Our Cabinet members will be asked to approve an improved way of delivering services to Barnsley families, at their next meeting on Wednesday 29 November.
This follows a period of public consultation which took place during August and September.
The new model will improve access to services by delivering more services across communities alongside six designated Family Hub sites., replacing the current Family Centre delivery model.
This will fulfil our legal requirements and support the delivery of the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme for Barnsley families in line with Department for Education (DFE) guidance. We first announced news of this in February.
The new model will enhance access to support by increasing delivery in a range of community venues and through the development of five of our existing Family Centres and community buildings into six designated Family Hubs, offering support for families with children aged from 0 up to 19 years old (and up to 25 for young people with special education needs and disabilities).
It is proposed that there will be one designated Family Hub in each Area Council locality.
They will be in the following (former) Family Centres
- Dearne – Thurnscoe Family Centre
- Central - Kendray and Worsbrough Family Centre (Already running as a pilot Family Hub site).
- North - Athersley Family Centre
- North East - Grimethorpe Family Centre
- South - Wombwell Family Centre/IKIC Centre
- Penistone - Penistone Library
In addition to these sites, Dearne Family Centre and Darfield Family Centre will remain open to deliver early years education provision, as well as Family Hubs and Start for Life services.
Family Hub services will be delivered at the Hubs and across the community where it makes sense to families. Family hubs services will offer guidance and advice on a range of circumstances including infant feeding, mental health support, health visits and parenting classes. They will 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.
A range of services will be delivered within the community through other outreach and community spaces such as libraries, youth centres, schools, early years settings, health settings, community centres and faith buildings.
Families will also be able to access services virtually, through our online offer which can be found at: barnsley.gov.uk/virtualfamilyhubs
Cabinet Spokesperson for Children’s Services, Cllr Trevor Cave, said: “This new model will mean that all Barnsley families will be able to access services through the Family Hub model wherever they live.
“This updated way of working will provide more services and support for families across the borough, and families will be able to access support face-to-face in a Family Hub, face-to-face in the community, and online.
“We’ll make sure every family knows what and where their local Family Hub is, and know that if they walk through the front door and access any of our Family Hub services, they will be welcomed by staff who are able to support their needs, and who can connect them with services that will be able to help.
Some of the services currently delivered at Family Centre sites will not change, and others will be held in different locations across the Family Hub area. We will make sure that families who may be affected by these changes are supported through the transition and continue to be supported to access the services they need.”
For more information about Family Hubs and Start for Life, follow the Facebook page: facebook.com/BarnsleyFamilyHubs
Read the Cabinet report in full (item 6).
