Public health services in St Helens Borough commended by regional director

Article date: 30 January 2025

The visit by Dr Andrew Furber OBE, Office for Health Improvement and Disparity (OHID), underscores the council's unwavering commitment to enhancing the health and wellbeing of its residents through innovative programmes and collaborative efforts.

Dr Furber was received by the council's executive leadership team and had the opportunity to witness firsthand the impactful work being undertaken across the borough, which has been instrumental in fostering a healthier, more resilient community.

Visits were made to Sutton Family Hub - one of three hubs in the borough - which offers a broad range of services under one roof, with a focus on supporting parenting, child development and tackling inequalities to ensure all children get the best start in life.

Councillor Nova Charlton, the council's Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: "A strong aspect of the work coming out of the Family Hubs is the partnership approach with fantastic organisations like the NHS, Torus, St Helens Wellbeing, youth services and various voluntary groups to deliver services for our families, children, and young people.  

"Children and young people are our number one priority, and we are absolutely committed to delivering services for them and their families, which our Family Hubs are a shining example of."

Later, Dr Furber was hosted at Change, Grow, Live (CGL), the council-commissioned integrated recovery service to help people overcome drug or alcohol related challenges. The service offers a range of non-judgemental support for individuals, parents and families affected by substance use.

Councillor Sue Murphy MBE, the council's Cabinet Member for Public Health, said: "Together with our partners in CGL, we are transforming the lives of many of our residents and breaking down the stigma of reaching out for help with drug or alcohol related issues.

"While nationally recognised programmes like Building Bridges is providing innovative support for families and particularly children affected by parental drinking and conflict in the home, working to stabilise family life and giving children the best start in life."

Writing to the council's executive leadership, Dr Andrew Furber OBE said: "The Children, Young People and Families agenda in St Helens Borough is clearly strong. From our visit to the Family Hub and meeting staff from the services involved, it has obviously reaped benefits for the families using it. We met a couple of families there who said it had been "a lifeline" for them.

"The Public Health Team is impressive, and the people we met within the services were inspiring - the work they do and the stories they tell about the issues they are dealing with. The commitment to improving the health of everyone living in St Helens Borough and reducing inequalities was clear to see."