The challenge
In October 2021, the Government announced £301.75m to transform Start for Life and Family Hub services in 75 local authorities across England.
The ambition of the Family Hub programme is for every family to receive the support they need when they need it. All families should have access to the information and tools they need to care for and interact positively with their babies and children, and to look after their own wellbeing.
Hartlepool is one of 75 pre-selected local authority areas for the family hub programme. In June 2023, NECS partnered with Hartlepool Borough Council in adopting a population health approach to produce a Children & Young People’s Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (CYP-JSNA) to support the implementation of the Family Hub model in Hartlepool.
Our response
NECS produced intelligence and Insights from a range of data sources to produce a report with key findings and recommendations. The report and its findings were used to inform the implementation of the Family Hub model in Hartlepool.
NECS expert population health analysts adopted a population health approach and undertook segmentation modelling for five age cohorts (in line with Family Hub guidance) using the NECS Population Segmentation Tool.
- Pre-natal & birth
- Early years 0-4yrs
- Primary years 5-10yrs
- Secondary years 11-15yrs
- Young people 16 – 19 (or 25 if inc SEN).
This model looks at resource use and patient complexity in the first instance to identify areas where resource use stands out, compared to the population size and multiple other factors.
NECS used Machine Learning to create a Classification and Regression Tree (CaRT) to produce a purely data-driven approach to segmenting the data for the focus populations.
Outcomes
NECS produced Intelligence and Insights from a range of data sources (fingertips, LG Inform, MSDS and education data) to produce a report with key findings and recommendations.
The insights produced were reviewed with the whole team and explored in the context of local knowledge to co-produce a report with a set of realistic recommendations.
The recommendations were taken forward by Hartlepool Borough Council to inform the implementation of the Family Hub model in Hartlepool. This includes location of physical services to compliment and strengthen current provision for families, as well as enhancing non-physical / building based services.
Family Hubs will support families across Hartlepool to access the information and tools they need to care for and interact positively with their babies and children, and to look after their own wellbeing.
“We appreciated the regular meetings we had with the team to update on the progress on the project, we found them very helpful.
The additional data set that we received as part of the final submission of the JSNA was also of extra benefit for us to use in regards to wider children and young people’s health outcomes.
We liked the recommendations being focused on the family hubs. We are already using the JSNA to inform the work that is developing in the Family Hubs with the intention of improving outcomes for the children and young people of Hartlepool.
Many thanks for all your support and work on the JSNA.”