YORK is taking a lead in delivering a range of child and healthcare services to families.

The city has received almost £1m from central government to develop Family Hubs for the Department of Education- one of seven to receive such funding nationally.

The hubs aim to offer services for the whole family, from conception, through a child’s early years, until they are 19 years of age (or 25 if they have special educational needs and disabilities).

Services will include midwifery, health visitors, mental health support and services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, which will be provided in one place for the first time.

The aim is to ensure that everyone can access the help and support they need at an early stage, tackling any issues before they escalate, reducing disadvantage and achieving better outcomes for all children and young people.

Detailed proposals for the hubs will be developed in conjunction with local children, young people and families, but City of York Council says it has committed to the Family Hubs being up and running by March 2024, as well as ensuring that they will involve partners from organisations across the city.

In addition to the council, the voluntary sector will also be involved to offer ‘seamless support’ to families and the council says these hubs will be governed in a way that sees “families and young people continually represented.”

The ‘crucial’ first days of lives will be the propriety, delivering the strategic ambition of York’s Health and Wellbeing Board to reduce inequalities as well as building strong trusting relationships on which support to 25s and under can be created.

The hubs will also provide a citywide focus for services and support around early language development / home learning environment, teenagers and adolescence and mental health.

Cllr Andrew Waller, the council’s Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: “Tackling childhood inequalities and supporting families during the critical early days of a child’s life is vital to our objective of ensuring that children in York have a better start in life.

“This funding enables us to bring services together for the first time, providing universal support for children, young people and families in our city.

“A dedicated team of professionals will be drawn from a wider range of organisations. It is right that children and families are at the heart of this project and will play an integral role in helping us develop the final proposals.”

Cllr Keith Aspden, Leader of City of York Council, said: “We know that our young people are the future of our city and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to secure this funding to help provide them with the best start in life, reducing inequalities and enabling us to better support families when they need help.”