On the 3 April 2018, the Council’s Executive agreed to implement the Family Hubs model for delivering prevention and early help to babies, children and young people from October 2018.

On the 9 June and 9 July 2019, the Council’s Executive also agreed a number of recommendations to implement changes across the 41 children centre sites.

The report of the Director, Children’s Services, (Document “K”) provides an update on implementation and Children’s Centre estates changes.

Members are asked to note the report, progress to date and provide support and guidance on the on-going production of the Family Hubs offer.

(Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee)

(Anne Chester-Wash – 01274 432904)

Members were reminded that on 3 April 2018, the Council’s Executive agreed to implement the Family Hubs model for delivering prevention and early help to babies, children and young people from October 2018.

On 9 June and 9 July 2019, the Council’s Executive also agreed a number of recommendations to implement changes across the 41 children centre sites.

The report of the Director, Children’s Services, (Document “K”) provided an update on implementation and Children’s Centre estates changes. 

Document K revealed that the Family Hubs model included Family Hubs Area Advisory Networks, Area Partnerships, four 0-19 area teams and a small group of central services. Hub areas cover South, East, West and Keighley/Shipley combined. Family Hubs provided:

·               Co-ordination and an information network across universal and targeted support in a cluster area;

·               Focused work which builds family relationships and improves children’s outcomes;

·               Support to reduce family poverty and support social mobility;

·               Co-location of key teams, particularly with the 0-19 children’s public health service which includes health visitors and school nursing.

The composition of the family hub teams was reported and the services provided were discussed and included:-

·               Specialist behaviour support and inclusion for children and young people with special education needs and disabilities;

·               Short breaks for disabled children and young people;

·               Intensive Family support/Family Group Conferences to prevent children and young people going into care.

In response to a request from Members a copy of the schedule of activity for the Keighley Family Hubs September to December 2019 was tabled.

It was stressed that the service took measures with the family and not for them and that the individual services provided was dependent on family need but included issues such as domestic violence; health and school attendance.

Parenting programmes in the Keighley/Shipley area were discussed including Wellness Recovery Action Plans; an obesity programme for children under the age of 5; Freedom – a programme run jointly with health visitors with links to domestic violence for perpetrators who wished to seek help and ‘Time out for Dads’ for transient male figures in a child’s life to make things better at home.

Details of the Stronger Families programme; Families First (Troubled Families) programme; Supporting Families against Youth Crime (FAYC) and the Trusted Relationships Programme were also reported and the numbers of families reached in the Keighley area was revealed.

Members were advised of an event being held in Victoria Hall, Keighley addressing good mental health for young people on 18 October 2019 to which they were all invited to attend.

Following a very detailed presentation a number of questions and issues arose to which the following responses were provided:-

·         Interventions in issues of domestic violence were only undertaken with the consent of families.  Domestic violence was identified through call outs to police.  Notifications were also sent to a dedicated safeguarding lead in all schools who would be advised that an incident had occurred but not the nature of the violence.

·         Following the closure of Tree Tops Children’s Centre discussions would be required with schools in that area to identify need.  Councillors wishing to highlight particularly need in an area could contact officers direct or contact GP Surgeries and health visitors.

·         Any families in need of intervention as opposed to social work should be referred to the family hubs. 

·         The number of families reached in Keighley was less than in some areas because of the size of the constituency.  An increase in referrals in October 2018 was felt to be because people had become aware of the services available.

·         The BME community were engaged in the family hubs.

·         Negotiations were in place to facilitate the services which had previously been provided at Little Lane Children’s Centre in Ilkley. Discussions were being held to ascertain optimum locations and services to be provided.  Any help elected Members could provide to identify target groups would be welcomed.

·         Children living in affluent areas could be vulnerable to being targeted by criminals and county lines issues were discussed. The police were involved in initiatives in that area and work was also being undertaken with Ilkley Grammar School.    A number of schools in the Ilkley area had signed up to the DICE programme (for children at risk of exploitation).  Members were asked to promote that programme to enable it to target additional schools in the area.

·         The two main hubs in the Keighley area were the Rainbow Centre and Strong Close Nursery, however, other buildings were also utilised.  It was acknowledged that access to the Rainbow Centre was not good for people living outside of the Braithwaite area and in an ideal world Highfield Centre would be used.   Data was important to assess areas of needs and the input of Members would be welcomed to identify any particular need.

Members raised concern that parents in need who had not approached a GP or health visitor may be missed and it was explained that work would be taking place to encourage schools to be vigilant to identify struggling families.  The Family Information Service had been ceased but it was hoped that within the next 12 months families could go on line to assess the help available.

In response to fears that teachers may not have the resources to undertake additional work it was explained that there would be investment in people going into schools and that information would be promoted to parents including via literature inserted into school book bags.  Visits to parental events such as coffee mornings were also arranged to allow contact to be made with parents and inform them of the programmes available.

Details of a conference on organised crime/county lines issues being held shortly were raised and it was suggested that it would be useful for officers from Children’s Services to attend.

A Member who, through her place of work, referred families to Children’s Services requested that Members be kept informed of programmes for children taking place in the area.  It was also pointed out that men were not always the perpetrators of domestic violence.

Resolved –

That the report and the progress to date outlined in that report, be noted.

OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE: Children’s Services

ACTION: Strategic Director, Children’s Services