Council chiefs in Kirklees are to move ahead with plans to streamline early support for children, young people and families in the borough.

The service, which comes with a £7.7m budget, will be realigned from 11 existing family support teams to four new integrated “family hubs” – though the name is likely to change – in Dewsbury and Mirfield, Batley and Spen, Huddersfield, and Kirklees Rural.

Their teams will focus on early years, mental health in families, family group conferences, youth, and parenting.

A report to Kirklees Council’s decision-making Cabinet (Apr 13) said the family hub model would bring together services being run by the local authority,

the voluntary and community sector, community hubs, health services, police, job centre, early years, housing and any others identified as key partners.

Support would be offered from as soon as a family know they are having a baby (pre-birth) through to becoming an adult at 19 years or 25 if that young adult has special educational needs or disabilities.

Services will include antenatal midwifery clinics, infant feeding support, safe play spaces, housing, GPs, sexual health clinics, SEND services and domestic abuse support.

The council will spend £7.7m on early support over the next 12 months. With 110,300 children and young people in Kirklees spending per child will be £70.46 – an increase of £2.24 per child on last year.

The decision to create family hubs follows an eight-week engagement exercise that was hit by restrictions due to the coronavirus.

However respondents sought access to:

Mental health support

School Holiday activities

Support and help with parenting

‘Stay and Play’ sessions / Targeted groups such as dads’ groups and young parents’ groups / Support for teenagers and young people

Speech and language support

The four hubs will be guided by partnership boards made up of key people in health, social care, the voluntary sector, education, local councillors, police, housing, and faith organisations, which will take into account the local knowledge and priorities within an area.

Senior councillor Viv Kendrick said an integrated model represented “an investment in and recognition of the importance of early support.”

She added: “This is a fantastic opportunity for us and our partners to work together with all communities to build on and enhance the existing provision and good work that is currently in place, to enable us to provide the right support to those who need it in the right place at the right time.”