Over 5000 children have benefitted from innovative partnership working across the city

Children & Families Newcastle, which celebrated its two-year anniversary this month, was initiated by Collaborative Newcastle involving the Council, NHS and Voluntary sector partners, to develop a network of Family Hubs and connected buildings at 14 sites across the city since its launch in 2021.

The recent celebrations follow the announcement earlier this year that almost £3.7m of funding has been awarded to Newcastle from the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme to further develop this vital family support for children from conception through to age 19, or up to 25 for children with special education needs and disabilities.

The programme investment will add to the current Children & Families Newcastle Hubs offer across the city, bringing even more activities and support for families into the vibrant community venues, allowing people to access different services in welcoming and familiar places.

Cllr Lesley Storey, Cabinet Member a Growing City, Newcastle City Council said: “It is brilliant to see the positive impact these hubs are making for families across the city. The key to the success to date has been our close partnership working with local communities and charities which means we can deliver the support families need in a place that is convenient to them. This celebration recognises the success of an ever-growing service to support our children and young people onto a path to a positive future.”

Carol Dufton, Assistant Director of Children’s Services for Barnardo’s, said: “We are very proud of the part we have played in supporting these children, young people, and their families. Times are really hard for people in the North East and across the UK at the moment, with the cost of living crisis in particular having a massive impact on all of our lives. Through this partnership approach, we are determined to keep helping as much as we possibly can.”

Caroline Herbert, North Locality Lead at Action for Children said: “I am proud of the support we are now able to offer families across the city. Opening the hubs to the whole community means it is easier to get help if you need it, with anything from just feeling stuck in the house with the kids to more sensitive issues like finance and well-being. Action for Children run the Children and Families Newcastle Hubs in the North, Inner and Outer West parts of the city.”

The Hubs act as a ‘one stop shop’ to offer guidance and advice on a range of circumstances including, infant feeding, mental health support, welfare benefits and child health and development.

This additional investment of almost £3.7m across three years will help to deliver an enhanced Start for Life offer for expectant parents and those caring for children under two years. This will mean additional evidence-based parenting information programmes, a new teen-parent support offer, greater ante-natal peer support and breastfeeding peer support and support for the home learning environment to promote early language development. There is also the development of a parent carer panel, revitalising of the published Start for Life offer, and the provision of an enhanced range of training for Hub staff to support them to assist families with a wide range of enquiries.

The Hubs also bring together wider wraparound services that can make a huge difference to people who need extra support – such as advice on getting into work, relationship building and stop smoking services.