Children and Young People's Health Policy Influencing Group (HPIG)

Convened by the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) and the Council for Disabled Children (CDC), the Children and Young People’s Health Policy Influencing Group (HPIG) provides a strong, independent voice on the health needs of babies, children and young people in England.

HPIG is a cross-sector campaigning and influencing group hosted by the National Children’s Bureau (NCB). Our focus is babies, children and young people’s (BCYP) health policy in England. HPIG brings together over 70 organisations, charities, royal colleges, professional bodies and expert organisations so that the sector can speak to government with a coordinated voice on children’s health.

Children's health policy can be harder to navigate due to the fragmentation of the system, with siloed working across government. Our members represent babies, children and young people from a range of backgrounds, ages, and needs.

What we do and the impact we make

HPIG is a trusted forum that NHS England and Department for Health and Social Care turn to when they want to engage directly with the children’s sector. It is the only established cross-sector influencing group with this specific focus and remit, giving members a route into national policy conversations. 

We recognise that our impact is strongest when we work collectively. We meet regularly as a group to share insights with the government, provide feedback on consultations and legislation, work together on major policy reports and provide joint position statements. 

In the past year we have engaged regularly with NHS England and the government to advocate for babies, children and young people to be prioritised in the Ten Year Health Plan including publishing a briefing to achieve this, influenced and contributed to NHS England's policy priorities acting as the official Stakeholder Council for NHS England’s Children and Young People’s Transformation programme for two years, and published a policy paper through the Child Health Workforce Alliance, a sub-group of HPIG setting out policy levers that must be influenced in order to build a child-friendly workforce that is well-versed in the specific needs of babies, children and young people.  

Our priorities for 2026-2027

HPIG’s priorities for 2026/27 are focused on three main areas, developed after thoughtful consideration of upcoming influencing opportunities:

  • Modern Service Framework for Children and Young People

Focus on the development and implementation of the Modern Service Framework (MSF) for children and young people, including the associated CYP Action Plan, ensuring progress is tracked and gaps are addressed. Co-chairs of HPIG sit on the NHS England Modern Service Framework (MSF) Board representing the voice of the membership group. This work includes ongoing engagement with government officials and sector colleagues on the merger of NHS England with the Department of Health and Social Care, the significant reforms to Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), to continually advocate for needs of babies, children and young people throughout the transition.

Find out more about our 'ten tests' for the Modern Service Framework

  • SEND and Disabled Children’s Services

Prioritise work on SEND and disabled children’s services, drawing on CDC's unique position as strategic reform partner to the Department for Education for SEND. The goal is influencing national policy development to ensure the health needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabled children are properly reflected, and how they overlap with education, social care and youth justice. 

  • Early Years and Prevention

Champion early years, prevention, and early intervention approaches, ensuring they are embedded across policy and service planning and delivery for babies, children and young people. Our goal is to hold the government to account through regular engagement with officials and parliamentarians and work with them constructively to deliver on their commitment to raise the healthiest generation of children ever. 

To find out more please visit our webpages below or contact us at [email protected]