SAFEGUARDING
We are currently developing a model for family hubs in the borough as part of guidance from government. Family Hubs bring together multiple organisations to make it easier to get the help you and your family might need.
Please click the link below for more information about Family Hubs
LINK
VIEW
Our first Family Hub launched in October 2023. We are planning to have seven family hub networks operating across the borough, which means if you live locally, you should always be able to find support in your neighbourhood.
Family Hubs unite lots of different organisations, so you only have to explain what you need help with once, rather than having to tell many different people. Meanwhile, professionals can work together more effectively to help you overcome any difficulties you might be facing. Previously these services could be disjointed and hard to navigate but Family Hubs can offer guidance and advice on a range of circumstances including, infant feeding, mental health support for children and families, health visits and parenting classes and much more to support the whole family.
The hub itself may or may not be a single building – instead, it could be a network of different physical locations in your neighbourhood, as well as online services.
We are excited to share that our Family Hub offer across Lowton, Golborne and Ashton is developing. We have agreed usage of the following linked sites to our main Hub – the Family Hub at Clifton Street:
Ashton Leisure Centre
Old Road, Ashton, Wigan, WN4 9TP
Small Consulting Rooms x 2
Training Room x 1
Golborne Library
Tanners Lane, Golborne, Warrington, WA3 3AW
Children’s Library area
Community Room
Lowton Community Hub
Newton Road, Lowton, Warrington, WA3 2BH
Small Dojo Space
Large Dojo Space
Consulting Room
Café also on site
As our valued partners we wanted to share this exciting news with you for consideration as to whether there is scope for you to deliver from any of these spaces as part of the Family Hub offer across the neighbourhood. Please contact us if you would like further information regarding the sites or to have a look around, we would be more than happy to facilitate this as we are keen to see a whole family offer available across this neighbourhood, delivered through these 3 sites.
As you’re aware the Start Well Service and Family Centre offer has been through a significant service transformation into Early Help and Prevention with Family Help and Family Hubs. For anyone who isn’t aware of the exciting range of activities on offer then please access the Family Hubs landing page which covers drop in sessions, bookable appointments, groups, training and signposting for young people and parents. It also contains the locations and contact details of the three Family Hubs that are currently open and you are more than welcome to visit in person.
An exciting part of the new offer has been the creation of 5 group work posts that will be based in the Family Hubs and they will develop a bespoke group work offer for each area based on local need and demand. To support this development we would really welcome your views and direction which will be captured through a really short Microsoft Forms survey.
GIRLS GROUP
A safe and supportive space for girls and young women aged 11-17. An opportunity to connect with other girls and make new friends, have fun, try out different activities, and discuss things that are important to you. We are also keen for girls to take the lead in telling us how you want to see the group operate and for you to contribute to planning activities and sessions, not only that we want you to come up with the name for the group as we want this to represent you and your interests! No need to book, just come along 😊
Please see below details about our brand-new session facilitated by the Family Hub at Clifton Street.
🌸 Girls Group 🌸
📍Family Hub at Clifton Street Community Centre
📅 Mondays, starting 19th January
🕡 3.15-5.00pm
Our priority at the Family Hub at Clifton Street has and continues to be to listen to what children, young people and their families want to see in the Family Hub.
Our Youth Inspectors recently paid us a visit, one of their recommendations for us to improve was to develop a participation group of attending users of the service would help to have constant feedback through the service.
Please see below and the opportunity to meet
🗣️Family Hub at Clifton Street Youth Advisory Panel 🗣️
WE NEED YOU!! For young people aged 11+
Represent the voices of children and young people, helping to identify what support should be available locally! Help us to design our Family Hub offer, meet new friends, learn new skills and have fun!
Meet every two months with other panel members, once as group meeting, once as a reward activity.
Starting:
📅 Thursday 22nd January and then bi-monthly
⏰3:00-5:00pm
📍Ashton Leisure Centre
Working together with Maddison House Press and supported by Wigan Libraries, Happy Smiles CIC and more, I’m genuinely delighted that you’re choosing to share your lived experience. Your voice will directly influence this book and help create long-lasting change in how people understand disability and neurodiversity.
To get involved, you can complete our online survey here:
https://form.jotform.com/260895772076369
You’re very welcome to complete this anonymously if you prefer.
An audio version of the survey is also available here:
https://youtu.be/ivJfAAbYCzE
If you’d rather respond by listening and writing your answers, you can email them to a.winstanley@happysmilestraining.co.uk or call 07917221503 to share your thoughts verbally.
You’re also warmly invited to join our public engagement session:
· 23rd May, 10am to 12 noon at Leigh Library
These sessions are a great opportunity to share your experiences in a relaxed, supportive space and connect with others.If you have any questions or would like to find out more, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by email or phone.
If there is a more accessible way to communicate with you, please let me know.
Alex Winstanley (he/him)
ID: Alex signed using Fingerspelling
Happy Smiles CIC
Managing Director
Telephone: 01942 741402
Email: info@happysmilestraining.co.uk
Once the forms have been completed, and we have analysed the feedback, we will start to develop groupwork sessions based around the family hubs and details of these will be on the Family Hub landing page
