Driving change through Best Start Family Hubs
As a trailblazer authority for the Start for Life and Best Start Family Hubs programme, Lincolnshire has led the way in transforming services for families.
Through our 47 Children's Centres and Best Start Family Hubs in areas of highest need, supported by Best Start networks, we've driven real change; using integrated working, innovation, and community partnerships to deliver faster access to support and better outcomes for families. The impact is already visible, and the lessons we've learned will continue to shape a future where every child has the best start in life.
What has made a difference?
Speech and language support
We've introduced a new way to help pre-school children (aged 0–4) who need a little extra support with talking and communication. Thanks to a successful pilot, families can now get quicker advice and support at their local family hub. (Source: LCHS, 2025).
This means:
- Shorter waiting times so your child gets help sooner.
- Better experiences for parents, carers, and early years settings.
- Working together: early years specialists and therapists under one roof.
- Local and easy-to-access services for families.
Neonatal support for the most vulnerable babies
The expansion of the Family and Baby (FAB) team has reached nearly every neonatal family in Lincolnshire, improving emotional wellbeing, parent-infant bonding, and ensuring seamless continuity of care from hospital to community. (Source: LGA, 2025).
Breastfeeding support
We've strengthened breastfeeding support through our county-wide infant feeding strategy—delivering trained teams, specialist help, and a breastfeeding-friendly culture to improve maternal and child health, reduce inequalities, and ease NHS pressures through prevention.
What's next
SEND Support in Best Start Family Hubs
We have professionals who provide high quality advice in our Hubs, offering a safe space for parents to access advice and connect with the right professionals so every child can thrive.
Parent infant relationship support
We're committed to strengthening parent–infant relationships by creating streamlined pathways and giving professionals access to expert psychological advice, so they can provide the best support for families who require extra help.
Public health prevention and early intervention
Best Start Family Hubs, working as part of new Neighbourhood Health Teams to provide integrated care and early access to support to improve outcomes and experience for children and young people and their families who need help from multiple services.
Enhanced outreach and targeting to our identified priority groups
Deliver our integrated Best Start offer through Best Start Family Hubs, combining outreach and voluntary sector partnerships, focusing resources in the right places and targeting priority groups—including families who do not ordinarily access hubs—where we can achieve the greatest impact, supported by more evidence based training for the wider community.
Healthy Child Programme
Aligning the Health Visiting Service to the updated Healthy Child Programme with a stronger focus on supporting children to have the best start in life and be ready for school.
Find out more about the Best Start Family Hubs national information.