Hampshire's Family Support Service

Hampshire County Council has a Family Support Service which aims to support families across the county.

The Family Support Service (FSS) is a single, joined up service for families with children aged 0 – 19 years. This service will also be offered for young adults with learning difficulties and / or a disability up to the age of 25.

The Family Support Service supports those families who are in need but who are not eligible for other statutory care services. The Family Support Service brings together the following services:

• Early Help Hubs
• Children’s Centre Services and
• Youth Support Services

This service provides a single point of contact for families with children and young people who have multiple needs and more than one service involved in their child’s care. This enables services to be tailored to each family’s individual needs.

The FSS also offers information, advice and signposting on services that can be found in their local area. This service focuses on support offered by Children’s Centres on the families who need Early Help most.

In each of Hampshire’s 11 districts there is a fully operational Children’s Centre where the Family Support Services are based. These centres are located in areas where the most families who need Early Help support live and which have been popular in the past. These centres also offer a local hub for the Family Support Service.

Outreach workers from the Family Support Service will continue to provide health services and support in their local communities and in the family’s home (where appropriate). The service will continue to work in partnership with services such as midwifery, health visiting, school nursing and other health and community services. It also works together with the Supporting Families Programme.