Management Information Sheet

Norfolk has a shared ambition for every child and young person to flourish. Our Start for Life and family hubs approach supports this vision by strengthening the prevention and early help offer for families and the inclusion of children with special educational needs.

The Norfolk family hubs approach will provide high-quality, joined-up, family-focused support that is clear and simple to access, delivered on an outreach basis, where families with children aged 0-19 (to 25 with SEND) live, in locations that they find accessible, coordinated and delivered through outreach from a family hub site in each district area, complemented by online and digital support.

Key Messages for parents/carers

• We want to make it easier for families to get help as soon as they need it, so we're joining up services in what we're calling our family hubs approach.
• It means children's services, health, libraries and voluntary and community organisations are working more closely together, so that parents and carers can get the help they need. Support is available in the places families already visit, with staff out and about in community supermarkets or local play groups and community events.
• There's support from the moment parents know a baby is on the way, right through to their child's 19th birthday (or 25th if they have special educational needs).
• We are providing help and advice on parenting, support with children's learning at home, better access to mental health support and help with infant feeding. This work is being supported through the government's family hubs programme.
• Parents and carers can get help wherever they see the family hubs logo, or they can drop into a family hub site. We've got one of these in each district, which staff are using as a base when they're not out in the community.
• We've also published our Start for Life offer, which details the support available to parents up to their child's second birthday.
• We're also keen for mums, dads and carers of children under two to help shape our services by joining our parent and carer panel.
• You can find out more at www.norfolk.gov.uk/familyhubs or www.justonenorfolk.nhs.uk/family-hubs.

Additional messages for schools, colleges and early years settings

• This isn't a new service, it is about better joining up the help that already exists and making the best use of the many skilled staff working with families across Norfolk's communities.
• The programme is funded by HM Government until March 2025, therefore our approach has to be sustainable. That means we're investing in developing the skills of our workforce and making sure support for families continues beyond March 2025.
• The programme is being delivered over three years, from April 2022 to March 2025, with a phased approach to implementation. At local level district family hub partnership groups will support local decision-making regarding provision in each district.