West Northamptonshire Family Hubs - Interim Report

Family Hubs are designed to function as inclusive, accessible, and welcoming spaces that serve as a centralised point of contact for all families with children aged 0 to 19 years old and up to 25 years for those with Special Educational Need or Disabilities (SEND) (HM Government, 2021; Department for Education, 2021). They aim to remove barriers to support by co-locating services and fostering a more integrated whole family approach to provision. By bringing together health, education, early years, and social care services into a single location, Family Hubs seek to tackle the complexity families often face when navigating fragmented systems (Action for Children, 2020; Smith et al., 2018; Disney et al., 2025), enabling more timely access to appropriate resources and professional support. By identifying needs early and responding proactively, Family Hubs seek to improve developmental, educational, health and social outcomes for children and young people from birth through adolescence (Churchill and Dunn, 2023; Disney et al., 2025). In parallel, they support parents and carers by strengthening parenting confidence, improving access to advice and guidance, and promoting family wellbeing (Churchill and Dunn, 2023; Disney et al., 2025). Through this dual focus on children and their caregivers, Family Hubs address inequalities by ensuring that support is accessible to those who may otherwise face barriers to engagement.

This evaluation focuses on the long-term outcomes for children, young people and families accessing Family Hubs. It draws on the University of Northampton Social Impact Matrix©, in combination with a Theory of Change, to ensure that the evaluation is embedded within an evidence based social impact measurement framework. This approach enables the capture of both key outcomes and social value, demonstrating not only what changes occur but also the broader benefits generated for families, communities, and the wider public sector. This interim report provides an overview of the Theory of Change and presents the emerging themes from the quantitative data collected to date. It offers an early assessment of progress against key indicators, highlights trends in service reach and engagement, and provides a foundation for understanding the effectiveness and potential long-term impact of the Family Hub model in West Northamptonshire.