Families to see improved access to services

Local services to families could be changed to improve access and better meet their needs.

A proposal agreed by Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet today (Wednesday) seeks to change the way the authority delivers services through Family Hubs, with the hope that moving to this model will reach more people and make access easer.

The county council will now work together with other partners providing support to families to ensure services are built around the needs of families and try and smooth the access to services and support.

Children’s needs following the Covid-19 pandemic have changes and easier access would mean more families can be supported, particularly during the first 1001 days of a child’s life.

Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Children and Young People Mark Sutton said: “Our family hubs have been operating successfully for many years, and the feedback we have from families is that the support they receive really helps them.

“However, along with our partners we feel this support could be more co-ordinated to ensure all expectant parents, their children and young people have services that are easy to access and meet their needs.

“Our Family Hub Network is a new approach that brings together early help and intervention from not just from the county council, but a variety of other organisations that work to make the lives of families better.

“This new way of working will ensure families have easy access to the services they need. It is crucial that we continue to work with children and young to ensure they feel safe within their home and the community, and are able to get the right help at the right time.”