Torbay Council has been chosen by the government as one of 14 trailblazer local authorities to lead the way in delivering ambitious service improvements for families.

As one of the next steps on Torbay’s Children’s Services improvement journey, the Council will be a national leader for the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme and will help establish best practice.

With a Family Hub based in each of Torbay’s three towns, they will support families by bringing together services into one place.

The Council will use additional funding to support the implementation of family hubs which will be used to extend the Team around the Family services that already provide early help and support to families across the Bay.

The Hubs will provide support to families from conception through to age 19 or up to 25 for those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with a great Start for Life offer at their core.

The services will be developed in partnership with local parents and carers to ensure their needs and those of their children are met.

Councillor Cordelia Law, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “We want to provide welcoming, safe and secure spaces to help families to access the right services, from the right organisation, at the right time.

“We understand the difficulty some families face in navigating and interacting with what can be a complex mix of services. We will be working with our partners in health and the community and voluntary sector to co-ordinate and simplify access to the support available.”

Councillor Jackie Stockman, Cabinet Member for Adults and Public Health, said: “We are fully aware that the Family Hub pilot comes at a time of challenges, when more and more families are being forced to make difficult choices. But collectively we are prepared to think with agility as we focus on early help and continue to work alongside our children, young people and families every step of the way.”