When families thrive, communities flourish. That’s the belief driving Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities (SFSC), a nationally recognised, evidence-based parenting programme that has supported families in Barking and Dagenham for over two decades.
SFSC plays a vital role in the borough’s early help offer. The programme equips parents with the tools to build stronger relationships, establish consistent routines, and develop greater confidence in their parenting. It supports families at the earliest signs of difficulty and helps to prevent challenges from escalating. But the impact of SFSC extends beyond the home. By empowering individuals and strengthening families, SFSC helps lay the foundation for healthier, more connected communities.
Award-winning community impact
We’re proud to share that SFSC was recently honoured with the Social Value Award by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, a testament to our deep and lasting impact on the community.
As public bodies increasingly seek to deliver social, economic, and environmental benefits through their services and procurement, SFSC has been commissioned to support the borough in delivering against these broader goals. To this end, the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham commissioned the Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities team to help them reach their Social Value goals.
Delivering Social Value commitments through SFSC
The Social Value Framework has a diverse range of goals, grouped into five priority themes:
- Investment in local people;
- Investment in the local economy;
- Environmental sustainability;
- Community participation and engagement;
- People, resilience and independence.
In this blog, we explore how SFSC has contributed to each of these goals, with a particular focus on the inspiring work taking place in Barking and Dagenham.
Investment in local people
SFSC in Barking and Dagenham has given parents the opportunity to be leaders in their communities. The project aimed to bring local parents together to create a strong, supportive environment where they could connect and uplift one another. Through weekly meetings, the 20 parents participating in the initiative built confidence and developed essential leadership skills such as decision-making, public speaking, and problem-solving, which enabled them to tackle challenges collaboratively.
By sharing resources and advice, parents formed a strong bond that enabled them to encourage and build each other up. Ultimately, this initiative empowered parents to grow while strengthening the community, creating a better environment for their children and everyone involved.
One standout example is the Litter Heroes initiative.
Environmental sustainability and community engagement
Litter Heroes was developed by parents just weeks into taking part in the SFSC programme. So far, the group has organised three litter picks, working together to clean up their local area, through rain and sunshine. This initiative delivers direct impact across all five Social Value priorities:
Environmental Sustainability: By improving public spaces
Community Engagement: Through joint action and visibility
Investment in People: Parents leading the initiative and modelling good behaviour for their children
Resilience & Independence: Problem-solving as a community
Local Economy: Supporting cleaner, more inviting environments for residents and businesses
The resilience and teamwork demonstrated through litter heroes show that when social bodies invest in local people, they engage and, in turn, invest in their local community.
Going above and beyond parent education
The programme goes beyond teaching, it equips parents with skills, including leadership skills and practical skills for real-life applications to help them thrive both at home and in their communities
Core to SFSC is practical support and accessibility. We understand that access to childcare can be a barrier to participation.Which is why SFSC provides free childcare for parents, including a creche for younger children. The creche workers are highly skilled and have received additional training in pediatric first aid as part of SFSC. Although not mandated for all creche workers, the Programme lead believed that this training was essential, not only for SFSC but also for individuals to enhance their CVs and leverage the accreditation in future job opportunities.
A ripple effect through families and the community
SFSC is a community course that goes beyond the individual, focusing on the whole community. We have shared a few examples from Barking and Dagenham, and this marks the beginning of what we can achieve in people’s lives and communities. Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities is committed to deepening this work in partnership with families and communities across the UK.
If you are interested in collaborating, please contact our Programme Lead Jade Briant: jade@racefound.org.uk
Learn and share best practice
For those wanting to improve their practice and deepen their impact, we invite you to join us at our SFSC Conference 2025
This event is perfect for:
- Parenting programme facilitators and trainers
- Local authority family services teams
- Commissioners and policy leads
- Community and third sector organisations
- Researchers, practitioners, and parents
Learn more and book here: https://raceequalityfoundation.org.uk/sfsc-2025-conference/
