Comment on Family Hubs announcement

ADCS President Steve Crocker said:

“The investment in Family Hubs is a positive step in the right direction and will build upon some of the important work that local authorities are already doing, but there is clearly a long way to go. Family Hubs present a good opportunity to reach families who would benefit from our support earlier, but we need to learn lessons from the past and ensure that they don’t become everything to everyone, diluting their impact. They will need to be integrated into the development of Family Help as proposed in the government’s response to the independent review of children’s social care.

“There is no doubt that the earlier we work with, and provide support to, vulnerable children and families to help them overcome the issues they face, the less impact these challenges will have on their lives but also on society as a whole. Yet despite the mountain of evidence on the effectiveness of early help services, local authorities have seen this funding significantly reduced. This has led to tough decisions about scaling back services. We continue to reiterate that we need a long term, equitable funding solution and meaningful, joined-up cross-government working to ensure that all children and families can benefit from earlier support when they need it and wherever they live.”

ENDS

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