Innovation in local government is about improving the lives of the people in our
communities. Browse through our case studies to see the many innovative programmes councils are involved
in.
The Family and Baby (FAB) Project, funded through the Family Hubs Programme, supports families with babies in neonatal care across Lincolnshire. Operating from Lincoln and Boston Neonatal Units, the FAB team provides early, relationship-based support to improve attachment, infant development, and parental wellbeing.
Historically, breastfeeding rates in Coventry have been below the national average. The infant feeding team wanted to harness the opportunity presented by the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme to increase engagement with their infant feeding services and encourage more mothers to breastfeed.
In Norfolk, the Parent-Infant Relationship service (PAIRS) and Perinatal Mental Health (PMH) service had a well-established offering before receiving Family Hubs and Start for Life programme funding.
Recognising that helping families across the whole of Cambridgeshire could lead to better outcomes, Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council began working together on an Early Years Strategy in 2017, in partnership with colleagues across the children’s health system and communities.
We want every family to access the support they need to achieve the best start in life for their babies. For perinatal mental health and parent-infant relationship support, this means access to universal services to help spot and respond to issues before they develop into more complex problems.
Two years before receiving funding from the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, the team in Islington completed a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) of the 0-5 population and their families. Following the introduction of the Family Hub model, an additional wider needs assessment of the 0-18 population (and 0-25 for special educational needs) was completed in line with Family Hub and Start for Life programme expectations. Together, this helped to identify key areas of focus for Islington’s Start for Life services.
Prior to the Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme, North Lincolnshire’s parent-infant relationship service model primarily targeted families with the most pressing needs, however there was limited support available for those with mild or moderate needs.
We know that all too often families are left to work out for themselves not only what help they need, but also where to find it. Northumberland’s review discovered that there was no centralised source of information available to parents or carers about their child's development during pregnancy and until the age of two. Upon joining the Family Hub and Start for Life programme, Northumberland set about creating a one-stop shop so that every parent and carer can access the support they need when they need it.
Despite not having received Family Hubs and Start for Life programme funding, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) and Westminster City Council wanted to strengthen the delivery of their Start for Life Offer through increased integration and formalisation of services.
Supporting new and expectant parents as they make the transition into parenthood is crucial for providing babies with the best start in life. The Family Hub and Start for Life Programme in Wolverhampton includes various workstreams, all focused on providing supportive and inclusive parenting support and community outreach initiatives.