Derby City Council is set to receive £5.192 million in government funding to secure the future of the city’s Family Hubs, in line with the Best Start in Life and Families First strategy, over the next three financial years.

Cabinet members will be asked to accept the funding, provided jointly by the Department for Education (DfE) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DOHSC).

The investment, which is part of the Government’s Best Start in Life Programme, will ensure that the Council and partners are able to continue to deliver vital support for vulnerable children and families across Derby until 2028/29. 

Since its launch in July 2022, the Family Hub initiative has provided a ‘one-stop-shop’ for families with children aged 0-19 (and up to 25 for those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities).

The new funding will allow the team to build on this foundation, focusing on improving health and educational outcomes in areas with the highest levels of need.

The hubs bring together services that families may previously have had to find in different places, or found difficult to navigate, making it simple to get help in the right place, at the right time.

The range of support in Family Hubs includes:

  • Fun and interactive groups
  • Infant feeding workshops, breastfeeding clubs, and support for new parents
  • Help with well-being, mental health, and parent-infant relationships
  • Support for children with special educational needs and their families
  • Activities for dads, co-parents and other carers
  • Child and family health activities around healthy eating, oral health, and stay and weigh clinics
  • Support with managing finances, the cost of living and getting back into work or training

Councillor Paul Hezelgrave, Derby City Council Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Skills, said:

This investment is crucial for building on the progress we’ve made in supporting our most vulnerable families. By sustaining our Family Hub services, we are reaffirming our commitment to improving outcomes for families, children, and young people across Derby city.

Derby is one of 75 local authorities nationwide to receive full funding from the DfE and DOHSC. The city currently operates six primary Family Hubs located in Derwent, Mackworth Morley, Osmaston Allenton, Sinfin, Becket, and Rosehill, providing accessible, community-based support.

Additionally, four existing children’s centres in Alvaston, Chaddesden, Sunnyhill and Boulton will continue to support the network. These sites provide essential space for midwifery services, independent childcare, and the Therapeutic Hub, which assists families within the social care system.

The grant funding includes a capital element which will allow older buildings to be reconfigured and revitalised so they can be used to deliver services more effectively. 

Cabinet members will discuss the funding at their meeting on 8 April. The papers are available on the Derby City Council Democracy Portal.