Agenda item

To receive a verbal update and presentation from Graham Reiter, Director of Children, Young People and Families.

Members received a verbal update and presentation from Graham Reiter, Director of Children, Young People and Families.

A number of key points were raised in the presentation including:

·             There were 11 purpose-built Family Hubs based in the central, southeast, west and north localities and a further seven dedicated outreach points in four fire stations, two military bases and a primary school.

·             The Family Hubs were launched in September 2022 and significant progress had been made in a short space of time.  Northumberland was one of 14 Local Authorities to be awarded Trailblazer status.  Family Hubs were set up to cover the 0-19 age group.  The aim was to ensure families with children had early help to overcome a number of difficulties.  It involved a multidisciplinary range of services and key partners such as 0-19 service, midwifery, primary mental health, registrars and the community and voluntary sector.

·             Commissioning arrangements with Action for Children and Barnardos had ended on a positive note.

·             Key principles were access, relationships and connection. 

·             Locality Integration Events had been crucial in bringing people together and sharing knowledge.

·             Funding was on a three-year basis primarily focusing on 0-2s but with an expectation that services would be offered up to 19 years.

·             Parent Carer Panels had been set up and more work and development were needed to ensure that they were front and centre

·             Prevention and Intervention Pathway – range of group work opportunities such as learning together through play.  Where possible the range of opportunities had been developed in consultation with parents.  Feedback from users indicated that the service was valued.  Services were also available on an individual basis where appropriate.  There was also the ability to deliver some groups virtually.  There was a key push to engage with fathers as early as possible and virtual groups had allowed this to happen across the county without geographical limitations. 

·             Family Help – offered targeted intervention for families at a higher level and worked with a ‘whole family’ approach.

·             Increasing Accessibility by Enhancing the Digital and Virtual Offer – it was important to recognise the implications of digital poverty and consider how to mitigate and support families in the situation.

·             Northumberland Family Hub Integration with Health – engagement with health partners had been extremely positive over the last 18 months.  Key partners sat on the Family Help Partnership Board.  Health colleagues were co-located in some Hubs and a range of supports and groups were also available.

·             The range of services in each locality had been mapped and ensured that there was connectivity which was not available previously.

·             Northumberland Family Hub Links with GPs – 1,009 children had been referred from GOs in the last 12 months.  There had been joint attendance with 0-19 service at Primary Care Network meetings to discuss the Family Hub Offer.   There were strong links between Community Development Workers and Social Prescribers.  Locality links were being made with specific GP practices.

·             The Start for Life Publication had been sent to all GPs, Midwifery and 0-19 service.

·             Eyes on the Baby Project – This was a multi-agency training evaluation project focusing on Sudden Unexplained Death in Infancy.  More than 70 staff had completed the EOTB Strand 1 training and over 100 front line staff had completed Strand 2 training.

·             Northumberland Family Panels – making sure that the parents and carers were actively involved in the most effective way.  This work needed further development but there was a strong basis.

·             External Visits – Northumberland had been one of six Local Authorities to participate in a Thematic Review of Family Hubs.  Very positive feedback had been received including:-

·             Passionate, child and family centred staff

·             Partnership working

·             Inclusive Family Hub offer

·             Effective Leadership

·             Positive feedback from parents

·             Following a visit from Dame Andrea Leadsom there had been praise for giving children the best start in life, as well as the innovative ways we were ensuring all expecting and new parents had access to the Start for Life Offer.

A number of comments were made including:-

·             Was it now time to start making a difference on issues that we were now measuring and creating a specific action plan, rather than having a generous offer of everything that was available?  The perceived needs of people may be different from what the population’s need was in terms of inequalities and wellbeing in the long term.

·             Residents voice was equal to data in the Inequalities Plan.  It was important to track what was below the Northumberland level and look to make the offer more bespoke based on what demand looked like.

·             How was public sector estate mapped out relating to health and social care, particularly if some services were wishing to expand and the Family Hub had space and vice versa?  There may be areas where estate rationalisation could be looked at and money could be diverted back to services rather than buildings.  This related to the quality of relationships locality to enable these conversations to go ahead.  Other community assets such as schools may also be used.

·             The Systems Transformation Board had agreed to set up a task group comprising a number of agencies to think about integrated neighbourhood teams and ways of working. 

·             The Family Hub was an excellent example of working collaboratively and rather than looking at starting afresh and it was necessary to look at the estates, how things could be resourced.  The task group would look closely at integrated neighbourhood working and this should start with what was already in place in the Family Hubs.

·             Family Hubs were a national development and there were regional links and meetings with other Family Hub Managers to enable them to learn and share from each other.  However, how Family Hubs developed in Northumberland would be different to how they developed elsewhere.  It was important for them to develop specifically to fit the particular locality’s needs. 

RESOLVED that the presentation be noted.