Scarborough and Whitby MP Pushes for Best Start Family Hub to Address Local Deprivation

The Member of Parliament for Scarborough and Whitby, Alison Hume, is urging North Yorkshire Council (NYC) to ensure that the new government-funded Best Start Family Hub is established within her constituency.

Ms Hume issued this request following a successful campaign aimed at restoring local family services.

The call for local spending comes after an announcement confirming that NYC will be among the first local authorities to receive a government grant specifically designated to establish one of these hubs. NYC has been allotted £205,934 to establish the facility.

The Best Start Family Hubs are conceived as one-stop shops offering comprehensive support for parents across a wide array of issues. These include providing advice on areas such as housing, health visiting, early language support, SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities), and breastfeeding issues. The service model is designed to revive ‘Sure Start’ style services, which were widely embraced by families upon their initial introduction.

Focus on Poverty

In her argument to NYC, Ms Hume highlighted critical local challenges, noting that Scarborough currently experiences the highest levels of deprivation in the county, a situation that has reportedly escalated since 2015. The MP confirmed that she has formally written to Richard Flinton, the chief executive of NYC, requesting the hub be situated in the area.

Ms Hume provided specific statistics to justify the need, stating: “Over 27 percent of children here are living in child poverty”. She stressed the potential impact of the new service, asserting: “These hubs will be transformative for so many children. We want to break the link between their background and what a child goes on to achieve in life”.

The MP also expressed satisfaction that her efforts, alongside those of her fellow Labour MPs, to reinstate family services have been acknowledged. She added that the Best Start Family Hubs represent a continuation of existing government efforts aimed at simplifying family life and reducing the burdens faced by parents.

These efforts include a variety of other measures, such as expanding the free school meals programme, increasing childcare availability, increasing the reach of school-based nurseries, and ensuring all primary schools nationwide possess a library. Locally, one school in Scarborough recently recorded an increase in nursery attendance, while four schools—including two in Whitby—were amongst the first adopters of the free school breakfast club initiative.

Government Support for Change

The government has championed the initiative, with Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, affirming that the new hubs place “the first building blocks of better life chances in place for more children”.

Ms Phillipson identified the core purpose of the programme as part of the government's "driving mission to break the link between a child’s background and what they go on to achieve".

Reflecting on earlier schemes, the Education Secretary noted that she “saw firsthand how initiatives like Sure Start helped level the playing field, transforming the lives of children by putting in place family support in the earliest years of life”. She confirmed that, as part of the government’s Plan for Change, they are building upon Sure Start’s legacy for future generations.

Ms Phillipson concluded by asserting that ensuring hard-working parents benefit from increased early help is a “promise made, and promise kept,” designed to deliver a steady stream of support nationwide. This consistent support aims to guarantee that health, social care, and education services collaborate effectively to ensure that all children receive the best start in life.