Public Sector
In a commendable initiative, the UK government allocated a substantial £500 million in the 2021 Budget to strengthen support for families. Notably, £82 million of this funding was dedicated to establishing Family Hubs in 75 local authority areas. While this financial boost significantly enhances services in funded councils, a critical question looms for their non-funded counterparts: How can councils without direct financial support replicate the success of services in their own Family Hubs and other service lines? This blog delves into the collaborative approach that non-funded councils are employing to navigate the challenges of enhancing essential services in the absence of direct family hubs funding from the government.
Family Hubs are a vital support system for families across the UK, functioning as both physical centres and virtual access points. These hubs are tailored for families with children aged 0 to 19 or up to 25 for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). They serve as indispensable contact points, offering a wide array of advice, support, and information to families in need.
They are designed to streamline assistance by bringing together various organisations under one roof and digital platform. This unified approach eliminates the need for families to communicate their needs to different entities repeatedly.
Family Hubs are designed to assist families in overcoming challenges, fostering strong relationships, and enhancing health and educational outcomes for both children and parents. They provide a comprehensive range of services, including assistance with infant feeding, perinatal mental health, parenting classes, health visits, relationship building, and much more. These hubs are accessible and inclusive, catering especially to families who are most in need of support or most challenging to reach, thereby serving as a comprehensive solution for family support.
In the 2021 Budget, the government announced an investment of £500 million to support young families. This includes £82 million allocated to fund the establishment of new Family Hubs in 75 local authority areas in England. These hubs, bringing together various services such as SEND, FIS, Early Years and many more, aim to fulfil the commitments outlined in ‘The Best Start for Life: A Vision for the 1,001 Critical Days’, a policy published by the government in March 2021. Additionally, the funding has aided in creating a network of Family Hubs across the country. It continues to contribute to building an evidence base for effective strategies in improving family outcomes.
Non-funded councils may question how they can leverage the benefits of effective digital Family Hubs without the associated funding. Many such councils are ingeniously sourcing their budget by allocating small portions from each service line.
The logic behind this approach is straightforward. If each service, such as Family Hubs, SEND, FIS, HAF, etc, contributes an equal amount, the result is a seamless, consolidated digital solution. This can include a synchronised dedicated platform and mobile app that consolidates all your service lines to allow user to have access to everything through on platform. Instead of each department paying individually, which often results in higher costs for a website with limited flexibility or adaptability, a consolidated approach offers a more cost-effective and efficient solution.
Departments that opt for individual websites risk not meeting user needs or providing a user-friendly experience. This could lead to increased phone calls or emails to the council, incurring additional costs. A consolidated digital solution effectively addresses these risks, prevents fragmentation, and thus is the most advantageous strategy for Councils.
Departments would be best served by pooling their resources and investing in an innovative, consolidated solution. This approach creates a unified digital front door to children and family services that is not only user-friendly for families but also reduces costs and silos within the council. The result is a more streamlined, functional, and efficient service that enhances the user experience while also saving time and resources.
Beebot AI Family Hubs is an exemplary digital solution that can assist non-funded councils in establishing or improving their Family Hubs. Beebot AI Family Hubs is a platform that provides a personalised and interactive website and mobile app for families powered by artificial intelligence. It assists families in accessing relevant information, advice, and support tailored to their needs and circumstances and facilitates connections with other families and professionals in their local area. Furthermore, Beebot AI Family Hubs can aid councils in monitoring and evaluating the impact of their Family Hubs on families’ outcomes and satisfaction and generate insights and feedback to improve their services.
