A SERVICE that stops Worcestershire families “falling through the cracks” will be recommissioned.
Councillors say Best Start Family Hubs provide a vital service for children and families across the county.
At a meeting last week, Worcestershire County Council’s cabinet agreed to start the recommissioning process for the hubs.
There are 10 family hubs across Worcester, Droitwich, Malvern, Redditch, Kidderminster, and Bromsgrove and Stourport providing services including antenatal courses, workshops, stop-smoking advice, speech therapy, and support groups.
FAMILY: Emma Giles and Daniel McDermott at the Brookside Family Hub in Kidderminster (Image: Phil Wilkinson-Jones/LDRS)
Cabinet member for health Alan Bailes said: “This is one of the easiest decisions this cabinet will ever be asked to make.
“He said the hubs provide an easily accessible service in communities that gives people the help they need.
“This is working at the moment. Since 2023/24, footfall is up 25 percent.
“We had 50,500 contacts last year plus another 4,500 through outreach and pop-ups. Breastfeeding rates are up and childhood obesity is down.”
HEALTH CHIEF: Cabinet member Alan Bailes said recommissioning family hubs is an easy decision (Image: Worcestershire County Council)
Cllr Bailes said the service “stops families falling through the cracks”.
He said the current three-year contract for Worcestershire’s family hubs ends in March 2027 and needs to be recommissioned so the service can keep running.
“Nobody is closing a hub today,” he said.
Natalie McVey, cabinet member for children and families, said family hubs give people the “opportunity to thrive”.
Education chief Dan Boatright-Greene said the hubs provide sensory rooms and “a safe space away from home”.
Lisa McNally, director of public health for Worcestershire, said too often councils default to statutory services like social care but neglect services that can stop people needing such care in the first place.
“The numbers of people in social care are not rising – it’s the cost of the packages,” she said. “The family hubs play a preventative role.”
Decision delayed on controversial plans for eight-bedroom HMO
Homeless housing scheme given planning permission
Council wants developer to regenerate Worcester’s Shrub Hill Quarter
Cllr Jabba Riaz said the hubs “continue the Labour government’s principle of Sure Start”.
Cllr Jenny Shaw said there are gaps in county provision in rural areas and asked: “Is is possible to take resources from hubs into village halls so everyone can benefit?”
Prof McNally said: “It’s always a challenge to provide services in rural areas but we have established an outreach service.
“It’s happening and we’ll keep expanding that as much as we can.”
