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Public Sector
North Northamptonshire Council has taken significant strides in enhancing its support for children’s services by leveraging Beebot AI’s Family Hubs platform. Recognising the importance of a unified approach, NNC consolidated all statutory duties in relation to the IAG (Information & Guidance) framework into a single digital platform. This innovative move has improved service delivery for both professionals and families, showcasing North Northant's commitment to accessible, efficient, and family-focused support.
The platform also serves as a central hub for all of North Northamptonshire's children’s and family services, including the Family Information Service (FIS), Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF), Adult Social Care, and the Beebot AI-powered SEND platform. This integration ensures a seamless user experience, allowing families to access all relevant services from a single location.
Family Hubs are a system-wide model of providing high-quality, joined-up, whole-family support services. These hubs deliver essential services from conception, through a child’s early years until they reach the age of 19 (or 25 for young people with special educational needs and disabilities).
Family Hubs aim to make a positive difference to parents, carers, and their children by offering a mix of physical and virtual spaces, as well as outreach services, ensuring families can easily access non-judgmental support for the challenges they face. They provide a universal ‘front door’ for families, offering a ‘one-stop shop’ of support services across social care, education, mental health, and physical health needs, with a comprehensive Start for Life offer at its core.
Each Family Hub is tailored to the specific needs of the local community and follows three key delivery principles: Access, Relationships, and Connections. Government guidance (DHSC & DfE) sets expectations that services should be delivered in three ways: (1) Face-to-face at a Family Hub, (2) through the Family Hub but received elsewhere in the network, and (3) virtually via online resources or interactive digital services. Beebot AI, in partnership with NNC, has developed a digital interpretation of these services, ensuring accessibility and connectivity for families in the area.
A key aspect of NNC’s journey involved a comprehensive co-production process with local families and professionals, undertaken in partnership with Beebot AI. This initiative sought to understand the unique needs of families and service providers in North Northamptonshire and identify opportunities for enhanced digital support.
A dedicated workshop was conducted with professionals across children's services, education, and healthcare to ensure that the platform addressed their needs as well. Their insights helped shape a more robust system that not only empowers families but also enables professionals to streamline their support services more effectively.
Through co-production, several key challenges were identified:
1. 70% of participants stated that current information and services are ‘difficult’ to find, with 10% saying it was ‘very difficult’.
Solution: Beebot AI’s advanced search functionality and intuitive navigation were implemented to make finding services faster and more efficient. Information is categorised and clearly signposted to reduce confusion and improve accessibility.
2. Participants wanted a platform that is accessible to all cultures and languages.
Solution: Multi-language support was integrated, ensuring families from diverse backgrounds can access services in their preferred language.
3. Users requested information about activities for all age groups, including opportunities for older family members.
Solution: The platform now includes a dedicated ‘Community Events & Activities’ section, allowing families to explore available services and events for all generations, including programmes designed for older adults. It also includes partner events, as partners are able to sign onto the Family Hubs platform and manage their own information and events. (it also includes
North Northants set out to create a Family Hubs ecosystem that provides a simple user journey for families and professionals by:
· Consolidating all experiences into one unified platform
· Integrating existing information from web apps, partners, and services into a seamless experience
· Enhancing support workflows and communications to reduce confusion and improve signposting to relevant advice
· Leveraging multimedia content to enrich the user experience
· Empowering families and professionals with the ability to self-serve support 24/7, 365 days a year
· Enabling digital workflows that connect information, support, and partners to strengthen the community
By adopting this strategic approach, NNC ensures that families receive the right support at the right time while optimising operational efficiency.
The platform’s AI-driven analytics provide the council with valuable insights into how and when families access information and which resources are most frequently used. These insights enable NNC to identify trends, highlight areas where additional support may be required, and address gaps in service provision.
By feeding directly into the Power BI Dashboard, the analytics empower both the council and its partners to make data-driven decisions. These insights help shape future commissioning strategies, improve resource allocation, and enhance service delivery, ensuring families receive the right support at the right time.
Building on the success of the Family Hubs platform, North Northamptonshire Council chose Beebot AI once again to develop their SEND Local Offer Digital Platform. This new platform is seamlessly connected to the Family Hubs platform and other council services, providing families with a holistic digital ecosystem. By integrating these platforms, NNC has enhanced support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, ensuring easy access to vital information and resources.
In addition to co-production insights, NNC ensured the platform maximised the council’s existing digital investments. By embedding previously developed apps into the Family Hubs platform, the council increased utilisation and value, providing families with a comprehensive suite of tools and resources in one accessible location.
A key feature of the platform is the partner login functionality. This allows NNC’s partners to log in and manage their own content, reducing the administrative burden on the council and ensuring that information remains accurate and up to date. This collaborative approach not only streamlines operations but also fosters stronger partnerships and enhances the overall quality of information available to families. By enabling partners to maintain their own listings and update relevant information, families can be confident they are accessing the latest support and services.
NNC has also gone live with Beebot AI’s Automated Care Pathways (ACPs), a cutting-edge solution designed to deliver proactive and personalised family support. Key features of ACPs include:
1. Personalised Support: Tailored content is pushed to families based on their unique circumstances, ensuring relevant and meaningful engagement.
2. Referral Options: The platform offers flexible referral pathways, including self-referral, council referral, and partner referral, enabling families to access support without delay.
3. Bespoke Pathways: Councils can create custom pathways to meet the specific needs of their communities.
4. NHS Content Library: Families gain access to the NHS Digital content library, which includes videos, PDFs, and other valuable resources.
5. Structured Content Delivery: ACPs provide condition-specific guidance, such as pathways for pregnancy, speech and language, dads’ support, or caring for a baby with colic.
6. Engagement and Monitoring Tools: Regular updates, reminders, and feedback tools ensure families stay informed and engaged throughout their journey.
This proactive approach allows NNC to implement a “waiting well” strategy, ensuring families receive continuous guidance and support during critical developmental and transitional periods.
North Northamptonshire Council’s adoption of Beebot AI’s Family Hubs platform exemplifies their dedication to improving outcomes for children and families. By prioritising co-production, integrating existing resources, and utilising innovative solutions like ACPs, NNC has created a robust, accessible, and family-centric digital hub.
