The Children and Young People Select Committee met on Thursday, 18 July 2024, to discuss the integration of Children and Family Centres into Family Hubs and the Pathfinder programme for children's social care. The committee resolved to recommend that decisions regarding the long-term locations of Family Hubs be taken promptly and that they be provided with an update report. They also agreed to note the report on the Pathfinder programme and agreed to their draft work programme for the upcoming year.

Children and Family Centre and Family Hub Integration

The committee received an update on the progress of integrating Lewisham's Children and Family Centres into the new Family Hubs model. This integration aims to create a more equitable and consistent offer for families across the borough, addressing issues of duplication and simplifying access to services. The Department for Education (DfE) provided funding for this initiative, with the goal of having Family Hubs established by March 2025.

Key points from the discussion included:

• The Council received DfE funding in August 2021 to establish family hubs by March 2025.
• Mayor and Cabinet recently agreed to integrate Children and Family Centres and Family Hubs to ensure equitable distribution, reduce duplication, and clarify service pathways.
• Outreach services are being delivered in various community locations, including GP surgeries, supermarkets, and libraries.
• A Common Moral Purpose and pledges have been developed to guide the integration.
• The DfE funding will support the creation of a digital directory for families to access information and services.
• Co-production with stakeholders, including families, health partners, carers, and schools, has been a key part of the development process.
• The offer is area-based, extending beyond physical hubs to reach entire populations through spoke delivery from various partner buildings. For example, in Bellingham, services will be available from TNG Youth Centre and Eliot Bank Primary School.
• A foundational offer will be available in all areas, with the potential for expansion based on local needs.
• The digital directory and Navigator support are intended to help families access the right services.
• The committee queried the equity of a uniform geographic distribution versus a needs-based approach, with officers confirming a needs assessment had been conducted.
• Community buildings are still being identified for spoke delivery sites.
• Co-production efforts included the Family Hub Leadership Alliance, which comprises families, health partners, carers, and schools. Families' input led to hubs being open on weekends, and the potential use of hubs for immunisation programmes is being considered.
• Postcode analysis of service users will help target outreach services to areas of need.
• The Council is collaborating with the Young Mayor's Office on a Curriculum For Life and aims to connect Family Hubs with youth services.
• There is an aspiration for Kaleidoscope to offer specialist provision for children with additional needs.
• Involving young people with additional needs in service design is crucial for inclusivity.
• Transport assistance will not be provided for families to access hubs.
• The Family Hub programme is a joint initiative with Health partners, responding to needs identified in the Birmingham and Lewisham African and Caribbean Health Inequalities Review (BLACHIR).
• The sustainability of the Family Hub programme beyond grant funding is a key consideration, with the merging of Children and Family Centre and Family Hub programmes and bringing services in-house being part of this strategy.
• Officers are exploring the potential contribution of artificial intelligence to the digital directory.
• Engaging disengaged or distrustful communities requires ensuring their representation in service design and strategic location of services.
• The report indicated that the proposed options were affordable and comprehensively costed.
• Agreement with Greenwich and Lewisham NHS Trust for Area 2's hub to be based in Kaleidoscope was nearing finalisation, with a Navigator expected by September 2024.

The committee resolved to recommend that decisions regarding the long-term locations of Family Hubs be taken promptly and that the committee be provided with an update report at an appropriate time. The Scrutiny Manager was also tasked with arranging Family Hub visits towards the end of 2024.

Pathfinder

The committee received an update on the Families First for Children Pathfinder programme, a Department for Education initiative designed to test reforms in children's social care. Lewisham is one of seven areas selected for the second wave of this programme, receiving £3.3 million in funding to implement these reforms between March 2024 and March 2025.

Key points discussed included:

• The Pathfinder programme aims to rebalance children's social care towards early support, moving away from crisis intervention.
• It will test new delivery models for family help, child protection, family networks, and multi-agency safeguarding arrangements.
• The programme is a partnership led by the local authority, involving the police, health services, education leaders, and the voluntary and community sector.
• The vision is a seamless offer where families can access the right help at the right time, with a focus on co-production, strengths-based approaches, and multi-agency working.
• Lewisham's aims include reducing the number of children in care and on child protection plans.
• The reforms are structured around four key pillars: Multi-Agency Safeguarding Arrangements, Family Help, Child Protection, and Family Group Decision Making.
• Lewisham's model of delivery includes a postcode allocation for Family Support and Safeguarding, the creation of four additional family navigator posts, and a co-allocation of cases to Family Practitioners and non-social work qualified Lead Practitioners.
• A Multi-Agency Child Protection team is being established in Area 3, and Family Group Decision Making will be offered to all families.
• The delivery plan, approved by the DfE, includes a comprehensive communication and engagement strategy.
• The implementation phase has commenced, with the Multi-Agency Child Protection team and Family Help teams expected to go live in September 2024.

The committee resolved to note the report.

Select Committee Work Programme

The committee discussed and agreed its draft work programme for the 2024-25 municipal year. This involved reviewing potential topics for scrutiny, aligning them with the Council's corporate priorities, and considering the most effective methods for undertaking scrutiny.

The committee resolved to agree the draft work programme. They also suggested that an item on Family Hubs and Children and Family Centres be considered for the committee's first meeting of the 24/25 municipal year, subject to the meeting preceding the associated Mayor and Cabinet decision.