The Best Start in Life programme is helping more children arrive at school ready to learn and thrive. Family hubs work closely with health services, schools, early years providers and community groups to connect families with the right support as early as possible. By sharing expertise, identifying needs early and co-ordinating help, partners can provide timely, family-centred support.

This preventative approach improves children’s health, development, learning and wellbeing, giving every child the Best Start in Life and helping families to thrive.

Professionals, do you know that we have a team of early help advisers available? The team is available for those professionals who are looking for help and advice in supporting children, young people and families access the right support at the right time.
The team can offer:

• advice and guidance to practitioners about local services, resources and opportunities available within communities.
• additional support when you are unsure about the most appropriate service, or when a child or family has multiple or complex needs.

The team offers coaching, modelling and professional advice, and help practitioners identify family needs and build strong relationships with community services. This collaborative way of working ensures families receive co-ordinated, effective support tailored to their individual circumstances.

The Nottinghamshire Mental Health Support Team (MHST) is helping children and young people access early support for their emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Working closely with schools, families and partners, the team provides advice, guidance and evidence-based interventions to help children build resilience and manage challenges such as anxiety, low mood and emotional regulation.

MHST practitioners also support school staff to create positive environments where mental health can thrive.

By offering help at the earliest opportunity, the team is ensuring that more children and young people receive the right support at the right time, improving wellbeing and outcomes across Nottinghamshire.

Get in touch with the team at: CAMHSMHSTTrailblazer1@nottshc.nhs.uk

Family hubs offer a range of support for families with older children and young people, helping them navigate the challenges that can arise during adolescence.

Through family appointments, parenting workshops and evidence-based programmes, parents can build confidence, strengthen relationships and develop practical strategies for managing behaviour, emotional wellbeing and family life.

We also work closely with schools and partner agencies to ensure families receive the right support at the right time, helping young people to thrive and reach their potential.

Following valuable feedback from parents and carers, family hubs are creating a series of short videos to help families better understand the support available to them.

These videos will provide a friendly introduction to some of the interventions and programmes families may be referred to, explaining what they involve, who they are for and what families can expect.

We hope they will help families feel more informed, reassured and confident when accessing support. The videos will be available soon. Watch this space for further updates!

The Youth Service provides targeted support to help young people build confidence, resilience and make positive choices.

One 14-year-old received one-to-one support to improve wellbeing, understand risks and build self-belief. Through regular sessions, he developed stronger decision-making skills and greater confidence.

He also embraced new opportunities in drama, cheerleading and community activities, and stood as a Youth Parliament candidate, raising awareness of ADHD in schools. His parent has noticed significant improvements in his confidence, behaviour and outlook for the future.

A family has shared how support from their local family hub helped transform life for their children. Practitioners worked with them to address challenging behaviour and separation anxiety.

Today, their daughter is thriving as a Year 6 peer mentor, supporting younger children with anxiety, while their son has been recognised by classmates as a ‘fabulous friend’ and one of the kindest pupils in his year. Their parent says these achievements would not have been possible without the support they received.