Hello! I’m Ella, a VCSE and Volunteer Engagement Worker for the Family Hubs here at Salford CVS. My role is to engage with voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) groups, and volunteers, with the Family Hubs in Salford. I thought I’d take this opportunity to introduce myself, and the Family Hubs!
So what is a Family Hub..?
The Family Hubs are part of a national project, aimed to develop spaces to offer services and support for children, young people and families from 0-19 (up to 25 with SEND). Salford City Council received funding from the Department for Education, along with 74 other local authorities to develop the Family Hub Partnership in Salford.
The Family Hubs already have some services running from them; including Antenatal, Child’s Health, Early Help, Play Sessions, and Parenting support.
Sounds great, so where are the Hubs?
There are four main Family Hubs in Salford; one in Broughton; Swinton; Little Hulton and Irlam and Cadishead. There are also smaller hub locations, including Winton Children’s Centre, Walkden Gateway, Langworthy Cornerstone and Belvedere.
The Family Hubs work from the concept of place-based working, which means that people shouldn’t have to travel twenty miles to get to their nearest hub, they aim for neighbourhoods in Salford to have a hub that’s local to them. The Family Hubs also looking into the idea of co-location, so having Family Hubs partner with local community centres and bases and deliver some services from them. It would also mean that people in Salford can access Hub Services from the centres and buildings, so they don’t need to travel far to access some support and services.
… In other words, the Hubs want to have real and meaningful links in with their local communities. What is needed in a Family Hub in Swinton, might not be what’s needed from the Family Hub in Little Hulton!
What can the Hubs offer my group?
I’ve been employed by Salford CVS to engage VCSE with the Family Hubs. Salford CVS has great connections into the VSCE Sector (as you may well already know!). The VCSE Sector is already doing amazing work with children, young people and families and we’re not looking to reinvent the wheel. We want to link in with these groups to look at partnerships can be developed, to offer support from and to the Family Hubs; whether that’s a free space to operate from, links in with the Early Help Team, or funding support (from Salford CVS itself, and some new Family Hub specific funding, which is in the pipeline).
Sounds great, how can I get involved?
If you are a VCSE group who works with children, young people or/and families, and would like to hear more about the Family Hubs, please get in contact with ella.saltiel@salfordcvs.co.uk.