Family hubs and family help strategy
16/10/2025
A family hub has been proposed for Brackley but no launch date has been announced
by Nadia Lincoln, Local Democracy Reporter
Several new family hubs will be launched across West Northamptonshire in October and November, offering support for families with children up to 19.
This comes as West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has agreed to implement its Family Help Strategy for the next three years, dedicated to making the area a great place to grow up and raise a family
The strategy lays out a new system of support aimed at improving outcomes for children and their families, delivered in partnership with WNC, health partners, police, education, and voluntary and community workers, to identify needs within families as early as possible. It was approved unanimously by the council’s cabinet on Monday, October 13.
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Kathryn Shaw, Cabinet Member for Children, Families, and Education, said the strategy was a cornerstone of the council’s commitment to “making West Northants a truly child-friendly place where every child has the best start in life and every family feels supported”.
Deputy Leader, Cllr James Petter, added that the project would help “cut through those layers of red tape” in children’s services and offer a more joined-up experience for families asking for help before they reach crisis point.
Launch events for four new hubs will take place over the next two months, building on the first family hub at The Forum in Towcester.
The centres will be tailored to the needs of the community. This will allow parents and carers to access a wide range of services, including parenting support, early years activities, baby classes, health advice, half-term activities, and more.
The first opening event will take place in Upton on October 25, then Moulton on November 1, Daventry on November 15 and finally Kingsthorpe on November 22.
Leader of the Labour group, Cllr Sally Keeble, raised concerns about the locations of the proposed family hubs and that large numbers of families “in the greatest need” wouldn’t be covered.
Three further hubs in Northampton, Weston Favell and Brackley have also been proposed, however no launch dates have been agreed as of yet.
She said: “I understand the new Northampton hub is going to be in the library, but that’s not where the people are. They’re mostly in Spring Boroughs, Dallington Spencer, Kingsley, Semilong and St James.
“Families in the most insecure, most overcrowded housing, in the lowest paid jobs with the highest level of multiple deprivation are without the services and without the family hubs.
“Unfortunately, some of our areas of greatest need are very much public service deserts. This strategy will only achieve [success] if we get the right location for services with the right hub and spokes that connect up and meet those areas of profound need.”
Melanie Barnett, Director of Children’s Services, said the authority looked at its existing children’s centres and which ones would be ‘most viable’ when considering different locations. She added that consultation with partners, families and young people also supported their choice of hubs.
Speaking on behalf of the local Green party at the meeting, Northampton resident Jennifer Martin, added: “The family hub strategy matters to me, not just as somebody who works with vulnerable families across West Northamptonshire, but as a mother who knows what it’s like to fight for a child’s future.
“26 per cent of children in Northamptonshire live in poverty. Behind that number are real families struggling to keep the lights on, to put food on the table, to give their children the same chances as everyone else.
“[This strategy] has the power to change lives, but only if this commitment lasts because ambition alone won’t feed a hungry child and goodwill won’t keep the heating on.”
The authority has not yet received funding specifically for family hubs, but West Northants did receive £186,000 from the government’s Best Start in Life strategy. WNC will have to produce a delivery plan on how to improve support for children and families from pregnancy up to age five to use the funds.
Ms Barnett also advised members that WNC has set aside £2m for capital works, some of which has already used. She said she had also been assured by the Department for Education that, going forward, the council will receive money for its family hubs schemes.
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
Reader's opinions
