Rochdale confirmed as one of 75 areas to receive family hub supporting vulnerable children and families

Babies, children and families in the Rochdale borough are set to benefit from a multi-million-pound package of support to improve access to parenting support, perinatal mental health services and help with breastfeeding.

Rochdale has been named as one of the 75 local authority areas in England confirmed as eligible for a share of £302 million to create a new network of family hubs.

Family hubs provide a space where families can come together from pregnancy onwards for support services including midwifery, health visiting and infant feeding advice. They will also improve access to ‘wrap-around’ services provided by councils, voluntary and health organisations such as support for domestic abuse or substance misuse.

The hubs will give parents advice on how to take care of their child, making sure they are safe and healthy and providing services such as breastfeeding support.

Eligible areas will also share £100m targeted at bespoke parent-infant services and extra mental health support during the first few years of a child’s life.

Early intervention is proven to improve children’s mental health and life outcomes, making the investment an important step towards ensuring all youngsters get the best start.

300,000 vulnerable families will also receive targeted support from a dedicated keyworker to overcome challenges at the earliest stage – preventing them from being caught up in the social care system and helping parents and children to stay together safely.

The programme aims to improve health and education outcomes for parents and children, helping to tackle entrenched inequalities around the country.

Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “Being part of a stable, loving family gives a child an early advantage, which is why we are investing so significantly in helping every family to access the vital services that help them and their children thrive.

“Evidence shows that some of the most disadvantaged families don’t access vital services. Family Hubs offer localised early help and intervention, from early years support to parenting classes, all of which can make a transformative difference in the lives of parents and carers who may not have a support network.”

The £302m for the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme includes:

• £100m for bespoke parent-infant relationship and perinatal [from pregnancy up to a year after giving birth] mental health support,
• £82m to create a network of Family Hubs, improving access to a wide range of integrated support services for families with children aged 0-19,
• £50m to establish breastfeeding support services,
• £50m to fund evidence-based parenting programmes,
• £10m to support local authorities to publish a clear ‘Start for Life offer,’ and
• A further £10m to trial innovative start for life workforce models.

The package also includes £10m to enable five local authorities to trial and evaluate innovative workforce models, investing in developing the modern, skilled workforce that we need to support babies and families.

The 75 local authorities eligible for Family Hubs will now be contacted and provided with further details on next steps.

Local MPs Chris Clarkson and Sir Tony Lloyd have both welcomed the news.

Mr Clarkson said: “It is vital that families across England have access to the same high-quality services to support them and their children’s development, wherever they live.

“I welcome the new family hub for Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale from the Conservative government, as part of their £302 million Start for Life investment – delivering our manifesto commitment and improving local access to childcare, mental health services, housing advice and employment, for families who need them most.

“By ensuring vulnerable families and young people leaving care can access key support services in one place, we are helping to end the postcode lottery that too many of them face as we build back fairer.”

Mr Lloyd said: “Any investment into family hubs is welcome. I have been asking for this since the government destroyed the SureStart network so it’s good to see that the Education Secretary is catching up. The sad reality is that this is too little and too late for many children.

“Intervention in the early years is vital in supporting vulnerable children, but the Tory government continue to make high quality childcare increasingly unavailable and unaffordable. Parents are having to work fewer hours or leave jobs because they cannot find or afford it.

"If the Conservatives are serious about this and want to put families first, they would do well to take on board Labour’s Children’s Recovery Plan which would invest in early years places for children on free school meals and boost access to before and after-school clubs.

“They should also listen to Labour's call to halt the national insurance rise, and use a one off windfall tax on oil and gas companies to cut household bills by up to £600. This would significantly reduce the strain on all households across the piece."

Reporting: Michelle Kight, Rochdale Online News; Nick Statham, Local Democracy Reporting Service