London Borough of Croydon - Developing Family Hubs
As part of Croydon’s journey to develop and embed Family Hubs, we delivered a comprehensive programme of workshops designed to bring together leaders and partners from across the local system. Our role was to provide expert facilitation, national insight, and structured support to enable a clear, shared vision and actionable plans for implementation.
Partnership Engagement
The first partnership workshop saw over 100 participants from across Croydon’s children’s and families’ services, health, education, and the voluntary sector—reflecting a strong collective commitment to the Family Hub agenda.
Drawing on our extensive experience of supporting Family Hub developments across the country, we were able to share best practice, challenge existing thinking, and provide strategic direction to ensure that Croydon’s approach builds on proven models while remaining rooted in local priorities.
The Value of External Facilitation
Having an external facilitator offered significant advantages in terms of both challenge and support. Our facilitators brought high credibility, a deep understanding of system leadership, and a wide repertoire of facilitation techniques. This enabled open, constructive discussions and helped partners to navigate complex issues with confidence and clarity.
Our Approach
We worked closely with lead officers to co-design bespoke sessions that aligned with Croydon’s objectives. Each workshop was designed to be engaging, inclusive, and action-focused, building shared ownership and commitment to next steps.
Our programme included:
4 Strategic Senior Leadership Team (SLT) Workshops
- Supported leaders to clarify priorities and outcomes
- Provided external challenge and pace to drive the agenda forward
- Focused on outcome-based leadership and cross-agency collaboration
- Helped align strategic intent with operational delivery
3 Partnership Workshops
These larger events brought together a wide range of partners essential to the delivery of Family Hubs across Croydon.
The first workshop, attended by over 100 participants, set a strong foundation by:
- Setting the national and local context for Family Hubs
- Developing a shared vision across the partnership
- Exploring what is working well and what could be improved locally
- Establishing key priorities for action
- Considering the behaviours and ways of working needed for success
Outcomes and Impact
The workshops have strengthened shared understanding, alignment, and commitment across the partnership. Croydon now has a clearer vision, defined priorities, and an engaged partnership ready to take collective action to make Family Hubs a success.
Testimonial
“The facilitation team brought real expertise and understanding of the Family Hub agenda. The workshops were well planned and executed, striking the right balance between support and challenge. Their external perspective helped us think differently and move forward with greater clarity and purpose. The sessions were engaging, well-structured, and tailored to our local priorities, helping us make tangible progress as a partnership.”