First Family Hub to open in Tameside to support children and parents

A RIBBON cutting ceremony will launch Family Hubs in Tameside that bring an unprecedented level of support to children and parents.

The event takes place at the Tameside West Family Hub, Greenside Lane, Droyslden, M43 7RA, on Monday 20 March from 2.30pm to 4.30pm.

Family Hubs will then open in buildings in each of Tameside’s four neighbourhood areas with facilities also available at other community venues.

A series of open days will showcase the services and facilities at each hub, featuring free family activities and a wide array of stalls offering information and support. 

Tameside’s Family Hubs are:

• West Family Hub (Denton, Droylsden and Audenshaw), Greenside Lane, Droylsden, M43 7RA. Call: 0161 342 5197. Launch event: Monday 20 March from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. Facilities also available at Tameside Wellness Centre Denton and Denton Town Hall.
• East Family Hub (Stalybridge, Dukinfield and Mossley), School Crescent, Ridge Hill, Stalybridge, SK15 1EA. Call: 0161 342 5533. Open day: Wednesday 5 April, 1-3pm. Facilities also available at Stalybridge Civic Hall and Mossley Children’s Centre.
• North Family Hub (Ashton), Trafalgar Square, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL7 0LL.
  Call: 0161 342 2255. Open day: Thursday 6 April, 1-3pm. Facilities also available at Tameside One and Active Oxford Park.
• South Family Hub (Hyde, Hattersley and Longdendale), Hyde Old Road, Flowery Fields, Hyde, SK14 4SQ. Call: 0161 342 5353. Open day: Wednesday 12 April, 1-3pm. Facilities also available at Hattersley Hub and Hattersley Children’s Centre and Hyde Town Hall.

Family Hubs also include 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, available at www.gotogrowtameside.co.uk.

The new hubs 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.

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 Tameside 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 excited that we’ll soon be able to open our Family Hubs across the borough, which will provide a single access point to services to help give our children and families the very best start in life.

“I’d urge anyone who is interested and available to attend our open days where they will be able to find out about all the facilities and services available and take part in free family activities. And I’d encourage anyone in need of their support, or who thinks that they could be of help to them, to visit their local Family Hub or get in touch with them.”

Family Hubs are funded and supported by central Government. Tameside is leading the way after becoming one of 75 areas to be given approval to establish Family Hubs.

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.

For more information on Family Hubs please visit www.tameside.gov.uk/familyhubs.