Sheffield children to get a better start in life thanks to city-wide network

Sheffield’s Family Hub Network aims to strengthen community support for families and ensure the city’s children get the best possible start in life.

12 community organisations have already signed up and have received grant funding to develop activities, champion key messages and work together to ensure all Sheffield families have access to services, which are able to provide earliest support.

This includes increasing the number of families utilising Family Hub and Start for Life services, which support:

• Parenting
• Infant feeding
• Perinatal Mental Health (PNMH) and Parent and Infant Relationship Service (PAIRs)
• Home Learning Environment

The Family Hub Network is an important component in the transformation of Family Hubs in Sheffield as part of the Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme. The network aims are to work together to deliver:

• Better connection across families and services
• The right information to families at the right time
• To meet family needs at the earliest opportunity
• To work whole family, providing a seamless offer of support

There are currently 12 Family Hub Network members:

• Best Start Communities Count
• Ellesmere Children's Centre
• Foxhill Forum
• Heeley Trust
• High Green Development Trust
• ISRAAC Somali Community Association
• Sharrow Community Forum
• Sheffield Wednesday FC Community Programme
• Shipshape
• The Terminus Initiative
• Woodhouse & District Community Forum
• Zest

Sheffield City Council and partner organisations are eager to expand the network to include more organisations that are working with children and families across the whole of Sheffield.

This could include local toddler and faith groups, food banks, and other local community groups and charities.

Family Hub Network Community Chest

Following consultation, Sheffield City Council has now also created a Family Hub Network - Community Chest fund.

The Community Chest is open to local community partners, who deliver free, open access, inclusive play activity sessions for children, young people, and their parents or carers.

The money can be used to buy resources such as nursing chairs,  screens to facilitate a designated breastfeeding area, materials to support special educational needs and or disabilities, supporting ease of access for all.

You can find more information on the fund on the Sheffield City Council website.