A brand-new family hub has opened in Clayton this week to help ensure local children and young people are given the very best start in life and helped to become happy and healthy young adults who achieve their full potential.
The Clayton Best Start in Life Family Hub, which is on North Road in Clayton, provides one-stop-shop style access to a wide range of advice and support for children, young people, parents, carers, and families.
The hub works across Clayton, Beswick and Openshaw supporting families with children aged 0-19 years, or up to 25 years for young people who have special needs or disabilities (SEND), as well as support for expectant parents.
The team provides information, advice and guidance, along with practical support, helping families to access services both within the hub itself and across the local neighbourhood in partnership with schools and community organisations.
At the heart of the hub is the 'Start for Life' offer which begins even before babies are born with pregnancy support and information, with support continuing afterwards to help new parents navigate the first few months and early years of their children's lives. This includes infant feeding guidance, support with breastfeeding, early language and home learning sessions, peri-natal mental health, and parent-infant relationships, alongside additional support through parenting groups based at the centre.
As well as support for new parents, the hub also brings together a wide range of other services providing information on everything from groups and activities for families, guidance for parents of children with SEND, applying for school places, support for families new to the area, adult learning opportunities, healthy eating, mental health and wellbeing, to family cost of living support, and budgeting skills.
It also supports referrals to other agencies for further help and advice including Adult Education, housing, counselling services, benefits advice and help filling in official forms.
Clayton Best Start in Life Family Hub is the fifth such Family Hub to open in Manchester and follows the opening of other hubs in Longsight, Wythenshawe, Cheetham Hill, and Gorton.
Its opening comes as the city council also publishes its Best Start in Life strategy outlining how the city plans to support families with babies and children up to school age, over the coming years.
Councillor Julie Reid, Executive Member for Early Years, Children and Young People, Manchester City Council, said: "Our vision is for every child in Manchester to have the very best start in life and to grow up safe, healthy, and happy.
"We're determined to do everything we can to create the conditions where every child can learn, play, develop strong relationships and reach their full potential - and Best Start in Life Family Hubs have a crucial role to play in this. With their one-stop-shop approach to supporting families whatever kind of advice and support they may need, they are already making a massive difference to thousands of our families across the city."