to strengthen careers education.

• Improve information sharing and transition procedures for young people at greater risk of NEET.

• Promote extended transition programmes (e.g. Blackpool & Fylde College Get Ahead)

• Targeted mentoring programmes implemented by partner agencies

• Career and Engagement Lead from local Sixth Form writing series of articles for local publication to increase awareness and understanding among parents and young people, together with strategies to address concerns.

• Engage employers and community partners through careers fairs and work experience opportunities.

• Promote inclusion through targeted resources for neurodiverse learners and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) engagement.

• Arranging discussions between Blackpool & Fylde College and Fleetwood Community Partners to look at feasibility of bringing post 16 provision into Fleetwood and multi start courses (so multiple intakes)

How are we checking on progress?

• Locality Group check-ins with schools and partners.

• Monitoring engagement data from projects (e.g., Positive Footprints, work experience placements).

• Feedback from working groups and partner agencies.

• Tracking development of DPIA and Data Sharing Agreement

How will we know when this has been successful and how will the work be sustained?

• Evidence of joined-up working – Blackpool & Fylde College report increased communication between progress coaches and schools. Schools have welcomed the support.

• Evidence of increased businesses / employers engaging in career conversations and attendance at events – over 800 students from secondary schools attended the Wyre Council Prosper Careers Fair. Several prominent local and national employers were present at the fair.

• Increase in wider opportunities for young people struggling to engage with or sustain education / employment

• DPIA in place between LCC and colleges, Yr11 RONI (Risk of NEET Indicator) data shared with colleges, based on their enrolments.

• This priority has now closed to TASS and will be picked up through the LCC EET strategy.

What has been identified as an issue/theme?

• Schools increasingly report tensions with parents of children who are finding the move to secondary school more challenging, in particular where parental anxiety is a feature.

• Parents are reporting that they feel unprepared for the transition from Year 6 to Year 7.

• Identified by: schools, parents, and Locality Group discussions.

What are we going to do to address this?

• Develop a multi-layered approach to prepare parents for transition.

• Create and share resources (Padlets for schools and parents) with evidence-based advice, local services, and practical strategies.

• Co-produce communications and messaging with parents during Year 6.

• Collaborate with secondary schools to co-create transition resources.

• Explore transition workshops for parents who express concern about the move to high school.

• Publish articles in local media (Connectiverse) addressing common concerns and positive strategies.

How are we checking on progress?

• Track distribution and engagement with Padlet resources (schools and parents).

• Collect feedback from schools and parents on usefulness of resources and workshops.

• Monitor participation in workshops and engagement with articles.

• Capture examples of schools adopting suggested relational approaches in induction practice.

How will we know when this has been successful and how will the work be sustained?

• Parents report increased confidence and understanding of transition expectations - survey undertaken at the start of the project and post project survey

• Padlets of staff and parents transition support materials and offers developed with partners, for use across Year 6 and 7.

• Padlets and Top Tips for Transition shared across all Wyre and Fylde maintained schools and academies.

• Materials included on school websites / transition pages

• Padlet shared with partners across health, youth sector, voluntary, community and faith groups as well as with internal teams (Children and Family Wellbeing, Targeted Youth Service, Family Intensive Support, Attendance, Virtual School, SEND and Inclusion colleagues)

• Co-produced 'Tips for Transition' shared with all schools to share with parents

• Attendees on the face-to-face transition course received links to the Padlet, the Top Tips, and Connectiverse articles on transition

• Materials produced were shared with DSL network for Fylde and Wyre

• It is envisaged that this priority will close to TASS in the autumn term after follow up Y7 sessions and feedback.

Ready to learn

Identified by Children and Family Wellbeing Service. Supporting Early Years Foundation Stage children with their development and transition to primary school

What are we going to do to address this?

• Reduction in young people being classed as NEET

• Increased links and pathways for opportunities and support.

How are we checking on progress? 

• 2 working group meetings, along with a specific immunisation resource meeting have been held this academic year.

• Work around this priority has been reported back to the Locality Group where additional suggestions have been made.

How will we know when this has been successful and how will the work be sustained?

• To have explored the use of community venues - Vaccination resources have been shared via the Private Voluntary and Independent (PVI) network, facilitated by the Early Years Consultant for the district. Rather than moving into a model of exploring multiple venues, the focus will be on working with key partners who have strong relationships with the various communities served and are trusted by them.

• To have engaged with the early years 'Top Tips' document review – this is due to launch in the summer term. Communication and Language Top Tips download will be launched on the Early Years web site and shared with CFW colleagues by the EPO

• Over the summer term this priority will be closed to TASS and the exit strategy agreed

Autism training for schools, parents and partner organisations

Identified by the Autism Pathway Navigator. Post and pre-diagnosis support and training will be in place for schools, parents and partners.

What are we going to do to address this?

• Parental peer support programme has been mapped out and will be delivered between Early Help and the Autism Pathway Navigator, with appropriate partners supporting.

• Updates on Lancashire Mind eLearning development

• ICB Training pathway discussed.

• Looking at collating a district-wide training offer, including training from specialist settings.

How are we checking on progress?

• 2 working group meetings, along with a specific Health and Education meeting have been held this academic year.

• Work around this priority has been reported back to the Locality Group where additional suggestions have been made.

• Parental peer support group has been established and is well attended. Hosted within the Family Hubs network.

• Work is underway to collate the training offer within the district and have this in one document, hosted on the North Directions Website.

How will we know when this has been successful and how will the work be sustained?

• Training offer to be in place for schools, settings, parents and carers, partners – this is in progress and will be hosted on the North Lancs Directions web site

• Embed parent/carer forum offer - The Parental Peer Support group has been running since October 2025 and has 20 parents/carers attending on average. The group is supported by a range of organisations and practitioners and is hosted in the Family Hubs. Attendance is growing over time.

• Over the summer term this priority will be closed to TASS and the exit strategy agreed

Think Sleep

School and college representatives at Locality Group raised the impact they were experiencing of poor sleep routines, which was echoed by partners. A priority was agreed to explore sleep hygiene and its impact across all sectors of education, working with multi-agency partners to co-ordinate their offers and resources across the district to support schools and settings.

What are we going to do to address this?

• There will be a ‘Think Sleep’ message around behaviour and learning support

• 120 school staff trained in current thoughts, ideas and key messages around sleep

• 112 Chorley & South Ribble schools will receive the 'Think Sleep' identification checklist and mapping

• 5 partner Sleep Champions will be trained

• A more co-ordinated and consistent sleep offer in the district able to respond to school needs and ultimately children and young people will receive consistent support to achieve better sleep leading to better outcomes.

How are we checking on progress?

• The 'Think Sleep' guidance includes input from clinical psychology team, sleep experts, school nurses, mental health teams and school behaviour consultants

• The Think Sleep guidance has been circulated to all the primary and secondary schools across Chorley and South Ribble

• A survey has been developed for practitioners who are using the Think Sleep guidance. This will capture feedback as to the usefulness and effectiveness of the guidance

• The first district Sleep Forum meeting was held for school staff, working with the Sleep Champions, focusing on key themes, looking at sleep case studies and how partners are incorporating sleep messages into their offers. Emerging themes from the Sleep Forum included SEND/ ND, sleep for parents, sleep poverty

How will we know when this work has been successful and how will the work be sustained?

There will be a cross phase, clear, multi-agency offer around sleep for children, young people and families across Chorley and South Ribble. Schools, settings and partners will integrate ‘Think Sleep’ messages when working with families. The work will align with ongoing strategic priorities for the district. Demonstrable impact will evidence the need to extend to other districts in Lancashire.

Increase EET

Build stronger links between schools and local employers (via Chorley council) to give Chorley's young people access to varied, high quality work experience as part of the local reducing NEET work.

What are we going to do to address this?

Collaborate with Chorley Council to reduce the number of NEET young people by ensuring every secondary school student has access to meaningful work experience.

The plan will now be underpinned by Chorley councils new Chorley and South Ribble Employment and Skills Framework, along with supporting/facilitating the links between secondary schools and commissioned services to address the rising NEET numbers.

How are we checking on progress?

Chorley Council and careers leads have agreed that a streamlined system is essential to complement their NEET reduction efforts. Careers leads will provide dates and student numbers so the council can compile a list of businesses for students lacking placements, using new council framework to drive this agenda.

How will we know when this has been successful and how will the work be sustained?

The new Employment and Skills Framework will provide a more formal governance structure and will align to the council's economic strategy. An effective system will be established supported by the EPOs to guarantee that every young person can access opportunities aligned with their future goals. The NEET numbers across Chorley and South Ribble reduced during the commissioned service delivery, therefore there is a strong ambition to replicate in the next academic year to produce the same outcomes.

NEET

Develop a partnership approach to increase the number of young people accessing education, employment or training post-16.

What are we going to do to address this?

• Develop a multi- agency working group across Preston comprising schools, colleges and partners including the Virtual School's Employment Support team, CAMHs Transition worker, Vault Youth Zone, Child and Youth Justice Service (CYJS), voluntary sector and Preston City Council 

• Engage Preston schools' careers leads in the group to share good practice and identify gaps   

• Maintain information sharing as a feature of the group with opportunities for young people shared and relationships between partners constantly developing and alignment to Preston Youth Strategy and Countywide EET Action Plan.

• Hold partners accountable to actions from the group and collectively support schools and young people at risk of / presenting as NEET

How are we checking on progress?

• Regular data updates are shared through the Post 16 team at LCC and Youth Futures team with partners able to interrogate that data and understand more about the complexities of the issue across the city and how they can support.

• 10 successful meetings held with 5 schools, 2 colleges and over 12 different partners  

• Half termly meetings attended by 10 plus partners with notes and relevant resources shared to a wider distribution list of over 30 partners.

• Accountability for the group actions is through the TASS Locality Group, Preston Youth Forum and Headteacher Clusters

• The work is aligning with the countywide Increasing EET priority and the Preston Youth Strategy. Links have been made to the Preston Early Help Partnership as Increasing EET has been identified as a priority within that forum

How will we know when this work has been successful and how will the work be sustained?

This priority has now closed to TASS and will be sustained through relevant forum in Preston.

Majority of careers leads in schools are supported by a range of partners across the district to better support young people in making career choices post 16. A wide range of provision is known about and utilised.   

Schools are linked to the Preston Youth Strategy objectives about 'Being ready for the future' 

There is a proactive multi-agency partnership now in place with a focus on working together and supporting schools to increase EET.

School Non Attendance

Work with schools and multi-agency partners to explore factors contributing to school non-attendance across Preston, including anxiety around school and wider emotional health and wellbeing support for children, young people and families. 

Updated for 25/26- Multi- agency partners to be brought into the work to explore what school non-attendance looks like across Preston and how they can support. 

What are we going to do to address this?

• Identify some of the reasons why children are struggling to attend school 

• Link schools to partners in the district who can support with school attendance and raise awareness of various educational status of children and young people

• Align the work with the Preston Youth Forum and Preston Youth Strategy, the objectives of 'Be Healthy' and 'Be Ready for the Future'

How are we checking on progress?

• A multi- agency partnership group will meet to look at the key themes of non-attendance and messages from the relevant LCC teams working with schools

• Consult the most up to date data around Elective Home Education, Children Missing Education, Permanent Exclusion and attendance

• Updates regarding partner work about non-attendance will be shared at the partnership meeting. These projects include:

  •  a data correlation exercise by the police looking at non- attendance and police activity in one identified school community

  • a Community Safety Partnership funded detached youth work project in collaboration with The Foxton Centre engaging with young people not attending and working with them to establish the most suitable education or participation activities

  • transition sessions for parents

  • data and feedback will be gathered and shared.

• Accountability for the group's actions is through the TASS Locality Group, Preston Youth Forum and Headteacher Clusters

How will we know when this has been successful and how will the work be sustained?

This has now closed to TASS. This working group may form part of the group looking at supporting the Preston Transitions Partnership being developed as a result of the District Education Conference.

Partners will be aware of the main themes leading to school non-attendance across Preston. Schools will be updated about the offers available to them and partnership work to support the issues. 

Schools will feel supported in the mental health offer across Preston. They will know what's available to them across the district and who to refer to, when. The mental health pathways document will be in place for all schools. 

Explore the pathways of support for young people who are not/at risk of not being in education, employment and training (EET) in Skelmersdale.

A Skelmersdale secondary head teacher highlighted the need for a plan to offer wider support and advice for their post-16 pupils who are NEET and are at risk of being NEET during the TASS Locality Group meeting. A follow up meeting at the school explored partnership opportunities and potential funding streams for preventative initiatives. 

What are we doing to address this?

Previous meetings have taken place with Wigan Athletic and West Lancashire council exploring funding and intervention options to include local community safety priorities. 

This work is in its infancy; and has now been paused until the autumn term due to capacity to deliver by the community trust. As soon as possible additional discussions will take place to create a collaborative plan of action involving relevant agencies along with progressing funding bids.

Schools will be encouraged to utilise the Risk of NEET Indicator (RONI) information to explore those children where earlier intervention would be beneficial.

This work will focus on a preventative, partnership approach, working closely with secondary schools and the college in Skelmersdale. 

How are we checking on progress?

This priority will be delivered by establishing a working group next term once the project is re-instated. Progress will be reported to the Locality Group for feedback and further suggestions. 

How will we know when this has been successful and how will the work be sustained?

A sustained partnership model will connect schools, the college, and key stakeholders in Skelmersdale to address NEET challenges, with plans running into 2027.

To embed the West Lancashire SENDCO network.

 The West Lancashire Inclusion Hub meeting highlighted the need for regular collaboration between special schools and SENDCOs across primary and secondary settings to promote a consistent, shared approach to training, support and professional development. 

What are we doing to address this?

Special schools in West Lancs to work together, supported by the EPO to establish a SENDCO network for all primary and secondary schools. The network will share good practice; ensure school SENDCOs are aware of all the available training and support available locally and develop a good understanding of the wider strategic plans. To link SENDCOs with key people in the district relating to SEND and Inclusion. The group agreed that the expansion of the sleep project within the SENDCO network, particularly focusing on children and young people with additional needs, would be valuable. Additionally, a focus on the SEND Reforms at the first meeting of the autumn term will enable all schools across West Lancs to develop a clear understanding of the proposed changes and explore the potential implications for their pupils.

How are we checking on progress?

To date over 35 schools across primary, secondary and special settings have participated in the meetings, reporting that the network is effective for sharing and receiving SEND-related information. 

Sessions to date have featured experts on neurodiversity and LCC SEND service updates promoting relationship building, which schools found highly beneficial. 

The continuing professional development (CPD) Padlet has proved to be a valuable resource, providing a central and easily accessible location for sharing information.

How will we know when this has been successful and how will the work be sustained?

Education Partnership Officer will continue to work with the group to embed the network, aligning SENDCOs with appropriate services. Elm Tree and West Lancashire Community High will continue to facilitate and feed into the Inclusion Hub and vice versa. 

Safe Futures – 'A Pennine TASS Approach to Risk and Resilience' aims to create safer futures for children and young people by embedding a proactive, partnership-driven approach to risk and resilience across schools and settings.

What are we doing to address this?

• Enhance PSHE Delivery: collaborate with partners to strengthen implementation of the new statutory PSHE guidance, communicate a clear and consistent offer to schools and settings, and provide accessible resources and support aligned with local needs.

• Empower parents and carers: work jointly with schools and community partners, including local businesses, to increase parental awareness of risks facing children and young people sharing practical advice, signposting and support through events, campaigns, and targeted communications.

• Promote community safety and resilience: raise awareness of emerging risks and protective factors, fostering a shared understanding of how schools, families, and services can work together to build resilience and safeguard young people. The EPOs are also working alongside Lancashire Police to develop content for schools through virtual reality headsets.

How are we checking on progress?

• Progress will be monitored through regular TASS multi-agency working groups, TASS Locality Group and wider partnership forums where relevant.

• Regular review of locality priorities, ensuring activities remain aligned with emerging needs across schools and settings.

• Sustained engagement with PSHE/RSHE leads, monitored through attendance at networks, feedback from events, and uptake of shared resources.

How will we know this has been successful, and how will the work be sustained?

Success will be assessed through a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures embedded within the ongoing governance of the Locality Group. This will include:

• Tracking school participation in key interventions, including the No More County Lines Tour and wider prevention activity.

• Gathering feedback from schools, settings, parents, and children/young people through surveys, reflections, and debriefs to measure impact on awareness, confidence, resilience, and safeguarding outcomes.

• Delivery of the 'No More County Lines' Tour across five Burnley secondary schools in June and July, equipping young people with awareness of drugs, grooming, gang culture, and violence to support safer choices.

• Delivery of 'The Promise', in partnership with Burnley Youth Theatre and a Hyndburn secondary school, reaching approximately 180 Year 9 and 10 girls through an impactful criminal sexual exploitation performance.

• The 'Where’s the Harm in RSHE?' event (June 2026), attended by 72 delegates from around 30 schools, settings and 20 partner agencies, highlighting Lancashire County Council Public Health commissions and partner offers. Feedback was excellent, and a full evaluation will be shared, with plans to make this an annual event.

• Delivery of virtual reality (VR) trauma-informed training across primary and secondary schools, with additional sessions scheduled for the autumn term. Training has been delivered by the LCC Virtual School and through TASS. Ongoing collaboration with Lancashire Constabulary includes contributing to workforce development and supporting the VR project to ensure the development of appropriate, impactful content for schools and settings.

• Planned parent awareness sessions in Pendle (autumn term) to increase understanding of risk and strengthen safeguarding at home.