New 'one-stop' help hub for the vulnerable opens in Fylde

The Changing Futures Hub, at the YMCA on St Albans Road, St Annes, offers a place for partner agencies supporting people facing multiple disadvantages to locate and provide a joined-up working approach.

Fylde Council, which is promoting the Hub, feels it creates a more streamlined and efficient service.

The Hub is currently operating on Tuesdays and Thursdays, btewene 9am and 3pm, with the potential for usage on other days if needed.

It provides provide agencies such as Lancashire County Council’s Adult Social Care, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, FCMS, Homeless Mental Health Team and local PCSOs a safe space in which to meet clients where multi-agency support can be easily obtained and the council says the response from the agencies has so far been resoundingly positive.

Coun Thomas Threlfall, chairman of Fylde Council’s Environmental, Health and Housing Committee, said: “This is a common-sense solution which has been a long time coming, and I am very pleased that Fylde Council have been able to action it.

"People facing multiple disadvantage are among the most vulnerable in our local communities, and it is excellent to see this Hub now open and able to offer such vital support.”

The Changing Futures programme is a Government-led scheme announced in December 2020 with the explicit aim of improving outcomes for people facing multiple disadvantage by empowering cross-cutting and collaboration between local and national agencies.

The bid to the Changing Futures Fund for Lancashire was led by Blackburn with Darwen Council on behalf of the whole county (including Blackpool) and was approved in July 2021, awarding Lancashire £6.5m. The project includes accessing Enhanced Service Hub support, which is existing provision from Statutory Agencies, enhanced with additional resources as part of the bid. Fylde Council has been awarded £62,500 to appoint a Housing Services Officer for a 25-month period as part of the enhanced service hub support offer.

Anyone interested in using the space to support clients facing multiple disadvantage, can contact the Fylde Council Housing Team by emailing [email protected] or by calling 01253 658658 and asking for the Housing Team.