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More than £4m to extend Covid response programmes
supporting vulnerable families
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Government to launch National Centre for Family Hubs to
improve early education and health services
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Builds on manifesto commitment to champion family hubs
and better serve vulnerable families
Vulnerable families will benefit from a multi-million pound
investment in programmes aimed at reaching ‘hidden’ children and
the creation of a national centre to improve early education and
health services.
In a speech today [Tuesday 8 December] at the Early Intervention
Foundation’s National Conference, Children’s Minister will
announce an investment of almost £4.4 million to extend Covid-19
response programmes run by major children’s charities, as well as
setting out plans to create a National Centre for Family Hubs
that will improve families’ access to vital services across the
country.
An extra £4.2 million will go to a coalition of charities to
continue the ‘See, Hear, Respond’ programme until March 2021,
supporting vulnerable children who fall below the threshold for
statutory support and early help, including those in need of
crisis support due to the pandemic.
Since its launch in June the partnership, which is made up of
national children’s charities as well as community-based
organisations, has reached more than 39,000 vulnerable or
‘hidden’ children whose usual support networks of friends,
extended family or out-of-school activities have been impacted by
national and local pandemic restrictions.
This additional funding will reach an estimated 15,000 more
children and young people, as well as 11,000 parents and carers
in need of extra help.
Recognising the need to improve the long-term support for
vulnerable families, the Children’s Minister will also announce
plans to launch the procurement process for a new National Centre
for Family Hubs and Integrated Services, to support areas and
councils set up new family hubs.
This builds on the Government’s manifesto commitment to champion
these hubs and better serve vulnerable families with integrated
health and education services. The new centre will draw on
existing good practice among councils, where hubs often operate
an ‘open door’ approach and families can be referred for extra
help by a range of professional services, including midwives,
health visitors, GPs, schools or social services.
Children’s Minister
said:
“This pandemic has caused unparalleled challenges for us as a
country, but it has been particularly difficult for many
vulnerable families who need the most support. This funding will
expand the vital service provided by the See, Hear, Respond
partnership, which has already helped find and protect 39,000
children who may otherwise have remained ‘invisible’ without it.
“We must go further, not just tackling the most urgent and
immediate issues but also looking at our vision for the future by
improving the resources that already exist. We promised to
champion family hubs and the plans set out today will help make
sure even more families and children can access the early health
and education services we know can have a lifelong impact.”
The Minister will also confirm a further £190,000 for the NSPCC’s
helpline which provides advice to adults who have concerns about
the welfare of a child.
Minister Ford will also announce an evaluation innovation fund,
inviting suppliers to work alongside family hubs to design and
deliver robust evaluations of their effectiveness and value for
money. This will help national and local organisations understand
which models work most effectively and can be replicated, as well
as the best way to integrate a range of family services.
The package builds on confirmation in November’s Spending Review
of an additional £24 million investment in 2021-22 to expand
capacity within secure children’s homes, as well as £165 million
funding for the Government’s Troubled Families programme. This is
in addition to the initial Covid response to support vulnerable
and disadvantaged children, including:
- £160 million to support remote education and access to online
social care via laptops, tablets and 4G routers;
- £350m for the National Tutoring Programme to help the most
disadvantaged children catch up from time missed of their
education; and
- £7.6m for the Vulnerable Children National Charities
Strategic Relief fund which supported national charities who
provide critical frontline services in England and Wales affected
by the pandemic and who are experiencing immediate financial
hardship.
NOTES TO EDITORS
- The NSPCC helpline number is 0808 800 5000
- The See, Hear, Respond Parents referral line is 0800 157 7015
