Child Action Northwest
Child Action Northwest is a UK registered charity providing fostering, emotional health and wellbeing, family contact, and criminal justice support services to over 10,000 children, young people, and families annually across North and West England.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1886
- HeadquartersBlackburn, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Child Action Northwest does
Child Action Northwest (CANW), operating under Registered Charity No. 222533, is a UK non-profit headquartered in Chorley, Lancashire, with a regional office in Bolton. Founded in 1886 as the Blackburn Orphanage and rebranded to its current form, the organisation has supported children, young people, and families for more than 135 years across North and West England. It delivers an integrated portfolio of child welfare services spanning fostering placements (37 foster carer households, 63 individual carers supporting 54 children), Emotional Health and Wellbeing (EHWB) therapeutic interventions commissioned by Lancashire County Council across 11 schools, ProContact family contact services (ICFA, PTC, Supervised Contact, Supported Contact, Supported Handover, and the Spring Blackburn with Darwen programme), an Appropriate Adult service for vulnerable individuals in police custody, the Break the Cycle early intervention programme, and add-on services including Professional Supervision and External Safeguarding Audits.
CANW's business model is a hybrid of commissioned public-sector contracts, charitable donations and fundraising events (annual CANW Ball, Orphanage Cup football tournament, corporate sponsors), and private fee-paying services priced from £30 to £225 per session. Primary commissioning counterparties are Lancashire County Council, Cafcass, and Blackburn with Darwen, with secondary funding from the National Lottery (£160K in March 2023), the Lancashire Police & Crime Commissioner, and corporate partners. The underlying technology stack is conventional: a WordPress-based website, Google Analytics, and social media integrations, supplemented by operational certifications (Cyber Essentials, IASME, OFSTED registration SC036972, NACCC accreditation, Investors in People, Living Wage Employer, Trusted Standard Level 2). In April 2026, Tony Okotie joined as Chief Executive Officer from BBC Children in Need, marking the most recent strategic leadership transition.
Child Action Northwest firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Child Action Northwest
- Legal name
- Child Action Northwest
- Website
- https://canw.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1886
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Child Action Northwest is a UK registered charity providing fostering, emotional health and wellbeing, family contact, and criminal justice support services to over 10,000 children, young people, and families annually across North and West England.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Child Action Northwest industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Social Care Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy) (EDAJALAK), Developmental Therapy / Early Childhood Special Instruction (EDACAFAG), Mental Health & Infant/Early Childhood Consultation (0–5) (EDACAFAO), Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)
Keywords
Where Child Action Northwest is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Blackburn
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Child Action Northwest business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Commissioned Services: Services commissioned by local authorities, schools, Cafcass, and government bodies for delivery of fostering, contact services, emotional health support, and early intervention programmes. Revenue is contract-based with commissioning authorities.
- Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, and fundraising events such as the annual CANW Ball, Orphanage Cup football tournament, and general fundraising activities.
- Private Fee-Paying Services: Some services such as supervised contact, supported contact, and supported handover are available on a private fee basis at £30-£225 per session.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Supervised Contact - £125 per session or £225 to include written report |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Supported Contact - £40 per session |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Supported Handover - £30 per session |
| Subscription | Annual | Residential Support Worker - £28,486.91 – £30,901.68 per year |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Appropriate Adult - £13.45-£20.32 plus holiday pay |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Child Action Northwest product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Child Action Northwest is a registered charity that delivers commissioned children's social-care services including fostering placements, emotional health and wellbeing therapeutic interventions, family contact services (ProContact), appropriate adult support in police custody, and community programmes such as Break the Cycle. Services are primarily commissioned by local authorities, Cafcass, Lancashire County Council and 11 schools, with supplementary private fee-paying family contact sessions and fundraising/donation income.
Product overview
Child Action Northwest (CANW) operates as a charity offering multiple interconnected social welfare services rather than a unified software product. The core service portfolio includes Fostering (finding safe homes for children), Emotional Health & Wellbeing (EHWB) services for schools featuring a 'Pick n Mix' package model, and ProContact family contact services. ProContact encompasses sub-services including ICFA (Improving Child and Family Arrangements), Planning Together for Children (PTC), Supervised Contact, Supported Contact, Supported Handover, and Spring BwD. Additional services include Appropriate Adult support in police custody, Break the Cycle early intervention, Professional Supervision, and External Safeguarding Audits. The organisation's EHWB programme also includes Our Voice (for children in care), CYWP trainee programme, and PATH peer support groups. Services are commissioned by local authorities including Lancashire County Council and operate across North and West England.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fostering Fostering service that matches children and young people with foster families, providing safe, loving and secure homes, supporting 37 foster carer households and 63 individual carers who have supported 54 children.
- Emotional Health & Wellbeing (EHWB)
Quantifiable outcome
- 27,000+ interventions provided since April 2024
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Child Action Northwest
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Child Action Northwest technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Child Action Northwest partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CafcasscoreCafcass commissions CANW to deliver Improving Child and Family Arrangements (ICFA) across North and West England and Planning Together for Children (PTC) across Northwest. This is a core commissioned partnership for family court services.
- Lancashire County CouncilcoreEmotional Health & Wellbeing partnership with Lancashire County Council delivering therapeutic interventions to children and young people. Also partners on Early Help Partnership with 9 other agencies delivering services across Lancashire.
- NACCCcoreNational Association for Child Contact Centres accredits CANW's contact centres. This accreditation ensures centres meet national standards for supervised contact services.
- Greater Manchester Mental Health TrustminorCANW hosts CYWP (Children and Young People's Wellbeing) trainees in collaboration with Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust and University of Manchester, offering training in primary mental health interventions.
- Lancashire Football AssociationminorCollaborative partnership for the Orphanage Cup football tournament, running since 1932, bringing together business teams to compete while raising funds for CANW.
- Loom Loft Furniture & InteriorsminorHeadline sponsor of CANW Ball 2026 'A Night to Belong', contributing to fundraising event success.
- BANG Ribble ValleyminorSponsored entertainment at CANW Ball 2026, supporting the fundraising event.
- Coplow Business SupportminorSponsored drinks reception at CANW Ball 2026.
- Lads UnitedminorPartner providing free Mental Health resources to participating teams in Orphanage Cup football tournament.
- Ella Shaw's Academy of ArtsminorPartnership announced on International Women's Day 2023 for arts collaboration supporting young people.
- Blackburn with DarwencoreLocal authority partnership for Spring programme (Separated Parents Resolution, Information, Navigation, Growth) and other services in Blackburn with Darwen area.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Child Action Northwest competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TACT (The Adolescent and Children's Trust): UK fostering and family support charity explicitly comparable to CANW's fostering and ProContact portfolio. Operates as a regional-to-national fostering provider with similar contract-based revenue model.
- Together Trust: North West England-based charity providing fostering, residential care, and family support. Geographic overlap with CANW and directly comparable service portfolio in fostering and SEND support.
- Family Action: National charity providing family support, early intervention, and emotional wellbeing services. Comparable to CANW's Family Support, EHWB, and Break the Cycle programmes.
- Coram: UK charity operating contact centres, family support, and adoption services. Direct overlap with CANW's ProContact supervised contact and ICFA services.
- Place2Be: UK children's mental health charity providing school-based counselling and emotional wellbeing support. Closely comparable to CANW's EHWB school commissions and Pick n Mix model.
Broad incumbents
- Action for Children: One of the UK's largest children's charities, providing fostering, family support, and emotional wellbeing services nationally. Highly comparable service mix to CANW but operating at materially greater scale across the whole of the UK.
- Barnardo's: National UK charity delivering fostering, family support, and child mental health services. Direct overlap with CANW's fostering and ProContact programmes, with significantly broader geographic coverage.
- The Children's Society: National youth charity supporting vulnerable children including young carers and those in the justice system. Comparable to CANW's young carers and Appropriate Adult service lines.
Emerging players
- YoungMinds: UK charity focused on children and young people's mental health. Comparable to CANW's EHWB programmes but with a stronger advocacy and policy focus rather than direct service delivery.
- Reconstruct (formerly PAC-UK): UK charity supporting separated families and adopted children. Direct overlap with CANW's ProContact ICFA and Planning Together for Children services.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Child Action Northwest social profiles
Digital presenceChild Action Northwest compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance8 records
Child Action Northwest financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Child Action Northwest leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Child Action Northwest subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Child Action Northwest funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Child Action Northwest M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Child Action Northwest
What does Child Action Northwest do?
Child Action Northwest is a registered charity that delivers commissioned children's social-care services including fostering placements, emotional health and wellbeing therapeutic interventions, family contact services (ProContact), appropriate adult support in police custody, and community programmes such as Break the Cycle. Services are primarily commissioned by local authorities, Cafcass, Lancashire County Council and 11 schools, with supplementary private fee-paying family contact sessions and fundraising/donation income.
Is Child Action Northwest a public or private company?
Child Action Northwest is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Child Action Northwest founded?
Child Action Northwest was founded in 1886. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Child Action Northwest based?
Child Action Northwest is headquartered in Blackburn, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Child Action Northwest make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Commissioned Services are the primary driver. The others are donations and Fundraising and private Fee-Paying Services.
Who are Child Action Northwest's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TACT (The Adolescent and Children's Trust), Together Trust, Family Action, Coram and Place2Be. Broad incumbents are Action for Children, Barnardo's and The Children's Society. Emerging players are YoungMinds and Reconstruct (formerly PAC-UK).
Does Child Action Northwest have an API?
No public API is recorded for Child Action Northwest.
What industry is Child Action Northwest in?
Child Action Northwest's product category is Children's Social Care Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAC, Family & Parenting Support Services, with a secondary code of EDAJALAK, Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy). Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8300.