Poynton Councillors Jos Saunders and Mike Beanland who both serve on the Childrens & Families Committee, paid a visit to Oakenclough Family Hub in Wilmslow which has opened today serving Poynton and Wilmslow Families and Children.
Cheshire East is one of 75 Councils who have been identified by the Department for Education for the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, and received £1m as their share of the grant to implement this.
The programme’s objective is to join up and enhance services delivered through transformed family hubs in local authority areas, ensuring all parents and carers can access the support they need when they need it.
The programme will:
- provide support to parents and carers so they are able to nurture their babies and children, improving health and education outcomes for all
- contribute to a reduction in inequalities in health and education outcomes for babies, children and families across England by ensuring that support provided is communicated to all parents and carers, including those who are hardest to reach and/or most in need of it
- build the evidence base for what works when it comes to improving health and education outcomes for babies, children and families in different delivery contexts
Ref: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/family-hubs-and-start-for-lif…
In Cheshire East, the teams are working with partners across the borough having been successful in bidding for a share of the government’s Family Hubs Transformation Fund. The Council has up to £1 million to develop family hubs across the borough by March 2024.
What are family hubs?
Family hubs support children and young people from birth until they reach the age of 19 (or up to 25 for young people with special educational needs and disabilities). They bring council, health and community services together so that families can access the right support at the right time.
Our family hubs will provide a mix of physical and virtual spaces, as well as outreach, where families can easily access non-judgmental support for the challenges they may be facing.
Services family hubs will deliver
Services that are planned to be delivered from family hubs include:
- midwifery appointments, health checks, weaning and nutrition advice, early years play education and sensory development
- intensive support to reduce family problems that result in family breakdown, working with the child and family to make positive changes
- family help and support for children with disabilities or additional needs;
- practical support around finance and housing
- youth support services, including youth justice
- mental health support for children, young people, families and new parents
Where to find family hubs in Cheshire East
The Council’s family hubs will deliver services in a variety of ways and at a range of locations. They are working to develop three of their existing children’s centres, Oak Tree Children’s Centre, Crewe, Monks Coppenhall Children’s Centre, Crewe and Oakenclough Children’s Centre in Wilmslow, converting them into the first of the family hubs.
Monks Coppenhall will be developed as the SEND centre of excellence as well as providing the Council’s core offer of services. Further centres will be developed on a rolling programme, completed over the next 12 months.
Ref: https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/livewell/care-and-support-for-children/…
This Conservative Government Funded initiative has been well received and helps meet commitments in The best start for life: a vision for the 1,001 critical days, published as government policy in March 2021. This programme is jointly led by the Department for Education (DfE) and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
