NHS Greater Manchester has been selected to run a new mental health pilot called Care Together, the government announced on 23 October 2026. The programme will embed mental health professionals from existing NHS services into children's social care settings, aiming to give faster, simpler access to support for children and young people supported by social care and their families.

The pilot will be run by Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board with Stockport, Tameside and Rochdale local authorities. According to figures cited in the announcement, up to 7,000 children and young people, along with their parents, carers and guardians, will be covered. The government is investing up to £9.4 million over three years. The model is intended to replace fragmented provision with needs-led support, including family therapy and help for parents and primary caregivers, and follows Professor Fonagy's independent review recommending better integrated mental health support.

The pilot is set to launch in early 2027 and run until 2029. An evaluation during the pilot will assess whether the programme could be scaled to other areas. Ministers Diana Johnson and Josh MacAlister both welcomed the scheme, with MacAlister also citing wider investment of £2.4 billion in early intervention and children's social care reform.