Worcestershire County Council has announced a bold new package of public health initiatives to give children across the county the very best start in life.
Families are to benefit from £1.4 million investment.
Family Hubs which provide a range of services for young people and families will expand their community outreach, thanks to an extra £200,000 investment over two years.
The Council is also investing £850,000 in health visitor services over the next five years. That means a £170,000 boost in funding each year, which will be used to enhance support for children with special educational needs and disabilities, as well as to offer new antenatal breastfeeding support groups.
Finally, an increased budget of £350,000 in a grants programme to help schools improve pupils’ mental wellbeing. Find out more in this article: New Public Health funding boost for schools
Across Worcestershire there are nine Family Hubs. Councillor Satinder Bell cabinet member for Health and Wellbeing recently visited Brookside Family Hub in Kidderminster.
Amy Hodgkinson, Family Hub team manager at Barnardo’s, explained that the hubs act as a one-stop shop, offering everything from antenatal classes and stay-and-play sessions to speech and language therapy, breastfeeding support, and health visitor clinics. She added that staff can also connect families with other services when needed.
She said “Families don’t want to be passed from pillar to post”.
Organisations including West Mercia Women’s Aid and Nigel Prosser Foundation who provide special educational needs support also hold sessions at Family Hubs.
Councillor Bell said: “We need more of these. They are a one-stop-shop for so many services and it’s really good to see the passion of the staff. You can see the difference they are making in people’s lives from really early on.”
“And because they make such a difference early on, people don’t have to use more acute services later on.”
“These centres are nurturing a feeling of family and community, for people from different areas, backgrounds or maybe a different country.”
Hannah Oliver who comes to the stay, weigh and play sessions with her daughter Arwen said: “I first heard about the family hubs when my health visitor gave me a leaflet. These sessions are a good opportunity to meet other parents with children the same age.”
Jenni who has used the Family Hubs for over four years took the time to write to the Family Hubs team. She said:“I’ve been coming with my little boy since he was 4 weeks old and now he has just started reception.
“It’s not just something to do, it’s a lifeline, he has a great time but it’s more than that to me, it’s somewhere that really combats the loneliness of being a mom especially with everything that’s gone on; him being poorly as a baby and all the hospital visits, my post-partum anxiety, the passing of my mom, financial worries, relationship issues, feeding, sleep and behavioural issues.
“The staff here just get it, they understand, and they listen without judgement and I don’t think they even realise how much they’ve made an impact on mine and my little boy’s lives.
“We made friends in that first group at four weeks who we will attend with today and stay in regular contact with. All the events, classes and groups are so highly valued. My little boy has especially enjoyed the new resources lately (especially the climbing frame!) It’s so nice that money is being put into a place that is just incredible for the community.”
More information is available at www.worcestershire.gov.uk/beststart or by searching “Best Start Worcestershire”.