Agenda item

Sarah Hammond (Corporate Director of Children, Young People and Education), Carolann James (Director of Operational Integrated Children’s Services) Hema Birdi (Assistant Director Open Access and Adolescent Services) and Wendy Jeffreys (Consultant in Public Health) were in attendance for this item.  

1.    Mrs Chandler (Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services) introduced the report that set out the implementation of the Family Hub model in Kent. The Family Hub model provided £11m of transformational funding over 3 years to bring additionality and greater integration of services, including outreach and digital offer. Through the integration of Public Health, health services and family support services, the Family Hub sites would provide a one-stop-shop for children, young people and families, with the additionality of community outreach helping to deliver this. Mrs Chandler confirmed that the digital and online offer was a complementary and additional offer and did not constitute a replacement.

Mrs Chandler advised that whilst a great proportion of services delivered were prescribed within the criteria, there was the potential for a significant element of discretionary delivery. Option 4 (as outlined in the report) set out the integrated and innovative ways in which the Family Hub model could deliver that range of support. Mrs Chandler paid tribute to all staff who had contributed to the delivery of the Family Hub programme.

2.    Mr Kennedy (Deputy Cabinet member for Adult Social Care and Public Health) confirmed that a critical aspect of the Family Hub programme, which was mandated, was the Public Health component, Start for Life. This programme was led by the Council’s Public Health team and had the potential to transform services and how they were delivered across Kent. It encompassed the first 1,001 days from conception to the age of 2 and included parent/carer support with Infant Feeding, Perinatal Mental Health (parents’ mental health during pregnancy and the first 12 months after birth) and parent/carer– infant relationships. For children agreed 5 to 19 (or 25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities), there was scope for innovation through integration of services across public health, children, young people and education and the NHS. An example of this was the Umbrella model which provided an opportunity to co-locate services and integrate them thus ensuring a seamless offer covering youth provision, public health, sexual health, drug and alcohol abuse, mental health, weight management, smoking management, healthy diet and other such promotions. Further support services included help on issues such as sexual bullying, social media bullying, cyber bullying and much more. The Integrated hubs would also offer help and advice on crime and community safety, advice on gangs and serious violence or police related matters and other associated services such as information on education apprenticeship, training and volunteering. Mr Kennedy acknowledged that this may would not be a possibility from early on in its launch but hoped it would provide Members and residents with a sense of the scope and aspiration which the Council were aiming for as part of Family Hub model.

3.    RESOLVED to agree the recommendations as outlined in the report.