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Community support for struggling families in England has declined significantly over the past 15 years, with data revealing that the availability of specialist children’s services has plummeted by over a third.
The number of family hubs and children’s centres in England has reduced by more than a third since 2009, while spending on centres was cut by almost £1.4bn between 2010/11 and 2023/24, according to freedom of information data compiled from 108 local authorities by the charity Barnardo’s. Access varies according to region in a “postcode lottery of support”, the charity said.
Over the same period, child poverty levels have risen by more than 15% to include over a third of children, with growing numbers struggling with their mental health, lacking basic life skills, and entering the care system, the charity said.
Lynn Perry, the chief executive of Barnardo’s, said: “Family hubs offer a safe, welcoming space where parents and children can access vital support.
“At their best, these centres are a local ‘nerve centre’ where parents can come for a ‘stay and play’ session, and in the same familiar and welcoming environment receive help with breastfeeding, talk to a health visitor, receive support with speech and language, attend a parenting course, and even access highly specialist help with issues such as domestic abuse and substance abuse for those who need it.
“Evidence also shows that family hubs, by getting to families with support before they reach crisis point, also have a long-term financial benefit to the country.”
Family hubs are rooted in Labour’s Sure Start programme, which began in the 1990s, and help families before they reach crisis point, providing services including pregnancy and breastfeeding support, child developmental health clinics, mental health support, advice on online safety or knife crime, and support for addiction and domestic abuse.
Recent UCL research found that one in four children in England needed social care services by the time they turned 18 as a result of funding cuts to preventive and early support services, including children’s centres.
Barnardo’s is calling on the government to include a commitment in its forthcoming child poverty strategy to develop a network of 3,500 centres across England.
The charity’s report analysed two parenting programmes at the Sandwell family hub in the West Midlands. It showed that for every £1 spent on one programme, it brought benefits to the public purse worth £3.82, while the other delivered £2.44 for every £1 spent.
Parents who shared their stories with Barnardo’s said they had benefited from soft play sessions, which gave their children access to toys and experiences they couldn’t afford, support for postnatal depression, and parent networks that provided mutual advice.
Mellissa Gaskin, a service manager at Ladywood family hub in the West Midlands, said one of the benefits of family hubs was that “families can get support for multiple issues without having to repeat their story to multiple professionals”.
As an example, she said a child at a play session might have language development needs identified. “This means they get earlier intervention than if they had to wait for an issue to be identified and referred later on,” she said.
The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said: “The support offered through the Family Hubs programme is a lifeline for so many families – but with a third of those on the lowest incomes still struggling to get the support they need, I know the system we’ve inherited does not go far enough.
“We’ve already taken vital steps to back families through the government-funded childcare rollout, free breakfast clubs and free school meals for every child on universal credit, but we won’t stop there. We will carefully consider all available evidence and research as we develop our plans for reform so that every family, regardless of background, can benefit from high-quality, joined-up support.”
