Tameside leading the way to establish Family Hubs

Tameside is leading the way after being given approval to establish Family Hubs across the borough to support children and parents.

The Government has announced the 75 areas that will benefit from investment to pioneer Family Hubs with Tameside Council’s bid amongst those successful.

The new hubs will act as a ‘one stop shop’ offering early support to families and young people to help them overcome difficulties and build strong relationships. They bring existing family-help services together to improve access and connections with support including help with infant feeding and perinatal mental health, as well as making it easier to access wider services such as smoking cessation and job advice.

They will include hub buildings in each of Tameside’s neighbourhoods and virtual offers and are for families with children of all ages, from 0 to 19 or up to 25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with a great Start for Life offer at their core.

Ensuring that families 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 poor mental health and unemployment.

Family hubs are a valuable part of the Council’s aim to place services within communities to improve delivery and outcomes.

Tameside Council’s Deputy Leader Councillor Bill Fairfoull, who has responsibility for Children and Families, said: “I’m delighted that the Government has announced that Tameside is one of the areas that will establish Family Hubs and will be leading the way on this important initiative. Much work is taking place to put our plans into action and help give our children and families the very best start in life.

“Evidence shows that the first 1,001 days from pregnancy to the age of two are vital for a child’s development and prospects. Family Hubs will provide a single access point to services to make a positive difference and ensure that every child has the support available to be able to reach their full potential.”

Since 2017, Tameside’s Early Help Offer has grown significantly, with the development of an Early Help Access Point, better Early Help Assessment tools, ‘Team Around’ approaches, and Early Help Panels with joint decision-making.

A Tameside Family Hubs Steering Group is providing action-focused leadership and oversight. Key partners in the programme include Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, Tameside and Glossop Pennine Care, Action Together, schools, Active Tameside, libraries, Greater Manchester Police and HomeStart.