Family Hubs are to replace Children’s Centres in providing families with advice and support from pregnancy to childcare, through to starting school and beyond. The Hubs will deliver joined-up services across health, family services, education, childcare, schools and the voluntary and community sector. They will help families to receive faster, earlier support - focusing on early intervention.
The Hubs will offer support through midwifery, health visiting, family support, infant feeding, antenatal education, postnatal support, speech and language, play, attachment and bonding. A SEND practitioner will also be dedicated to the hubs. Along with the Hubs, there will also be community-based family help to reach families in rural areas of the East Riding.
Councillor Victoria Aitken, cabinet member for children, families and education said: “Family Hubs enable families to access help and support at the earliest possible opportunity, helping children to have the best start in life. We know that when children have a great start it impacts positively on health, wellbeing, and life outcomes.”
Parent Panels provide a platform for parents and carers to share their views, experiences and ideas to help shape the development and delivery of family help.
Bridlington Family Hub, in Shaftesbury Road, is the first East Riding Hub to officially open, with an opening event involving families and staff on Friday 1 May. Other centres across the East Riding will change to Family Hubs over the coming months.
Councillor Aitken continued: “Supporting children and families cannot be done by any single service alone. Through Family Hubs, families will receive joined-up, accessible and responsive support.
“We have also piloted a community-based offer, working with places like schools, church halls and the voluntary and community sector. This has proved highly successful in connecting with some of our smaller rural communities."
New Family Hubs webpages have launched making it easier for families to find out about the support available, see classes and activities taking place in their local area and enabling online bookings. Families can also access the online Togetherness parenting guides.
Family Hubs are a part of East Riding’s Best Start in Life Plan, which outlines how early years services will be delivered and how children will be supported to have the best start in life.
Find out more about what Family Hubs provide, and register at your local Hub: www.eastriding.gov.uk/family-hubs or follow on Facebook: ERFamilyHubs
Families that are already registered at a Children’s Centre will not need to re-register at their Family Hub.
