Improving outcomes for children across Peterborough is a key aim for our administration and something that this current Labour government is focused on nationally as well.
Having announced plans worth over £500 million to roll out up to 1,000 Family Hubs across the country over the next three years, we welcomed Janet Daby, the government’s minister for Children and Families for a special visit to Peterborough on Monday.
City MP Andrew Pakes and Councillor Katy Cole, the council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, joined her for a visit to our First Steps Family Hub in the Welland, to see firsthand the positive effects that the hub has had since opening in 2023.
I am delighted to write that she was impressed and extremely complimentary about the facility and its staff, recognising that they go ‘the extra mile’ to help young people and their families. She also cited the council’s ‘strong leadership’ and partners for their involvement with the initiative. This is where I blush as the Welland is also in my ward!
I am incredibly proud that Peterborough was one of the initial 75 local authorities to open Family Hubs in 2023. We currently have four hubs, and the scheme has been a real success story, supporting families with children aged 0-19 through a variety of activities including ante-natal care and education, parenting and family support, access to financial advice and learning through play sessions.
Since launching, our Family Hubs have achieved a 139 per cent increase in footfall as a result of more services being provided and increased awareness. Staff delivered almost 25,000 face-to-face sessions in 2023-24, an increase of 17.5 per cent on the previous year.
The fact that our successes here in Peterborough is going to be replicated nationally is very welcome news indeed, relieving pressure on parents and giving half a million more children the very best start in life.
It means that thousands of parents will have access to vital community support networks and specialist services to help with early development and wellbeing.
Family Hubs act as a ‘one stop shop’ for parents seeking a range of support, including difficulty breastfeeding, housing issues or children’s early development and language, reassuring families that they have convenient access to support in their local area or can be efficiently connected to specialist local services. I look forward to seeing Family Hubs continue to flourish both locally and nationally.
Moving on, I recently attended a graduation ceremony at Amazon’s fulfilment centre at Kingston Park, to celebrate the successes of several young people with special educational needs (SEND).
They are now moving into full-time work, after a year-long internship programme where they have been supported by both the council and local colleges to prepare for employment, while spending 2-3 days a week at Amazon.
We have several other participating employers across the city and beyond, and there is a pressing need for this.
Young people with SEND are not generally successful in gaining jobs – less than 5% in the UK gain full time paid jobs, and unfortunately that figure is reducing. In Peterborough we are in the bottom third for employing people with disabilities who are aged 18 to 64 and that is something we must look at as a local authority.
I have a background in education, and the best part for me was going to awards ceremonies to see people achieve, so I was delighted to speak with the graduates who are a credit to themselves and their families.
As Council Leader, I also love seeing people starting to fulfil their potential, and it is thanks to Amazon and other participating employers that this scheme has proved such a success. If you know of any other businesses in the city that could offer a similar opportunity, please get in touch with me.