Croydon is set to enhance its neighbourhood health services with plans for integrated teams to improve local care delivery. Key to these plans is the ongoing development of Family Hubs, which are transitioning from supporting children aged 0-5 to a broader 0-19 age range (up to 25 for those with special educational needs and disabilities). This expansion, supported by £6.2 million in grant funding, aims to provide more accessible and integrated support for families.
The model will feature three main Family Hubs, supplemented by outreach and information hubs located in community venues like libraries and health centres. The expanded Family Hubs will offer a comprehensive range of 24 services, including activities for younger children, health visiting, midwifery, SEND support, birth registration, housing advice, nutrition and weight management, stop smoking support, debt and welfare advice, infant feeding support, oral health improvement, domestic abuse support, substance misuse support, intensive family support, early language development, public health services, parenting support, youth justice, mental health services, early childhood education, and youth services. This expansion aims to increase accessibility and reach across the borough for Croydon's large under-19 population.
Progress on integrating health and social care services is advancing, with advancements made in strengthening Integrated Neighbourhood Teams. The Croydon Health Services NHS Trust has been nominated as the Host Organisation for Neighbourhood Health and Care delivery, a role defined by the South West London ICB to be accountable for NHS priorities and budgets within this area. The Trust will provide the necessary infrastructure for data sharing, workforce, estates, and digital aspects, and will chair the Neighbourhood Health Quality Group.
The £6.2 million in grant funding from the Department for Education and the Department for Health and Social Care will support the transition to the Family Hubs model from April 2026 to March 2029. While this funding is dedicated to the Family Hubs Best Start in Life programme, the allocation for broader integrated neighbourhood teams is not detailed in the current meeting information.
The timeline for full implementation sees the Family Hubs model supported by grant funding until March 2029. A strategy for achieving the Good Level of Development target by 2028 is being developed and is planned for launch by March 2026, with delivery over the following two years. For integrated neighbourhood teams, the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme is a test-and-learn process, with 2026/27 anticipated as a developmental year, and national expectations for Health and Wellbeing Boards to develop neighbourhood health plans by 27/28.
Several challenges are anticipated in integrating health and social care services. Parents have raised concerns about the potential dilution of services for younger children due to the expanded age range of the Family Hubs. Barriers such as long waiting times, limited service hours, lack of clear information, digital exclusion, and stigma were also noted. Staff highlighted issues with parental awareness of services, staffing levels, retention, accessibility, consistent advice, language support, and the sustainability of services due to short-term funding. For broader integration, challenges include timescales for budget delegation, potential impacts of ICB restructuring, pre-election period restrictions, and current engagement with GP/Primary Care Network contracts. The voluntary sector faces funding uncertainty, workforce gaps, data inconsistencies, and operational alignment issues. Strategies to address these include strengthening partnerships, co-designing services with parents, improving communication, investing in training, and seeking stable funding.
Staff in the 'information hubs' located in community venues will be trained to guide families to necessary services, either within the partner location or at Family/Outreach Hubs. The specific staffing model for these hubs is not yet detailed, but workforce development is a key component of the Family Hubs plan.
Further details on the Family Hubs model and Children's Centres can be found in the Family Hubs Model and Childrens Centre Cabinet Report and the Family Hubs Model and Children Centres Cover Report.
More information on public consultations regarding these changes is available in the Public Consultation Report v1.
Updates on neighbourhood health initiatives can be found in the HWBB Report Neighbourhood Health and Appendix 1 - NH report - Health and Care Board.
Information regarding the voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise sector's role is detailed in the VCFSE report for Health and Wellbeing board 060326.
Details on the Good Level of Development (GLD) target and related slides can be found in the HWBB March 2026 GLD cover paper and HWB GLD Slides March 2026.
Information on Croydon's Infant Feeding Strategy is available in the Croydon Infant Feeding Strategy and HWBB Report - IF PMH Strategies March.
For a broader overview of public health in Croydon, refer to the Appendix A - Public Health Report 2026.
Details on integration partners can be found in the Integration Partners checklist for noting by HWBB.
Plans for the Health and Wellbeing Board are outlined in the LIVE-HWB-Forward Plan.
Additional supplementary documents for the Health Wellbeing Board meeting on 18th March 2026 include Supplementary to Agenda Item 6a and 6c and Supplementary to Agenda Item 8.
Reports on Croydon's Better Care Fund (BCF) are available in the BCF 2025-26 Q3 Reporting Template and HWBB report Croydon BCF Q3 25-26.
Reports related to the Director of Public Health Annual Report are available in the HWBB Cover Report for the Director of Public Health Annual Report and HWB Annual Report 2025 and HWBB Cover Report Annual Report 2025.
The NHC Letter to Place Chief Officers Jan 26 - Final provides further context on neighbourhood health initiatives.
School survey results are available in the Appendix - School Survey 202425 and HWBB School Survey Report.
Croydon's PMH Strategy is detailed in the Croydon PMH Strategy.
General meeting information can be found in the Agenda frontsheet 18th-Mar-2026 14.00 Health Wellbeing Board.pdf and Public reports pack 18th-Mar-2026 14.00 Health Wellbeing Board.pdf.