Cumberland Council’s ambitious vision for family wellbeing took a significant step forward today, with the Family Wellbeing Programme having achieved approval from the council’s Executive Committee.
Cumberland Council are committed to putting health and wellbeing at the heart of their business. The council’s vision is that every child in Cumberland grows up in a nurturing and supportive environment, surrounded by love and a strong community that enables them to thrive.
The Family Wellbeing Programme will take a transformative approach to the support services provided to families. With a particular focus on early help and prevention, the outcome will be the provision of more support where it is needed, at an earlier stage.
By working closely with other organisations involved in children’s services, such as the NHS, and investing more in these early intervention services, the objective is to provide the family support needed to enable families to provide a safe, stable, and enriching upbringing for their children and crucially, to prevent more serious interventions.
Today’s Executive Committee approval means that the Family Wellbeing Programme can proceed to its next phase – to consult with families and other stakeholders in January, with the launch of an online survey and in-person consultation events open to all.
Introducing Family Hubs
One of the first things the Family Wellbeing Programme will achieve is the opening of a pilot ‘Family Hub’ in 2024. Family Hubs are a Department for Education funded initiative that aims to bring together a range of services and support for families into a single, accessible site. This in-person service will be supported by a website to provide parents or carers with information, support and events.
Work is underway to open the pilot Family Hub in the first half of 2024, with more information and the location to be announced in the New Year.
Councillor Emma Williamson, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Children's, Family Wellbeing and Housing, said:
“I’m delighted that our Executive Committee have approved our vision for transforming family wellbeing in Cumberland. Working closely with all our partners, we know we can make a real and lasting difference to Cumberland’s families with more targeted support at an earlier stage.
“This is a long-term programme and will lay the foundations to benefit generations to come.
It’s crucial we get the views of our residents, so we’ll be launching a consultation and sharing more about our exciting Family Hub opening in the New Year.”
WATCH: a short video of Cllr. Emma Williamson announcing the launch of the Family Hubs Programme and the next steps - consultation in January 2024.