Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme

In August 2022 the Government published its plans for investment in and development of 0-19 Family Hubs and The Start for Life Programme. The programme's objective is to join up and enhance services delivered through family hubs in local authority areas, ensuring all parents and carers can access the support they need when they need it. This project is to ensure effective implementation of the services involved in relation to the voluntary and community sector delivery of services as part of the Family Hub Transformation Programme, using the grant funding we've been awarded from the DfE. Through the services provided by the winning bidder, parents and carers should feel supported and empowered in caring for and nurturing their babies and children, ensuring they receive the best start in life. This in turn will improve health and education outcomes for babies and children and enable them to thrive in later life. The Provider will ensure the following is evident is each area of their work: a) Fully inclusive services, which seek to meet the individual needs of children and their families. This will include recognition of physical and neurodevelopmental needs, along with protected characteristics. b) A relational and restorative approach to all work with families. c) Use of the Portsmouth Family Support Plan as the standards tool. d) Use of the Portsmouth Neurodiversity (ND) Profiling Tool where appropriate and follow the new ND pathway for all children and young people. e) Promote and use where appropriate the developing digital offer with families. f) Provision of a quarterly performance report of the work undertaken to evidence improved outcomes for children and families. g) Provide evidence for eligible 'Supporting Families' claims, which demonstrates change and supports the 'Payment by Results' procedures. h) Report any concerns for children and families at risk to Health, the Lead Professional or appropriate body in a timely way. This work will be underpinned by additional practitioners with ambitious plans around perinatal mental health, midwifery support, health visiting, infant feeding, and partners in the wider early help system. This is different to existing provision as training and networking opportunities for partners in the wider early help system are limited and are not always able to ensure a strategic partnership approach to city wide challenges. New services such as the tongue tie assessment and action service and perinatal mental health universal evidence-based pathway programmes will be in place for families to access via a self-service booking system. The Core and extended services will consist of the following: The core services: • A proportion of universal Stay and Play Groups • A proportion of the targeted outreach • The Parent Engagement offer • 'Core' infant feeding offer • Volunteer recruitment (aligned with the demands of the core offer) The Extended services: • An extension to the universal Stay and Play offer • A targeted nurture group offer • An extension to the targeted outreach • PNMH, PEEP and MECC Training and development for the workforce • Family Hub Champion roles • 'Extended' infant feeding offer - nurture groups, parent course session delivery • Volunteer recruitment (aligned with the demands of the extended offer) Properties There are five existing council properties that will be available for the delivery of this contract at no cost • Milton Park Family Hub (PO4 8EU) • Somerstown Family Hub (PO5 4LP) • Buckland Family Hub (PO1 4PN) • Northern Parade Family Hub (PO2 9NE) • Paulsgrove Family Hub (PO6 3PL) Accommodation will be offered within these premises on a weekly basis and within standard working hours where possible. It is expected that services will be structured accordingly to take place around other the other provisions taking place within the hub provided by separate charities and organisations and separate to the provisions involved within this Contractual arrangement. To allow the services involved to be delivered effectively due to volume and nature, it is anticipated that core services will be primarily situated in the family hubs, and that the extended offer is to be delivered in additional premises which will be sourced by the provider with any additional costs accounted for in bidders cost breakdown as part of the Contracted costs. It is the sole responsibility of the provider to ensure that that any additional sourced properties used to deliver the services, such as community halls are suitably aligned with the relevant health and safety standards such as the standard building regulations. There should be no requirements for leases or licenses, however it is anticipated that there will be appropriate standard hire agreement to be put in place between Contractor and the sourced property provider(s) for the extended offer.