The 14-month Better Pathways project, funded by Barrow Cadbury Trust and led by Brushstrokes Community Project, sought to bring to the fore the voices of individuals with lived experiences of the ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ (NRPF) condition, living in the West Midlands, to listen to their experiences of both challenges and positive experiences of support.

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The project steering group brought together people with lived experience of NRPF, representatives from local authorities, children’s trusts and local charities has met throughout the project and, along with additional contributors,  to co-create a West Midlands NRPF Best Practice Charter.

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The aim of the Charter is to provide support for frontline practitioners in the statutory and voluntary sector working with people with NRPF to support the vital and complex work they are doing under challenging circumstances.

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In addition to the Charter,  a four-part briefing paper series responds to current areas of challenge arising for cross-sector frontline practitioners who are supporting individuals and families with the NRPF condition. Each briefing paper collates up-to-date information on legal definitions, policy changes, insights from academic research, shares reflections and good practice from frontline practitioners across the statutory and third sectors, and signposts to useful resources.

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Each briefing ends with recommendations to develop more supportive pathways to better outcomes for people with NRPF. The briefings can be used as helpful guides for frontline practitioners and as a continuous professional development tool to keep abreast of current NRPF issues from practice and research.