Early SEND support pledged for Best Start Family Hubs

The government has announced plans to ensure there is SEND support available in its planned Best Start Family Hubs, which are pledged to be rolled out in every local authority next year.

Councils are being tasked with recruiting an all-new dedicated SEND practitioner in every hub to provide direct, family-facing support.

Research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies is clear that when early help is missing, more children go on to need higher-level SEND support later in childhood.

The government says that by 2028, Best Start Family Hubs will act as a one stop shop for the whole community – offering parents a range of support, including a range of proven interventions, from child-focused speech and language sessions for toddlers to specialist parent and baby groups. 

To access their share of the £500 million Best Start Family Hub investment, every local authority must prioritise the neighbourhoods where families face the greatest barriers to support, with an ambition for 70% of all hubs to be located in the 30% most disadvantaged communities.

The new offer will help parents understand their child’s development, identify emerging needs sooner, and support vital join-up between early years settings, health visitors and SEND teams.

For many families, this will mean getting answers, reassurance and help much earlier than the current system. And it will mean families can get advice on early development concerns and help to understand support for SEND in one place.