New Children and Families Wellbeing Service

Leicestershire County Council will launch its new Children and Families Wellbeing Service in April.

The new-style service will focus on supporting the most vulnerable families in Leicestershire and will bring together four existing services into one.

The new integrated service will be delivered from 21 family wellbeing centres across the county, based at existing children’s centre sites. Some existing children’s centres will close, and in these cases the council is working to ensure as many of the buildings as possible will be used to deliver services to families and the community.

This new service will provide targeted support to families in need in a more joined up way; making the most of our staff and resources and bringing down costs by avoiding duplication.

“Although some children’s centres will be closing by 31 March, we are busy working with partners and organisations in local areas to ensure we are still delivering services in local communities.

“We understand that children’s centres are valued so where we can, we will make sure that whatever the centres become they will continue to support local children, families or communities in some way.

Person:Ivan Ould, Leicestershire County Council cabinet member for children and families

Four centres will remain open for longer, due to the expiry dates of the leases. These are The Cove and Fairmead centres in Melton, The Bobbin Factory in South Wigston and Ibstock.

When it met last summer, the council’s cabinet earmarked an extra £2m for supporting vulnerable people, meaning six more centres would be able to remain open than originally proposed.

The updated proposals have been published following a three-month consultation which attracted nearly 800 responses.

The new 0-19  service will be delivered through drop -in clinics, group work and/or casework.

More information, including which centres will close and where the nearest alternative centres are, is available here

Anyone with a query can speak to their local children’s centre coordinator or send an email