Family hubs to be rolled out to help young children

Family services offered by Cumberland Council are receiving a major overhaul

Plans for new family hubs in the community will form part of a local authority's "family wellbeing programme".

Cumberland Council said the scheme aims to support parents at the earliest possible stage in their children's lives.

The initiative will also operate a bus service to take council staff to villages around the county.

Andrea King, the council's assistant director for early help, prevention and youth justice services, said the change in family wellbeing services would be “huge”.

Family hubs, where a range of services is available in one location, are part of a wider scheme funded by the Department for Education.

The first in Cumbria will open in Whitehaven on 11 April, with social services, careers advice, police and Citizens Advice available.

Andrea King, from Cumberland Council, said the change in the services would be "huge"

Ms King said: "You get one childhood so it matters that we are able to reach out and support people with any of the difficulties they may face."

"For our families that live in rural areas, we will be finding new ways to reach out to them, for example, putting some of our staff on a bus that will literally travel out to local people."

Council officials said the services helping with issues such as benefits, housing and mental health would be provided at a point closer to communities.

Cumberland Council was established in 2023 and Ofsted has not yet produced a report on its children’s services.

The regulator said its predecessor Cumbria County Council’s children’s services required improvement in terms of overall effectiveness in 2022.