It's hoped the Family Hub in Immingham will be saved from closure
following a public consultation there's been a recommendation to keep town facility open
It looks likely 5 family hubs will close in North East Lincolnshire although the one in Immingham will probably be saved.
The council started consultations on possible closures saying it would look at alternative ways of supporting families and no staff jobs would be lost.
However there was strong support for the Immingham hub and now it's being recommended it stays open subject to final approval.
The 12 Family Hubs run by the council pre-COVID were Broadway, Central, East Marsh, Highgate, Immingham, Nunsthorpe, Scartho, Riverside, Reynolds, West Marsh, Strand and Queensway.
The six initially earmarked for closure were Highgate, Immingham, Scartho, Strand, Broadway, and Riverside.
However, following the results of the public consultation and with digital questionnaires fully completed by 345 people, a recommendation to keep Immingham open has now been made. The other five will close if this plan goes ahead and with four of those attached to primary academies talks will start on the future of the buildings.
This was the favoured option of members of the Children and Lifelong Learning Scrutiny Panel, which met recently. It is now subject to a final decision been made by leading officers and appropriate Cabinet members.
The results of the consultation revealed how, of the 345 respondents, 183 (the highest number by far) stated they used the Immingham facility before lockdown. Many people noted how early help for children and families was vital in future school attendance, and going on to employment, and child mental health and domestic abuse were highlighted as areas requiring most support
There was clear support for having local services with the feelings strongest about the potential loss of Immingham’s Family Hub. People said the town was geographically isolated and had considerable need.
Supporting the recommendation and ahead of any final decision, the council’s Portfolio Holder for Children and Education, Cllr Ian Lindley said:
“As we invest in the future of our children, we must remember it is about providing the right need in the right area. That has to be fluid and has to be flexible. Releasing our dedicated staff from the constraints of being tied to too many physical buildings with limited usage means they will be free of physical buildings to respond to needs in a more effective way.
“That said, we launched the consultation with the prime aim of listening to peoples’ views and it was clear how strongly people in Immingham felt. It is therefore recommended that this facility remains. It is reassuring to note too how the six Hubs that were always going to remain open have a good geographical spread across the rest of the Borough. This ensures we are still supporting all our communities with on-site services remaining where they are clearly most needed.”