The ‘one-stop shop’ for families—Family Hubs and Start for Life now 'open' in local authorities across half the country

Following a trial across 75 local authorities, Family Hubs, providing free help and support to parents, will form the backbone of the Government’s initiative to transform children’s social care. Each hub will offer practical support targeting early years’ development, mental health support for parents and carers, as well as training programmes designed to support parenting at home. The aim of the scheme is to centralise vital services and focus on early support to reduce the likelihood of intervention at a later stage. 

Alongside the scheme is a new campaign, Start for Life, which focuses on promoting and educating families about the opportunities and habits they can utilise to promote their child(ren)’s development on a daily basis.

According to expert Dr Samantha Callan, Family Hubs were first referred to in the Centre for Social Justice’s 2007 Breakthrough Britain Report, which focused on preventing family breakdown in order to help address poverty.  Dr Callan is clear that Family Hubs are “not just re-badged ‘Sure Start’… they build on its considerable legacy”. 

Following Lord Laming’s review of the death of Victoria Climbie in 2003 and Baby Peter in 2008, successive governments have been under pressure to demonstrate linked-up services which provide complementary safeguarding systems that protect some of the most vulnerable children and young people in England and Wales.