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The council is changing the way that young families are supported at Children’s Centres, and is inviting those who use the services, as well as professionals and community groups, to help influence the changes.
In Devon these changes mean that there will be an extension to the age range for support – from current services that deliver targeted support to 0 to 8 year-olds, to future services that provide targeted and universal support to 0 to 19 year-olds, or up to 25 year-old young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. It also means a wider range of services than present, including support from local community groups, working together to help young families.
The changes follow a national move, announced by the government last year, for children’s centre to become family hubs. Family hubs are…” a place-based way of joining up locally in the planning and delivery of family services. They bring services together to improve access, improve the connections between families, professionals, services, and providers, and put relationships at the heart of family support. Family hubs offer support to families from conception through to their child turning 19, or 25 for those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with a great Start for Life offer at their core. You can read more about what family hubs are and how they connect to early help on the National Centre for Family Hubs website.
Having agreed at the end of last year to make the change in line with national thinking, Devon County Council is now inviting families, professionals and community groups to help shape what the new Family Hubs support network will look like in Devon.
Exactly which services will be integrated into a Family Hub will very much depend on the needs of local families but much of the support families currently receive will still be available. The kind of services that families could access via a family hub include: early years services and education; Public Health Nursing and Midwifery services; activities delivered by local groups; drug, alcohol and domestic abuse support; mental health support and youth services.
Family Hubs are likely to be located in areas of greatest need, with outreach services extending from them into local communities.
Have your say on what services and support you would like to see available and what is important to you about how and where family hubs work by completing this anonymous questionnaire by 23rd March. If you would like this questionnaire in any other format or language please email: childrenscommissioningsecure-mailbox@devon.gov.uk.
