Help us design Family Hubs
What is a Family Hub?
Family Hubs will be one-stop-shops where all families with children can get the help they need, quickly, easily, and from the right people.
Professionals from across the council, our partners like health and schools, the community and voluntary sectors will work together in one place. They will support families from pregnancy until children reach age 19 (or 25 for young people with special educational needs and disabilities).
We want Family Hubs to be a place you can trust and feel safe going to whether you need a little bit or a lot of advice, help and support. We want Family Hubs to be:
- in every community in Southwark
- welcoming, comfortable and inclusive
- somewhere you can get support or be a part of supporting other people
- a place that understands the particular needs of your local area
- able to adapt to meet local needs
Why do we need Family Hubs?
The council and our partners deliver a range of services to families with children. This happens in lots of places, like:
- children and family centres
- health centres
- libraries
- playgrounds
- youth clubs
- community centres
And through different professionals:
- midwives
- health visitors
- mental health workers
- housing officers
- family support workers
These services don’t work as closely together as we think they should. We want you to help us bring all support for families, children and young people together as Family Hubs.
How you can help
There are lots of ideas about how Family Hubs could work. They could be:
- one building with every service
- a smaller main building that works with other nearby places like libraries and leisure centres
- a mix of in-person and online support
We need your help to understand what will work in your area.
What is most important is that Family Hubs get you the help and support you need.
How are Family Hubs different from what’s already there?
We have a great network of Children & Family Centres that help new parents and families with babies and toddlers. However, we know that help doesn’t stop just because it’s time for your children to go to school. We know how helpful it is to have a place where services work closely together for parents with children aged 0-5. We want to do the same for families with children of all ages.
This could mean increasing the types of services and advice you can get easily in your local Children and Family Centre. Or it could mean joining up your local Centre with your local Youth Club so they work more closely together.
Will this mean fewer or different services in Children and Family Centres?
Different, yes. But fewer, absolutely not. What we definitely won’t be doing is reducing the types of support you already get from your local Children and Family Centres. We want your help to understand how we can improve and expand those services. We’re also investing in more support for new parents through our Start for Life Offer.
How can I get involved?
You can:
- complete a survey to tell us your thoughts
- check our website for more information on what we’re doing
- email us at familyhubs@southwark.gov.uk
Will there be more chances to have our say?
Over the next 12 months, we'll have lots of discussions across the whole borough, including local area discussions. Register to receive updates on when they will be.
Page last updated: 28 June 2023
