The new Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson MP, saw the difference Derby’s Family Hubs are making to the lives of children and families during a visit to the city.

She met mums at a breastfeeding club, played with toddlers and pre-schoolers, and chatted with mums, dads, staff and midwives during a busy morning session at Becket Family Hub.

In Derby, there are now six family hubs bringing a range of support services for families together under one roof. A further four children’s centres are branches of the hubs, and together they offer a wide range of groups, activities and advice to every family in the city, helping children get the best start in life.

Derby City Council was one of 75 local authorities in England allocated a share of around £300 million in Government funding, up to March 2025, to embed the family hub approach. Since they launched in summer 2023, the hubs have continued to offer a wide range of face-to-face and online support and advice to every Derby family.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

I want all children to have loving, secure homes - whether they are being looked after by their community of wider family and friends, our brilliant foster carers and adoptive parents, or being cared for in children’s homes.

It’s been a pleasure to see this in action in Derby and meet some of the dedicated people on the frontline. I saw first-hand the impact supportive environments and family hubs can have on shaping young lives and heard directly about the challenges facing the sector.

I am committed to breaking down the barriers to support to ensure every child across the country has the start in life they deserve.

Councillor Paul Hezelgrave, Derby City Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Skills, said:

We know from parents what a tremendously positive impact our Family Hubs are having on their lives, and those of their children, especially in those all-important early years. It was a great opportunity to showcase our fantastic offer to families.

Our approach is all about providing the right support for every child and their family, in every community, helping them to get the best start in their early years, and with continuing support for the family at every stage and aspect of their child’s development.

The hubs bring together services that families may previously have had to find in different places, or found difficult to navigate, making it simple to get help in the right place, at the right time. There is a full Start for Life offer for all parents to be, new parents and those with babies under 2 in addition activities for children under eight.

They also provide support for parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and extra activities for older children during school holidays.

A parenting programme, the Solihull approach, has received excellent reviews from course participants, and the online version has now been made available to all parents in the city. One mum commented: “The best course I have done in 16 years, in depth, learning about the brain, thinking about relationships, it really makes you think about your own history and how that affects your parenting.”  

The range of support in our Family Hubs includes:

  • Fun and interactive groups
  • Infant feeding workshops, breastfeeding clubs, and support for new parents
  • Help with well-being, mental health, and parent-infant relationships
  • Support for children with special educational needs and their families
  • Activities for dads, co-parents and other carers
  • Child and family health activities around healthy eating, oral health, and stay and weigh clinics
  • Support with managing finances, the cost of living and getting back into work or training

You can find more information about Derby’s Family Hubs on the Family Hub Directory.