One Region – Workforce East

One Region

We’re working together to improve the lives and futures of children and their families

The Eastern Region is home to diverse and vibrant children and families, each with unique needs, challenges and aspirations. That’s why it’s important for all 11 authorities across the region to work together as one, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive – no matter where they live.

The collaboration between the Eastern Region’s authorities ensures that families are not only supported locally but also benefit from a broader, more unified strategy. Together, we are stronger, more efficient and better equipped to build a brighter future for every child.

Across the region, we have three projects that enable us to work together:

Adopt East

Adopt East is dedicated to providing the highest quality adoption services to children, families and birth relatives across the region.

While our focus remains clear, what sets us apart is our collaborative approach, centred around multi-community engagement.

As the largest Regional Adoption Agency in the UK, we bring together the expertise and professionalism of Local Authorities from Bedford, Essex, Hertfordshire, Luton, Norfolk, Southend, Suffolk and Thurrock. We also benefit from the invaluable insights of our Voluntary Agency partners, Adoptionplus and Barnardo’s, alongside the continued support of Adoption UK and New Family Social.

Commission East

Commission East is still in its early stages, with all 11 local authorities coming together to explore how they can collaborate to enhance sufficiency and improve outcomes for children and families.

Foster East

There is an urgent need for foster carers in the East of England, where over 7,000 children are currently in the care of local authorities, and 150 more enter care every month.

To help meet this demand, the 11 local authorities responsible for Children’s Services in the region have joined forces to create Foster East.

Supported by funding from the Department for Education, Foster East represents a new, collaborative approach to foster carer recruitment and support. Every individual will be guided through their fostering journey with their local council, benefiting from free expert training and ongoing support.