New £2.5m early support scheme launches to support Salford young people

Developed through a partnership between AllChild, Salford City Council, five primary and secondary schools in Little Hulton, and local voluntary and community organisations, the programme focuses on giving every child the chance to succeed.

Funding for the initiative includes £373,000 provided by the council, with financial backing also coming from schools, partners and philanthropic investment.

At the centre of this approach is the AllChild Link Worker—a trusted adult who will work alongside each child. Based in schools, Link Workers will build strong, consistent relationships, recognising each child’s strengths and interests. They will provide day-to-day support and coordinate a personalised two-year plan, ensuring the right help is in place at the right time.

AllChild has run this programme in West London since 2016 and in Wigan since 2024 to support young people to achieve positive social, emotional, and academic outcomes.

Listening and co-design workshops took place with local individuals and community organisations to ensure that Salford’s existing strengths were built on and that local needs and priorities were addressed.

The community initiative identifies young people who would benefit most from personalised early support, connecting them and their families with trusted adults, positive opportunities and a coordinated network of voluntary, community and public services. Alongside enabling children to build the relationships, skills and confidence they need to flourish in life, it will invest in local organisations and bring services together to create a more joined-up system of support and opportunity across the community.

This programme of preventative action comes as the Greater Manchester Combined Authority has been designated the UK’s first Preventative Demonstrator, uniquely positioning Salford’s young people to take advantage of partnerships between local authorities, private companies and voluntary organisations to ensure more young people access employment, education or training opportunities post-16.

This model has already generated positive results in Greater Manchester, with 65% of children at the halfway point of the two-year programme in Wigan observed to have made improvements to their emotional wellbeing.

Councillor Jim Cammell, Lead Member for Children's and Young People's Services said: "We're delighted to be partnering with All Child on this transformative programme. We are committed to empowering every child with the relationships, skills and confidence they need to succeed and thrive. By bringing schools, communities and local organisations together, we can create a powerful network of support that lifts young people. This is part of our vision to make Salford a child-friendly city — a place where every child can live, grow and play, and have a bright and hopeful future."

Louisa Mitchell MBE, Chief Executive of AllChild said: “We’re delighted to be launching our place-based system of support in partnership with Salford City Council, where we hope to achieve positive impact similar to that which our partnership has enabled in Wigan. Collaborating with dedicated community groups to support more children and young people will help deepen our impact in Greater Manchester and ensure that together, every child can flourish.”

Dale Fitztilley is Head of Community Delivery at AllChild and has worked with families and local community groups in Wigan since 2024. Dale said: “I’ve been able to see the positive impact this programme has had in children’s lives, and I’m so excited to get to work in September with families in Little Hulton to ensure we can support even more young people in their community.”

This is the latest in a series of investments and developments to support children and families in the city.

As part of the national Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Reform Programme, the DfE has confirmed a major package of funding through the Experts at Hand initiative and the Local Authority SEND Transformation Fund. Nationally, £429 million will be made available in 2026–27, the first year of the programme, with further investment of £750 million in 2027–28 and £850 million in 2028–29.

Salford has been allocated £2,093,810 for 2026–27. The council anticipates additional funding in subsequent years in line with national increases, ensuring sustained momentum in delivering meaningful improvements to local SEND services.

This flexible funding will enable Salford to build specialist capacity across early years settings, schools, and post-16 provision. The investment is designed to promote earlier intervention, reduce reliance on reactive and statutory services, and enhance the overall quality and responsiveness of SEND support across the local system.

This funding is the latest multi-million investment for families in the city, following the announcement in January that the council had successfully lobbied the Department for Education for £7.43 million towards a brand-new, purpose-built special school in Walkden to support 150 SEND children and their families, and expanded specialist educational needs provision at Springwood Primary in Swinton.

Further details on the council’s ambition to be a Child Friendly City can be found on the council website and as part of its This is our Salford, Corporate Plan 2024 to 2028.