Brighton & Hove city councillors have given the green light to a three-year plan to tackle inequality throughout the city.
The council says A Fairer Brighton & Hove framework has been developed after it consulted families, community groups and professionals to ask their views on how it can best support families and children at risk of disadvantage.
At a meeting of Brighton & Hove City Council‘s (BHCC) Children, Young People and Skills (CYPS) committee on Monday, June 13, members also agreed to the development of a Family Hub model which they say will better integrate services for children of all ages and their families.
BHCC says although it already has an extensive range of services and support available, delivered by a wide variety of partners, there are still too many families, children and young people who need help, especially those who have been badly affected by the cost-of-living crisis.
The development of A Fairer Brighton & Hove framework, Family Hubs and ensuring people get help as early as possible, will help to combat inequalities, councillors agreed.
The council was recently awarded up to £1 million of government funding to develop family hubs, and was one of only seven local authorities in the country to be given the money.
The hubs will be where ‘families only have to tell their story once’, with different professionals working together to develop high quality, joined up, whole family support services from conception to 19, and 25 if the young person has special educational needs or a disability.
Cllr Hannah Clare, chair of the CYPS committee, said: “There is a city-wide commitment to improving the lives of everyone in the city, and Brighton & Hove has many strengths and successes when it comes to supporting families.
“However, too many families do not have access to the same opportunities as others. The framework, family hubs and early intervention support will ensure we’re delivering the right support and services to the right families or individuals at the right time.
“We have spoken and listened to a wide range of families, young people, community groups and professionals and have built the framework and family hubs model on the feedback.
“This includes the timing of support they receive, where services are based and how they’re designed, the types of services people like and want more of, and what works well currently.”
BHCC says the framework is the start of a three-year programme with year one focussing on several new strategies for families, children and schools in specific areas of the city. Year two will expand to a wider area of the city, and year three will be cover the whole city.
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