Westminster City Council is offering a new Stay and Play service at the Bayswater Children’s Centre site – a key pledge under the council’s new Fairer Westminster agenda.
Bayswater Children’s Centre is part of the Queens Park Family Hub and the new service will be run by the Queens Park Federation. Stay and play groups will help families meet new people and make friends in a relaxed atmosphere. The sessions will enable children to learn, play and sing, contributing to their overall health and wellbeing and preparing older children to start school.
The city-wide Family Hubs Network provides support to up to 4,800 families each year with locations in Pimlico, Church Street, and Queens Park. The network brings together multiple partners including family navigators, the NHS and voluntary sector to make support more accessible for families, resulting in better outcomes for Westminster residents.
Family Hubs can improve children’s wellbeing, educational attainment and life chances, reduce family poverty, improve mental health and lead to lower crime, unemployment and other negative outcomes. The services on offer include parenting courses, family therapy clinics, midwifery, baby groups, support for SEN and disability, advice on housing, advice on debt and benefits, and more.
Westminster City Council was a pioneer in the development of the Family Hubs model which is now being replicated across the country, supported by the National Centre for Family Hubs (NCFH) and additional Department of Education investment through the Family Hub transformation fund.
Attending the launch of the new service at the Bayswater centre, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Young People, Learning and Leisure, Cllr Tim Roca, said:
“We’re committed to building a Fairer Westminster and ensuring families can access the services they need right on their doorstep.
“That’s why we’re expanding the Family Hubs network in Westminster by offering these new services at the Bayswater Children’s Centre as part of the Queens Park Family Hub.
“Family Hubs provide parents and guardians with invaluable advice and support across a range of issues, and help their children get the absolute best start in life.”
More on the Westminster Family Hubs Network here.
Published: 2 May 2023