• East Ham library to lead the way with a new service for families
Newham Council is one of 75 local authorities chosen to trial a new-style family support centre – known as a “Family Hub”. They will be created in Newham through a £4 million Family Hubs & Start for Life grant fund successfully secured by the council from central government.
“Family Hubs” offer early support to families and young children to help them overcome difficulties and build strong relationships. Start for Life services include help with infant feeding and parental mental health support. There will also be support for families to have easier to access wider Council services such as housing and job advice.
Councillor Sarah Ruiz, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services said: “Strong, supportive families make for more stable communities and happier individuals. Investing in families and making sure they get the support they need from birth through to adulthood helps with children’s educational attainment, wellbeing and life chances, while also improving wider outcomes such as improving mental health and employment opportunities.
“Family hubs will act as a ‘one stop shop’ to offer advice and guidance on a range of issues including, infant feeding, mental health and parenting.
“Newham’s ambition is to place children and young people at the heart of everything. We will continue to do all we can to make Newham the best place for children and young people, because they are 37 per cent of our population and 100 per cent of our future.”
Research shows that effective early intervention can improve children’s wellbeing, educational attainment and life chances, reduce family poverty, improve mental health and reduce negative outcomes such as unemployment, which carry significant cost to the public purse. The East Ham pilot, set to open in April 2023, will pave the way for this new approach.
The “Family Hub” concept is not a prescribed range of services – it is an approach that ensures services and professional work better together to provide families easier access to services in their local community. It may include, for example, health services (antenatal, maternity, health visitor, school nurses); early years and childcare and education, youth services, parenting support, safety and relationship support.
The East Ham pilot will inform the future of a further three “Family Hubs” which are planned to open by 2025 across Newham.