Leicestershire’s first ever ‘Family Hub’ has officially opened.
The new ‘one-stop-shop’ where parents and carers can access support and advice is now up and running in Coalville.
It’s the first in a raft of family hubs for the county where families with children between 0 -19 (or 25 for young people with special educational needs or disabilities) can receive information on a range of issues.
Staff can give support and advice on a variety of topics including health, relationships, education, employment, finance and housing, as well as signposting to help from other local agencies and organisations.
The Coalville centre is one of more than 20 family hub locations that have been confirmed so far by Leicestershire County Council, with more areas being considered.
Loughborough’s Family Hub is set to open on June 1, followed by Melton and Hinckley later in the month and Market Harborough and Wigston Magna in August.
Our growing network of family hubs mark an important milestone in our ongoing commitment to supporting families and strengthening our communities here in Leicestershire.
We recognise the challenges that parents and carers face on a daily basis, and it is vital that we provide readily accessible support networks.
Person:Councillor Deborah Taylor, county council member for children and families
Leicestershire is one of 12 local authorities to secure a slice of a £12m pot of grant funding to transform the way services are delivered for families.
As well as creating the physical hubs, there are plans in the county to carry out outreach work and create a new website containing helpful family information and advice.
This will mean that the hubs, whether in a building or accessed digitally, will be where information, advice and support will be found easily in one place.
The idea is that parents and carers can easily receive support right from conception, helping them to navigate parenting through the early years, right into adulthood.
The full network of physical hubs, which will make use of existing spaces such as Children and Family Wellbeing Centres and libraries, is expected to be fully open by spring 2024.
For more information on Family Hubs in Leicestershire, email familyhubs@leics.gov.uk
- The Coalville Hub is based in the North West Leicestershire Children and Family Wellbeing Centre in High Street