Must Know Guide for Lead Members

Family Hubs are a way of bringing together local services for families with babies, children and young people aged 0–19, or up to 25 for those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

They are designed to:

• Improve access to services for the community
• Join up support across agencies
• Provide help earlier
• Reduce the need for more intensive statutory intervention

Family Hubs are not only physical buildings. They are a place‑based and system‑wide approach to delivering integrated support through a mix of physical venues, outreach and digital access.

Further Information can be found in the Best Start Family Hubs Guidance

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/best-start-family-hubs-and-healthy-babies-guidance-for-local-authorities

Family Hubs support councils and partners to:

• Strengthen early help and prevention
• Address inequalities in health, education and life chances
• Improve outcomes for children, young people and families, and support the Good Level of Development (GLD) target for your Local Authority, which measures the proportion of children in Reception achieving expected levels across early learning goals in areas such as communication, physical development, and personal, social and emotional skills.
• Make best use of limited public resources

They also contribute directly to priorities across:

• Children’s social care
• Public health and health inequalities
• SEND
• Youth services
• Community wellbeing

Family Hubs align with a range of national policy priorities, including:

• Early education and childcare 
• Best Start for Life
• SEND and alternative provision improvement
• The Healthy Child Programme
• 10 Year Health Plan for England 
• Integrated Care Systems and health integration, neighbourhood health
• Place‑based working

While funding arrangements may vary, the policy direction is towards greater integration and earlier support for families.

Effective Family Hubs are typically characterised by:

Clear leadership and accountability

• Strong political and senior officer leadership
• Clear governance arrangements across council and partners
• Alignment with wider children and families’ strategies

Joined‑up delivery

• Coordinated pathways across education, health, early years, SEND and youth services
• Shared approaches to assessment, referral and support
• Strong partnership working, including with the voluntary and community sector

Focus on families

• Services designed with families, not for them
• Clear and accessible local information
• Outreach to families less likely to engage

Use of data and insight

• Understanding which families are being reached
• Monitoring outcomes and impact
• Using insight to improve services over time

Workforce 

• An integrated workforce that is embedded in its local community 
• Investment in continuous development 

Lead members play a strategic leadership role.

Key responsibilities include:

• Setting clear expectations and ambition
• Championing families’ needs within decision‑making – ensuring their voice is heard
• Supporting effective partnership working
• Scrutinising outcomes, value for money and sustainability
• Ensuring Family Hubs align with council priorities

Strategy and outcomes

• How do Family Hubs support our wider objectives for babies, children and families?
• What outcomes are we seeking to improve, and how do we measure progress?
• What evidence do we have that the approach is working?

Access and inclusion

• Which families are accessing support? It is particularly important to ask who may be missing out? 
• How are we addressing barriers such as transport, language or digital access?
• How is the offer tailored to local communities?

Partnership working

• How effectively are we working with health partners?
• What role does the voluntary and community sector play?
• How are schools, early years settings and youth services engaged?

Sustainability

• How are Family Hubs funded now and in the future?
• What plans are in place to embed this approach into core services?
• What workforce or financial risks should members be aware of?

Common challenges include:

• Viewing Family Hubs as a short‑term programme rather than system change
• Inconsistent engagement from partners
• Limited focus on outcomes and impact
• Over‑reliance on buildings rather than outreach and digital access
• Uncertainty about long‑term funding

Awareness of these risks can help lead members provide effective oversight and challenge.

• Visit a Family Hub or partner service
• Engage with families and frontline staff
• Ensure Family Hubs are reflected in strategic and financial planning
• Promote joined‑up working across the council
• Support a focus on prevention and early intervention
• Involve Children’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee in the development of Family Hubs in your Local Authority to ensure there is appropriate challenge and support

Family Hubs should be closely aligned with:

• Early help and children’s social care strategies
• SEND improvement plans
• Health and wellbeing strategies
• Services for young people, youth justice and violence reduction
• Tackling poverty and inequality

• Family Hubs are about how the system works for families
• Strong political leadership supports effective delivery
• Focus on outcomes, equity and sustainability
• Partnership working is essential