The faith sector and family hub policy brief

Summary

This policy brief explores how the faith sector’s involvement in family hubs can directly benefit children, young people and their families. This document has been written by the National Centre for Family Hubs (NCFH) with input from the Faith Leadership Group that convened between September 2022 and April 2023. The Faith Leadership Group came into existence after local authorities and members of the faith community asked if there was any guidance and resourcing to support the input of the faith sector in the design and development of family hub transformation. To ensure the voices of diverse faith groups were incorporated into NCFH learning, NCFH reached out to leaders to invite them to be part of this conversation. Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Sikh and interfaith organisations were part of the group and other faith groups were invited.   

The purpose of this briefing is to provide learning and recommendations about how the faith sector and local authorities can be supported to work together in the development of family hubs to best improve outcomes for families.   

Background

Family hubs provide families with a single access point to integrated family support services for early help with social, emotional, physical and financial needs, each family hub is bespoke to its local community. The Voluntary, Community and Faith (VCF) sector is integral to the three pillars of the family hub model – access, connection and relationships. Families will often access support within their own community and faith groups. The faith sector is part of the wider voluntary sector. It is defined by The University of York as sitting outside of the public and private sectors to focus exclusively on creating social impact and community change. Religious and faith-based organisations such as churches, temples, and mosques all fall under the voluntary sector umbrella, supporting their faith community and beyond, for instance gurdwaras offer Langar (free meals) to all. The faith sector’s outreach work supports positives outcomes for children, young people and their families, integration of family hubs with the faith sector could allow for better connection and further benefit these outcomes. 

The COVID-19 pandemic opened up a ‘new normal’ in the relationships between local authorities and faith groups (Baker, 2020). Partnerships were driven by the needs of the community and characterised by trusting collaborations (Wilson, McCabe & Macmillan, 2021). The initial response to the pandemic saw system-wide change from the bottom-up, as power shifted to those with the practical skills, community assets and first-hand knowledge needed to meet the needs of the community, of which faith groups formed a large part. However, post-pandemic, an increase in top-down directives shifted power upwards and away from communities, with frontline workers caught in the middle of the power shift facing pressures from the top and from communities who feel increasingly disconnected and frustrated with the reinstatement of bureaucratic processes and power structures (Cox, 2020). In the wake of learning from the pandemic, the design and delivery of family support services should be co-designed and co-delivered with the communities they serve and must hinge on joining forces; putting relationships first; sharing and building power and listening to one another (A Better Way, 2021).  

  • Statistics
    1. Two thirds of local authorities reported an increase in partnership working with faith groups since the start of the pandemic, particularly in relation to addressing food poverty and mental health and wellbeing support (Baker, 2020).   
    2. 91% of local authorities described their partnerships with faith groups as positive and important, and the vast majority of local authorities endorse a commitment to build on relationships beyond the pandemic (Baker, 2020).   

The policy and practice context

The Family Hub and Start for Life programme guidance recognises the value of developing partnerships with the faith sector (Department for Education and Department for Health and Social Care). There is no specific allocation of funds for local authorities to develop partnerships with faith sector organisations as part of the family hubs programme although local authorities who already have well developed partnerships may choose to build on them to deliver family hubs. 

In addition, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for faith and society lead the Faith Covenant Forum, which was established in 2014 and is a joint commitment between faith communities and local authorities. The purpose of the covenant is to make the role of faith-based organisations in providing solutions to social needs in the community more visible and integrated with statutory services and wider civil society.  

The faith sector plays a vital role in supporting seldom heard children, young people and families through their community networks. A Foundations report ‘Improving the way family support services work for minority ethnic families’ (2022) found that services were not representative of the communities they worked with, and this is a problem. Secondly, participants reported interactions with practitioners that lacked cultural sensitivity or an understanding of cultural religious influences on family dynamics. Local authorities working with the faith sector could mitigate against this as faith organisations are often already closely connected with and able to reach diverse families and reduce health and other inequalities by being in a valuable position to identify families in need. 

Insights from the Faith Leadership Group

The Faith Leadership meetings were framed around the following question: How can interfaith colleagues work together to build a community-led network to inform family hu;b transformation? NCFH gathered the following learnings and opportunities: 

  • Learnings
    1. Faith sector leaders emphasised the importance of the faith sector in engaging with families at a local level.  
    2. The Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) are a key aspect of streamlining joint commissioning arrangements. What came across was the breadth of projects the faith sector is involved in – from health to social care to employment and supporting those most impacted by the cost-of-living crisis. 
    3. Faith and community groups are able to offer non-stigmatising access to help in local communities.   
    4. Faith organisations are able to reach diverse families and reduce health and other inequalities, such as poverty.
  • Opportunities
    1. During the pandemic the faith sector had the opportunity to exhibit how faith communities are embedded within and support their communities. The foundation to continue this work has been laid.  
    2. There is a strong case for faith organisations to be commissioned by government departments, regions and local authorities to deliver faith and community-led support for families, based on this existing expertise. 
    3. Family hubs offer the space to amplify the voices of faith communities that are seldom heard or underrepresented. 
    4. The faith sector offers the use of faith buildings to family hubs. 
    5. Depending on the geographical location, it can be challenging for faith organisations to coordinate with each other, and family hubs could provide a helpful way to do this.  

Recommendations

  • Faith sector
    1. Use the available family hub guidance to articulate how your faith community can provide support to families and connect with your local authority or family hub to share this offer.      
    2. Reach out to your local authority to ask about family hub plans, so that you can be aware of what is happening and part of the conversation. 
    3. Cross reference referrals and sign posting between faith organisations’ provision and family hubs services. 
  • Local authorities
    1. Identify key faith organisations within the local area and family hubs catchment area and invite faith leaders to participate in steering groups or partnership network meetings.  
    2. Cross reference referrals and sign posting between faith organisations’ provision and family hubs services. 

Further information

National Centre for Family Hubs conference Integration, equity and inclusion

References

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