Hillingdon Council has launched a new video to showcase its pioneering family hubs programme, which currently boasts two fully integrated hubs offering a wide range of services for expectant parents and families with children aged up to the age of 19 (25 with SEND).
Watch now! https://youtu.be/fAhGCOpbE74
More than 2,187 expectant parents and families with young children have been supported by services at Uxbridge and Hayes family hubs during the past year, with an additional 3,574 sessions delivered to young people over the age of eight.
Rox, aged 17, attends Uxbridge family hub for the mentoring programme. She said: “I’ll sit there with my mentor and do Hama beads or we’ll make pancakes together, you can do cooking or some arts and crafts whilst you chat. Coming to the family hub gives you life skills and there are lots of opportunities to be part of something or learn something new.”
More than 80 local authorities in England have introduced family hubs, but most focus mainly on younger children with plans to gradually expand to older ages. Hillingdon Council has incorporated services for all ages at its two fully integrated hubs.
The hubs include programmes for teenagers, midwifery and health visiting, financial support and benefit advice, and parent and toddler groups.
Zamira, from Uxbridge, has a 15-month-old daughter Alisha. She said: “I enjoy coming to the family hub because we have a fantastic time and its good for my daughter’s development. She likes music, singing and dancing and she’s made friends. It’s also good for me to chat to mums to help with my communication and we get advice from one another.”
The council plans to deliver a total of six integrated family hubs, in addition to continuing to support families online and at a range of flexible locations across the borough including children's centres, libraries and community spaces.
Cllr Susan O'Brien, Hillingdon Council's Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education said: "We're proud of our successful family hubs programme, which allows us to work more closely with our partners to support expectant parents and children of all ages in the heart of the community. We’ve created a benchmark for outstanding family hubs, and by remodelling existing buildings and offering flexible support where it’s needed most, we’re able to deliver a wide range of multi-disciplinary services to inspire local families to live thriving, healthy lives. If you're expecting a baby or have a child aged 0 to 19, why not come and see for yourself?”
