City of Wolverhampton Council has introduced speech and language therapy support at Best Start Family Hubs, bringing specialist services into community settings where families already gather.
Therapists Sherelle Price and Joanna Williams have been attending Stay and Play sessions since November 2024 to offer reassurance, practical advice and early assessment. The scheme is part of OneWolverhampton, a partnership of health, social care, voluntary and community organisations working to improve health and wellbeing across the city.
Early engagement and results
More than 200 families have engaged with the project in its first months. Parents have reported reduced concern and increased confidence in supporting their child's communication after receiving short, practical input from the therapists.
One parent said: "I've been following the advice, and my child is making progress."
Around one in five children were assessed directly at the Best Start Family Hubs. Most of these children were not previously known to the service, highlighting strong early identification of needs.
Meeting families in familiar settings
Sherelle Price reflected: "This approach has helped us reach families earlier in places they already feel comfortable; it's made a real difference to parents' confidence in supporting their child's communication."
Joanna Williams added: "Being able to offer advice and reassurance in the moment in a familiar setting such as a Best Start Family Hub has helped families feel more confident to try strategies straight away at home."
Working closely with Universal Service Practitioners has been central to the model's success, helping to strengthen signposting and reach families who may not typically access clinic-based services.
Councillor Jacqui Coogan, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: "Giving children the best possible start in life is one of our key priorities, and early support can make a huge difference to a child's development and future opportunities. Working in partnership with OneWolverhampton, we are bringing Speech and Language Therapy services into our Best Start Family Hubs, making it easier for families to access expert advice and support in welcoming, familiar community settings."