Salford is leading the way in helping children and families have the best start in life in a new scheme.
Salford City Council has been chosen to be one of 14 trailblazer areas to receive funding from the government’s Family Hubs Transformation Fund. Salford’s great work will highlight what can be done in other areas to improve services for families, so these can be rolled out more widely across the country.
Salford already has four Family Hubs, so the new funding will help with providing more services and expanding existing ones.
In total, 75 areas will receive a share of investment up to 2025, with the hubs offering support from pregnancy through to age 19, or up to 25 for children with special education needs and disabilities.
Councillor Jim Cammell, Lead Member for Children’s and Young People’s Services, said: “We’re really pleased to have been selected as one of the trailblazer sites. A lot of work has already been done to set up Family Hubs in Salford and this new funding will help us expand and increase the amount of services and support we can give to people in Salford. We want to help improve the wellbeing of families, their life chances and the skills they need for good lifelong physical and emotional health.”
Family Hubs offer early support to families to help them overcome difficulties and build strong relationships.
Research shows 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.
Hubs will also bring together wider services that can make a huge difference to people who need extra support – such as strengthening family relationships and navigating services.
Parents will also be able to access a range of support through the hubs from midwifery, mental health support and health visiting to infant feeding advice. Hubs will also provide early language and communication development for young children to set the foundations for lifelong learning and prepare them for school at age five.
The early years are vital for children’s development and early language and communication skills. Start for Life services will help parents to form those secure lifelong bonds with their babies and children; and family hubs will provide advice and support to parents to encourage them to chat, play and read with their children to support early development.
