The council has been awarded up to £1 million to boost the lives of children and disadvantaged families throughout the city.
We’re one of only 7 local authorities in the country to be given the money to develop ‘Family Hubs’ which will better integrate services for children of all ages and their families.
The hubs will be where ‘families only have to tell their story once’, with different professionals working together to develop high quality, joined up, whole family support services from conception to 19, and 25 if the young person has special educational needs or a disability.
Success throughout the country
Family Hubs have been successfully introduced in many areas across the country including Essex, Cambridgeshire and West Sussex, with more than 150 open across the UK.
Cllr Hannah Clare, chair of the council’s Children, Young People and Skills Committee, said: “I’m delighted we have been successful in our bid from Government. We will be using the grant to further boost and transform the services we provide for children and families.
“Brighton & Hove has many strengths when it comes to supporting children and families. However, too many families still face barriers and do not have equal and fair access to the same opportunities as others.
Working for a fairer city
“The funding will help further our commitment to making Brighton & Hove a fairer city.”
The council had to bid for the funding, with a total of 84 local authorities in the running. The Government announced seven authorities yesterday (Monday 23) and say another five could be announced in the coming months.
Government 'very impressed with bid'
A government official stated: “Your vision shows a clear commitment to developing the local service offer in line with the family hubs model framework, and we were very impressed with the quality of your bid.”
Councillors will discuss the findings of a review into ‘early help’ and the new fairer Brighton & Hove strategy at a meeting of the Children, Young People and Skills Committee on Monday 13 June.