New 'family hubs' plan casts doubt on centre closures

'FAMILY hubs' will be set up in every London borough through either reconfiguring existing children's centres or setting up new sites, calling into question a council's recent decision to close 10.

- By PHILIP JAMES LYNCH Local democracy reporter

Acting as a one-stop shop for advice, support and early intervention, the hubs are part of the government's new plans to “give children the best start in life”.

It follows evidence that showed children living near the last Labour government's flagship Sure Start centres were more likely to achieve five good GCSE grades later in life.

But the government announcement comes just days after the West London borough confirmed its intention to close 10 existing children’s centres, claiming the current setup is not working.

A total of 82 existing ‘family hubs’ are listed on the government website, though the list is incomplete as it does not include every known children’s centre in London, with none listed in Ealing despite it having 25.

Last week, the Labour-run Ealing Council confirmed plans to shut 10 children’s centres when it rejected a call-in by the Liberal Democrat opposition over the Cabinet's decision to rubber stamp the closures.

This week, the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said Family Hubs would be “a lifeline of consistent support across the nation, ensuring health, social care and education work in unison to ensure all children get the very best start in life”. Many are expected to open inside existing children’s centres.