Ofsted and CQC set to review Family Hub support services

The government has announced that Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will jointly review Family hub support services for parents with infants under two years old.

The review will assess Start for Life services which are available to families during the critical 1,001 days from a child’s conception to age 2. This includes the services that are available to all parents and carers who need them (such as health visits and infant feeding support) as well as services for which provision differs across the country (such as support with alcohol abuse).

The review will:

• evaluate families’ experiences of local services and whether these services are joined up effectively
• identify ways in which families can be further supported to give their babies the best start in life
• identify whether the current level of inspection of Start for Life services is sufficient to capture any issues around join up and to improve families’ experiences of local services

Ofsted will work with local authorities and health professionals to gather information for the review and will hear directly from parents and carers. The review will finish by the end of the summer 2023.

Yvette Stanley, Ofsted’s national director of regulation and social care, said: “We know how important the first few years are in equipping children with the tools they need to thrive in early childhood and beyond. These services are essential to making sure every family has access to the support they need.

“This review will help support our understanding of how effectively these services are working and ensure every child gets the best start in life.”