Registration open for the ‘Developing Digital Tools, Improving Family Help’ webinar on 12th January at 2pm.

Posted 20th December 2021

The Family Hubs Network is hosting ‘Developing Digital Tools, Improving Family Help’ webinar on Wednesday 12th January 2-3:30pm. This will be an excellent opportunity where local authorities will share good practice and attendees will be equipped to to develop and optimise their blended family services offer, achieve better outcomes and enable all families to access support. 

Family Hubs Network members have innovated to reach, communicate with, and deliver services to families during the pandemic, using digital tools to find new solutions in difficult times. As Family Hubs and their networks of connected services are developed in local authorities across England, a ‘blended offer’ of digital and physical support is an essential component in creating a sustainable and effective model of service provision.   

This event is an opportunity to hear from several local authorities who will take part in a set of short presentations that will explore the role and implications of a variety of digital developments. This will be followed by a discussion and attendees will be able to submit questions.  

The event will be chaired by Dr Samantha Callan, Co-founder and Director of the Family Hubs Network, and contributors will include: 

  • Mitesh Mistry, Team Leader, Family Hubs, DfE will give an overview of the DfE’s Growing Up Well project
  • Catherine Barker, Head of Development at Family Hubs Network, on the need for a blended offer in Family Hubs 
  • Ema Roberts, Campaigns Officer Communications at Staffordshire County Council, on the ‘Hungry Little Minds’ email campaign, designed to reach and influence parents of new babies 
  • Frank Young, Head of Children and Family at Civitas, calls for a national online Family Hub presence to raise awareness of and access to family help and digital resources and information across England 
  • Irene Kakoullis. Group Manager Early Childhood Services at Nottinghamshire County Council, giving insight on Nottinghamshire’s use of digital tools, development of a blended offer and the place of digital communication in integrated working in multi-disciplinary, multi-agency teams  
  • Joanne Mcintosh, Family Partner for Barnardo’s (Children and families, Newcastle), and how they have adapted group programmes for virtual delivery and assessed their effectiveness  
  • Kirsty Reed, Early Years Strategic Lead at Newham Council, on the impact of virtual assessments and the challenges of digital inclusion 
  • Simon Topping, Family Wellbeing Centre Operational Manager at Brent Council, on the use of online registration and booking systems to reach and engage with families, and monitor outcomes

Please register to attend the free webinar on the Zoom registration page

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