East Ayrshire Council is developing a network of Family Hubs designed to bring together education, health, and support services to help struggling families before problems escalate to crisis point. The initiative was outlined by Council Leader Douglas Reid during his six-month update to members, who described the hubs as a key priority in tackling poverty and improving outcomes for children and families.
Council Leader Emphasises Early Intervention
Councillor Reid told members: “We are looking to set up family hub models to look at crisis within families that are really struggling.” He explained that the hubs would address a range of issues including addiction and health problems, and noted that the council had been consulting with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Scottish Government, and the Department for Work and Pensions on the plans.
Reid added: “We found this to be a really good and effective way to address some of the challenges that affect modern society and families in these challenging times.” The proposals form part of the council’s wider commitment to early intervention and prevention, alongside investment announced in this year’s budget.
Designing a Local Model Based on Best Practice
Council officers confirmed that work is already under way to design an East Ayrshire model, drawing on successful examples from other areas before bringing detailed proposals back to members. The hubs are expected to be centred around education settings, with multiple agencies working together to provide support for families experiencing poverty, poor mental health, addiction, and unemployment.
Acting Chief Executive Joe McLachlan told councillors: “We’re looking at best practice across Scotland and England”, adding that East Ayrshire wanted to develop “a model that works for our communities.” The aim is for support to be coordinated through a single local hub, reducing the need for families to contact several different services and enabling earlier intervention.
Alignment with Scottish Government Programme
The approach reflects the Scottish Government’s Whole Family Wellbeing programme, which encourages councils to redesign services around family needs and invest more in prevention rather than crisis response. National guidance states the goal is to provide “holistic family support” to ensure families can access help more easily. The Scottish Government has identified Family Hubs as an emerging model being explored by councils across Scotland.
East Ayrshire has already consulted residents and partners on how to use its Whole Family Wellbeing Funding, with the ambition to provide “seamless and holistic support wrapped around individual needs” while reducing the need for families to repeat their circumstances to multiple agencies.
Next Steps and Timeline
No locations or opening dates have yet been confirmed. Officers stressed that work is continuing to determine the specific look of the hubs in East Ayrshire and which services will operate from them. Further proposals are expected to come before councillors once the model has been developed.
