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Edition Highlight
- Best Start Family Hubs Highlights
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What's on
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What’s new
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Spotlight on
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Notice Board
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Continued funding for Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies programme
The launch of the ‘Giving every child a best start in life strategy’ provides nationwide funding to all local authorities over the next 3 years. It expands the previous Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, delivery integrated, one-stop-shop support for families with children aged 0-19 (up to 25 for SEND)
The continuation of Best Start funding enables Southwark to further embed and enhance the programmes delivery.
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Updated branding for Best Start in Life and Healthy Babies programme
You might have noticed updated language and branding being used across Family Hubs communications. This reflects national guidance, which brings together the Best Start in Life and Healthy Babies branding.
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Prevention Practice Learning Hub
Is a central resource that outlines what prevention, early help and support means in a Southwark context, why it’s important and how you can access support. It sets out different levels of support, outlines the roles of partner agencies, and helps professionals understand how to access the right help at the right time.
Available on the Southwark Safeguarding Partnership website.
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Southwark Council staff SharePoint site
For Southwark staff, we have also launched the Prevention Toolkit on the Practice Learning Hub. These pages bring together Start for Life Programmes, Best Start Family Hubs information, and the Prevention & Early Help toolkit – making it easier for staff to navigate support for families.
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New SEND Family Hub coming to Ann Bernadt
We are excited to be transforming the former nursery at Ann Bernadt into a new SEND Family Hub, to bring together support for children and young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families.
We are currently working with design teams and delivery partners to finalise designs, with building work planned over the summer to improve accessibility and create a space that meets the needs of local families. We’re aiming to open Autumn 2026/27.
We are working with partners across education, health and the community to design a space that brings services together and makes it easier for families to access the right support at the right time.
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If you would like to be involved in our SEND Hub professionals group, or have any other questions please email familyhubs@southwark.gov.uk
We will also be sharing updates on the PPRN website, including a visual timeline as the project develops.
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An opportunity to make connections to the wider network of services supporting children and families in or around Camberwell and Dulwich. To request a spot, click the link above.
An opportunity to make connections to the wider network of services supporting children and families in or around Peckham, Peckham Rye & Nunhead. To request a spot, click the link above.
Schools Safeguarding Forum
Date- Thursday 2nd July Time- 09:00am to 12:30pm Location: Southwark Council Office
The Forum provides safeguarding updates, best practice and resources for all Southwark schools and educational settings. Who should attend- DSLs, DDSLs, senior leaders and safeguarding governors. Please ensure at least one member of your safeguarding team comes along to hear updates from Social Care, the Police and other Southwark services.
No registration needed — just turn up on the day.
If you have any queries or require further information, please contact: Apo.Cagirici@southwark.gov.uk
Race, Ethnicity, Faith and Culture
Date: Wednesday 8th July Time: 9 AM - 4:30 PM
On this training you will:
- Learn key vocabulary and concepts related to race, ethnicity, faith and culture
- Better understand the experiences of migrant residents when navigating a new system, rules and language
- Hear from Black and Minority Ethnic-led organisations about their work and the challenges they face
Identify opportunities to collaborate and take action to address the challenges faced by residents and local organisations.
More information will be available via My Learning Source or contact Syeda Hussain syeda@communitysouthwark.org
'Understand Youth Needs' Training Day — Community Southwark
Community Southwark, in partnership with Theatre Peckham, Autism Voice, Cambridge House and Sculpt UK, delivered an inspiring training day focused on understanding the needs and challenges of young people in Southwark. Community Southwark
The session explored how voluntary, community and statutory partners can work together more effectively, covering themes including challenging stereotypes, involving young people in decision-making, trauma-informed practice, and supporting young people with autism into employment and education.
One participant described it as 'the best training session they had attended out of over 80'.
Places are still available — The final session takes place in July, If you are a Southwark Council staff member or community researcher, you can sign up for the next session here for more information, contact Anita at Community Southwark anita.sewornu@southwark.gov.uk
Express your interest for the future sessions Training for Southwark Council staff – Fill in form.
Parenting Programmes
A 9-week peer-led group which helps parents gain confidence in parenting and every day with a new baby (0-9 months). Start Wednesday 30th September 2026, 10:00am - 12:00 pm. Rye Oak Best Start Family Hub, Wholton Road, London, SE15 3PD.
For more information contact: Claire Gager or Sunshine Brand
Call: 07547 659 646 / 07597 506 898
A friendly space for dads and male carers to meet, share experiences, ask questions and get some support. Drop-In any time between 09:30 am and 12:20 pm, every last Wednesday of the month. Rye Oak Bets Start Family Hub, Whorlton Road, London, SE15 3PD.
Every Sunday morning, 10am–1pm, from 17 May to 25 October 2026
Free, drop-in, no booking needed. For families with children aged 0–12 (children must be accompanied by an adult
For families with at least one child under 5. Free refreshments each session. For more information and to register, click the link above.
Free Learn and Explore Online (LEO) training
Parent Zone is teaming up with Google to deliver Learn and Explore Online (LEO) training which equips professionals with the knowledge to support parents use safety tools with their children. Professionals that work with families can join one of their free upcoming virtual training sessions to learn what Google safety tools are available, understand how they work and how to set them up, and develop strategies to help parents adopt safety tools.
Summer Timetables at the Best Start Family Hubs
Please find below the timetables for the coming weeks at your local Best Start Family Hub
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Integrated neighbourhood support for families with children
We are testing out the integrated co-located support for families at our Rye Oak Best Start Family Hub.
A cross system partnership has brought together the delivery of Health clinics with multi-agency drop in sessions. This joined up offer means families, either attending a clinic or dropping into the Hub, can now access a range of support, in one place, enabling families to get help quickly without having to navigate multiple services
Running every Wednesday, the integrated service offer brings together information, advice and support from Parenting team, Housing, Citizens Advice, DWP and Adolescent Sure Start.
Rye Oak Best Start Family Hub, Whorlton Road, SE15 3PD, Every Wednesday
For more information, email childrenscentre@ivydale.southwark.sch.uk or call 020 3848 5780.
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New Guidance on Screen Time for Under 5s
The government has released new guidance to help parents and carers manage screen time for young children — and there are resources available to support the families you work with.
90% of a child's brain development happens before the age of 5, yet nearly all two-year-olds are already watching screens every day. Too much unmanaged screen time can affect children's sleep, language, and development.
The key advice for families:
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Under 2s - avoid screens, except for things like video calls with family
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2 to 5-year-olds - try to keep it to 1 hour a day or less
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Avoid fast-paced videos and social media — slow, simple content is better for young brains
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No screens at mealtimes or in bedrooms
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Watch together where you can — it makes a real difference
Resources to support your work
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Baby Buddy
Baby Buddy is a free, clinically informed parenting app that supports families from pregnancy through to a child’s second birthday. Written at a reading age of nine, it offers accessible, evidence‑based guidance through short articles, videos and interactive tools.
The app covers key topics including infant feeding, baby care, development and parental wellbeing, alongside links to Southwark services.
As part of our Best Start Family Hubs offer, Baby Buddy is a valuable tool to reinforce key messages and support families between appointments.
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How partners can support:
- Share the app with expected and new parents at key touchpoints
- Use and share any promotional materials in your settings
- Reference Baby Buddy in conversations with families
Please scan the QR code or follow the link to access Baby Buddy resources.
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Thank you
Thank you to all the partners and practitioners who continue to support and shape the Best Start Family Hubs offer across Southwark. Your engagement and feedback plays a vital role in helping us strengthen support for families in Southwark.
If you have anything you’d like to feature in a future edition, or any feedback or suggestions, please contact familyhubs@southwark.gov.uk
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