Polaris Childrens

What Polaris Childrens does

Polaris Children's Services Limited is a UK-registered private limited company headquartered in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, founded in 2009 and operating since 2019 as part of the broader Polaris Community group of 11 interlocking children's services brands. The company delivers needs-led, evidence-based social care, emotional health and wellbeing, and SEND support services for vulnerable children, young people and families across the UK and selected overseas military communities. Core service lines include Residential Step Down Wraparound, Foster Care Stabilisation Wraparound, Intensive Reunification, Intensive Diversion from Care, Emotional Health and Wellbeing interventions, Disability Support, and Education Support, alongside named programmes such as the British Forces Social Work Service, Hampshire SENDIASS, STARS, Safer Stronger Families, Halton Go4ward and the Take A Breath Hub. Service delivery is built on proprietary, multi-disciplinary models combining social workers, support workers, therapists and teachers, drawing on frameworks such as Triple P Level 4, Solution Focused Brief Therapy and Team Parenting.

The company's go-to-market is exclusively commissioned rather than sold: contracts are won through formal tender processes with Local Authorities (80+ areas), Clinical Commissioning Groups, central government departments (notably the Ministry of Defence since 2014), and charities such as Family Fund and Cafcass. Revenue is generated primarily through managed services contracts and outcome-based mechanisms including Social Impact Bonds and Payment by Results arrangements with partnerships involving Bridges Fund Management and Outcomes for Children. Pricing is non-public and negotiated per contract. The technology stack is operational rather than digital-product in nature: there is no API, no SDK, no disclosed AI/ML capability, and digital presence is limited to informational websites and the Take A Breath Hub content portal.

The organisation is privately held within the Polaris Community conglomerate, with no disclosed external PE or VC backing. Management is led by Managing Director Tracy Livesey, alongside former Core Assets MD Sarah Dimmelow and HR Director Rob Sanders. Regulatory standing is a core operating requirement, with CQC and CSSIW registrations underpinning short-break services and ISO 9001:2015 accreditation supporting quality assurance across the group.

Name

Polaris Childrens

Legal name

Polaris Children's Services Limited

Website

https://polarischildrensservices.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Polaris Children's Services is a UK-based, privately held children's social care provider delivering evidence-based family support, emotional health, SEND advice and British Forces social work services under commissioned contracts with 80+ Local Authorities, CCGs, the Ministry of Defence and charities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Social Care Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

Keywords

• Children's social care
• Family support services
• Emotional health services
• Therapeutic intervention services
• Education support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bromsgrove

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Commissioned Contracts: Services commissioned by Local Authorities, Government Bodies, CCGs and Charities. Contracts include Social Impact Bond arrangements with Payment by Results mechanisms. Revenue generated through delivering contracted social care, child welfare, and educational support services to vulnerable children, young people and families.
2. Social Impact Bond / Payment by Results: Outcome based payment by results contracts with Local Authorities. Services include step-down from residential care to specialist foster care, with payments based on key indicators of placement stability measured after 52 week programmes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Polaris Children's Services is a UK-based social care provider delivering commissioned, evidence-based services for vulnerable children, young people and families. Core offerings include Residential Step Down Wraparound, Foster Care Stabilisation, Intensive Reunification, Intensive Diversion from Care, Emotional Health and Wellbeing, Disability Support, Education Support, and statutory British Forces Social Work across overseas military bases. Services are delivered by multi-disciplinary teams under contracts with Local Authorities, CCGs, the Ministry of Defence and charities.

Product overview

Polaris Children's Services is a children's services organisation delivering a portfolio of needs-led, evidence-based social care services for children, young people and families. The portfolio includes core care services (Residential Step Down Wraparound, Foster Care Stabilisation Wraparound, Intensive Reunification Services, Intensive Diversion from Care Services, Disability Support Services, and Education Support Services), alongside targeted Emotional Health and Wellbeing services. Specific contracted programmes include the British Forces Social Work Service (a standalone sub-brand delivering statutory social work for military communities overseas), the Take A Breath Hub (an online emotional health and wellbeing portal), Hampshire SENDIASS ( SEND information and advice service), Essex Progressions (CAMHS transition pilot), STARS (Social Impact Bond-funded edge-of-care service across Nottinghamshire/Derby), the South Gloucestershire Harmful Sexual Behaviour Service, Cheshire West and Chester Caring to Care, Halton Go4ward, Liverpool Family Based Therapeutic Service, North Somerset Turning the Tide, the Safer Stronger Families Model (used across multiple contracts and also adapted for adoptive families), Family Fund Partnership assessments, Blackpool Enlighten CSE service, and Salford Group Activities. The organisation operates under the Polaris Community umbrella and delivers contracts commissioned by Local Authorities, Charities, CCGs and Government Agencies including the Ministry of Defence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• British Forces Social Work Service: Statutory social work service for children, adults and their families across the British Forces community, serving military personnel, their families, and civilian staff.
• Take A Breath Hub
• Outcomes for Children
• Hampshire SENDIASS

Products and services

• Residential Step Down Wraparound
• Foster Care Stabilisation Wraparound
• Intensive Reunification Services
• Intensive Diversion from Care Services
• Emotional Health and Wellbeing Services
• Disability Support Services
• Education Support Services
• British Forces Social Work Service
• Hampshire SENDIASS
• Take A Breath Hub
• STARS (Steps To Achieving Real Success)
• Halton Go4ward
• Caring to Care (Cheshire West and Chester)
• North Somerset Turning the Tide
• Safer Stronger Families Model
• Family Fund Partnership Assessments
• Blackpool Enlighten Therapeutic Service
• Salford Group Activities
• Sutton Domestic Abuse Support Service
• Liverpool Family Based Therapeutic Service
• South Gloucestershire Harmful Sexual Behaviour Service
• Essex Progressions
• Outcomes for Children

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of completed cases on Lewisham Safer Stronger Families Service resulted in step-down
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Ministry of DefencemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 July 2020Since 2014 Polaris has provided social work services to the Ministry of Defence. From 1 July 2020, expanded British Forces Social Work Service to Cyprus and South Atlantic Islands. Services include safeguarding, child protection, and support for vulnerable adults and children.
• Hampshire County Council with CCGsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019Hampshire County Council working with North East Hampshire & Farnham CCG, North Hampshire CCG, South East Hampshire CCG, West Hampshire CCG and Fareham & Gosport CCG awarded contract to Polaris to provide Hampshire SENDIASS - an impartial Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service.
• Family FundmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Since 2014, Polaris Children's Services has worked in partnership with Family Fund (the UK's biggest grant-giving charity for families raising disabled or seriously ill children) to carry out eligibility assessments. Polaris has recruited and trained staff to assess families applying for grants and provide signposting to services.
• Polaris CommunitycoreOthersPolaris Children's Services is part of the Polaris Community, a community of fostering, residential, education and children's services companies. The Polaris Community has over 20 years' experience in managing social care risks with robust policies, procedures and systems. Development, performance and position are discussed in monthly board meetings.
• Bridges Fund ManagementmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBridges Fund Management partnered with Polaris Children's Services and North Somerset Council to deliver the Turning the Tide programme - an innovative edge of care service funded through a Social Impact Bond. The partnership aims to reduce the need for children to be looked after by working with families.
• Outcomes for ChildrenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutcomes for Children (OfC) develops and implements innovative Social Impact Bond contracts. Works alongside Polaris to embed new ways of working through strong payment by results models including OfC Birmingham contract working with Birmingham City Council.
• CafcassmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUsing Groups UK wide office infrastructure, Polaris was commissioned by Cafcass to deliver contact services for families going through divorce. Later delivered the Separated Parents Information Programme (SPIP) for separating families within the private law arena.
• Cheshire West and Chester CouncilmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelivers the Caring to Care service using a whole system approach to ensure foster carers and adoptive parents are supported to build positive attachment relationships and develop resilience.
• Liverpool City CouncilminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelivered Family Based Therapeutic Service in partnership with Liverpool City Council, providing highly skilled therapeutic support for families dealing with various concerns.
• North Somerset CouncilmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnered with North Somerset Council on the Turning the Tide programme - an innovative edge of care service funded through Social Impact Bond to reduce need for children to be looked after.
• South Gloucestershire CouncilminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelivers Harmful Sexual Behaviour Service for young people displaying harmful sexual behaviour in South Gloucestershire, including assessment and therapeutic intervention programmes.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Voyage Care: UK provider of specialist care services for children and adults including learning disability support; comparable in its CQC-regulated short breaks and disability support offering to Polaris.
• NSPCC: Major UK children's charity providing safeguarding, child protection, and therapeutic services; broader in scope but overlapping with Polaris's child protection and safeguarding service lines.
• Barnardo's: UK's largest children's charity, operating across fostering, emotional health, disability support, and family services commissioned by Local Authorities and central government; broad portfolio overlap with Polaris's full service range.
• Action for Children: One of the UK's largest children's charities delivering fostering, adoption, and family support services nationally; significantly larger scale than Polaris but addresses the same commissioning customers and vulnerable populations.

Direct peers

• Compass: UK charity delivering emotional health, wellbeing, and therapeutic services for children and young people, including PSHE and targeted intervention programmes; comparable to Polaris's emotional health portfolio and Take A Breath Hub.
• TACT (The Adolescent and Children's Trust): UK fostering and adoption charity providing placement, therapeutic, and family-finding services to Local Authorities; directly comparable to Polaris's foster care stabilisation and adoption support work.
• Five Rivers Child Care: UK children's services provider offering fostering, residential, and edge-of-care services commissioned by Local Authorities, directly comparable to Polaris's fostering stabilisation and residential step-down offerings.
• Catch22: UK social enterprise delivering commissioned services to vulnerable children, young people and families across local authorities, mirroring Polaris Children's Services' commissioned multi-disciplinary model and outcome-based contracts.
• National Fostering Agency: UK fostering agency providing foster carers and wraparound support commissioned by Local Authorities; overlaps with Polaris's fostering stabilisation and wraparound services.

Emerging players

• Aspire Care and Education: UK provider of residential, fostering, and education services for vulnerable children and young people; smaller scale than Polaris but with overlapping edge-of-care and SEND service offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/polarischildrensservices
• Facebookfacebook.com/polarischildrensservices

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Polaris Childrens