Second Family Hub Network to launch in South Liverpool

From next Monday South Liverpool will become home to the city’s second Family Hub Network.

Building on the success of the first Family Hub Network which opened in July, the second of five hubs will be officially launched at Speke Children’s Centre, Conleach Road, on 20 November.

The hub will serve the following wards: Speke, Garston, Grassendale and Cressington, Springwood, Much Woolton and Hunts Cross, and Belle Vale. Belle Vale, Hunts Cross and Garston Children’s Centres will act as interconnector sites to the hub.

Support at the hubs extends from babies and children up to the age of 19, or 25 if young people have special educational needs or disabilities.

Adults also benefit from this model, with hubs being a one-stop shop offering housing and debt advice, domestic abuse support as well as a digital offer to help people access online services.

Families are welcome to attend the official opening on Monday from 10.30am-1pm. There will be plenty of activities and entertainment including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, a magician, marshmallow toasting with the Forest School, sensory time for babies and Tiny Tasters Cooking. Parents can also enjoy hand and head massages.

The Family Hub model is an initiative funded by the Department for Education. Liverpool City Council has committed to offer every family in the city access to this enhanced level of support, with the five-hub network being fully operational by March 2025. The council has secured £4m of government funding for the project so that it can offer a wide range of joined-up services, alongside partners, including the NHS.

Liverpool’s first Family Hub Network is based at Clubmoor and Ellergreen Children’s Centre.

Cllr Lila Bennett, Liverpool’s Cabinet Member of Family Hubs, said: “We’re thrilled to be opening our second Family Hub Network in Liverpool.

“Being a parent or a carer is rewarding but we all know it can sometimes be tough and everyone needs advice or guidance at some point. This is what Family Hubs are all about.

“Whether you are expecting your first child, are looking for some support with a toddler, or are entering into the challenges of the teenage years – there is a wealth of experience and expertise waiting for you at a Family Hub.

“Just as families are at the heart of Liverpool, we want our Family Hubs to be at the heart of our communities.”

Dani Jones, Chief Strategy and Partnerships Officer, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, said:

“It’s brilliant to see the opening of the second Family Hub Network in South Liverpool. The model is so important in supporting children and young people and families to ‘start well’.

“At Alder Hey, we are working in partnership to wrap around families to ensure that they have access to the support they need, when they need it. We warmly welcome the Family Hub developments in the city, and we will continue to support the networks and connecting up the offer for children, young people and families in the city.”

Dr Michael Galbraith, PSS Parent-Baby Service clinical lead, said:

“At the PSS Parent-Baby Service, we support new mums and dads to form strong, healthy bonds with their babies, cope with difficult pregnancies and births, and generally feel happier in their role as a parent.

“Sometimes it’s not easy to reach out when you’re in a difficult place and need support, but Family Hubs bring lots of different helpful services like ours into one place, join everything up and make them really easy for busy families to access, allowing us to better reach those parents who might need us, at the point that they need us.”