Reports

The EIF’s new report consists of ten insights on early childhood services, using evidence gathered in twenty places across England and Wales. Among these insights are the importance of multi-agency working, the challenge of data sharing, and the role communities can have in co-designing and driving change. In each of these areas Family Hubs have an important role to play, particularly now they are a statutory service with government funding – some of which is ringfenced for data-sharing improvements. The report also recommends certain features of effective local multi-agency planning, relevant to local authorities in the early stages of Family Hub implementation. 

The UK is facing a crisis of child vulnerability- children who, without the intervention of public services, are likely to face significant harm and diminished life chances. Covid-19 has put immense pressure on social care services and created ever-widening gaps through which some children are slipping. Central to a national strategy in combating child vulnerability is the urgent roll-out of Family Hubs, starting with the most deprived communities. Family Hubs ‘help families build independence and resilience’, supporting children from birth to adulthood and acting as a central hub for various family services.

This report by Onward explores Britain’s fraying social fabric and asserts that community decline is driven largely by a generational problem where younger generations are suffering from ‘a collapse in community.’ Expanding on this generational divide, younger individuals are more likely to make independent choices regarding education and living arrangements. It is suggested that younger generations have a negative outlook on community involvement due to being less trusting of family, friends and neighbours as compared to older individuals. Six big ideas are suggested to ‘end the age of alienation’, including a roll out of a new Family Hubs model. This new model would provide a more complete integration of all family support services and draw on ‘the successes of Sure Start and the pioneering Family Hubs model’. 

Family Hubs are recommended to improve community life in this report which focuses on building strong communities in the UK. It specifically investigates how to ensure they thrive by strengthening each pillar of local community. The report tackles concern about the decline of local community life in the UK, which is being exacerbated by the pandemic. If the pillars of community are ‘a sense of security, human connections and a feeling of belonging,’ declining community leads to ‘loneliness, insecurity, and feeling left behind.’ To strengthen the fabric of UK community the report describes how the Government can take the lead on this by ‘putting community relationships at the centre of its levelling up agenda.’ Rolling out and developing more Family Hubs is a practical, tangible way to strengthen communities.

This report, chaired by Danny Kruger MP, asserts that relationships are the key principle that should underpin any change to the care system which, it states, currently delivers poor outcomes at an immense cost, and ultimately fails vulnerable children. The report recommends the system should be organised to encourage continuous stable and positive relationships both within families and with professionals. Additionally, it asserts that the care system must take a preventative approach, to reduce adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), childhood trauma and other poor outcomes. It recommends Family Hubs as they emphasise strengthening family and other relationships whilst incorporating a preventative approach. The report also highlights how Family Hubs provide effective outreach for ‘hard to reach’ families and ‘have the ability to transform family services.’ (Danny Kruger MP authored two reports for the Government, Pillars of Community and The Great Recovery – a post Covid-19 deal for Britain.)