Peterborough families given hope of 'positive journey' through family hubs
There are five hubs of its kind in the city
It's hoped family hubs in Peterborough can give struggling parents a helping hand this Easter.
The city's five hubs offer free support with the likes of parenting, money worries, stay and play sessions, as well as ways of tackling loneliness.
"If we identify families are at risk of social isolation, we will support them to come into those communities where they live but to come into our hubs to access our groups," Fran Macklin, family hub lead officer at Peterborough City Council, said.
"We make sure we give families a positive journey but a way to move forward."
Last month, Gladstone Family Hub and Community Centre became the latest hub to open in Peterborough following a rollout of hubs across the city in the past three years.
Family hubs were originally rolled out across 75 local authorities at the start of 2024 by the then-Conservative government.
Officials say that the hubs will be set up in every local authority by this month, with the aim of having up to 1,000 of them by the end of 2028.
The family hubs help parents and children from birth up to 25-years-old if they have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
40,000 families in touch about help
In Peterborough, the hubs work alongside the NHS and charities like CPSL Mind, but also provide help with baby feeding, wellbeing and vaccination programmes.
Nida is one parent who has been taking her children to the Gladstone Family Hub.
"I think this is good for us; there are all the facilities here," she said.
Peterborough City Council estimates around 24,000 people use its family hubs a year, and has engaged with 40,000 families about support since 2023.
Typically, the hubs are based in the areas of Peterborough where deprivation levels are highest.
Fran said it's important that those families at risk of social isolation are identified early enough in order to give them the most appropriate support.
"It can have a real toll on not just the parents' mental health but the child's wellbeing if they are socially isolated and aren't accessing anything, sow e want to make sure we are getting to those families who really need us," she added.
"We recognise every community is different and has different needs, so the nice thing is it's flexible to identify what are the key things those families are asking for support around."