First Minister, John Swinney has officially opened the new Early Years Family Hub in Maryhill.

The Hub, which is led by Home-Start Glasgow North and North Lanarkshire (HSGNNL), represents a pioneering approach to early years family support and is the first of its kind in Glasgow.

Led by HSGNNL and supported by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, (NHSGCC) the Hub brings together an array of partners including midwifery, the perinatal community mental health and other third sector partners. Working collaboratively, organisations will provide both universal and specialist support to families at the earliest opportunity ensuring every child has the best start in life.

For the last 24 years HSGNNL has supported families with at least one child under the age of 5 facing difficulties. HSGNNL is one of 28 Home-Starts across Scotland that supported a total of over 8,200 families and almost 9,000 children last year.

Much of HSGNNL’s work is supporting pregnant and new parents and the new Hub creates a central, trauma-informed, welcoming, accessible space that will support over 250 families each year, from pregnancy through the early years with a particular focus on the first 1001 days.

The Hub’s innovative model integrates:

• Midwifery appointments, offering accessible antenatal care for families who are not engaging with traditional health services, including asylum seekers, refugees, and families from ethnic minority backgrounds.
• Evidence-based parenting programmes such as Circle of Security, Mellow Bumps, Solihull, Video Interaction Guidance, and PEEP Growing Together.
• Infant feeding support, baby massage, and antenatal and postnatal groups.
• Practical support including paediatric first aid, healthy eating workshops and Starting Solids sessions.
• Weekly family groups for new parents and carers, as well as Bookbug sessions and bespoke dads’ workshops.

Working closely with partners including NHSGCC, Dads Rock, Amma Birth Companions, and a wide range of community organisations, the Hub will offer culturally sensitive, relationship-based support that reflects the needs of the community. Families referred to Home-Start are increasingly presenting with complex needs, and the Hub’s integrated family support team provides both structured programmes and flexible 1:1 support.

The Hub follows a ‘no wrong door’ approach, ensuring families can drop in and access the right support at the right time. This model reflects the Scottish Government’s Best Start in Life policy, promoting early intervention, improved child development outcomes, and enhanced parental mental health and wellbeing.

The launch event brought together families, volunteers, staff, supporters, funders, NHS partners, and community groups to celebrate the collaboration and innovation that made this Hub possible.

"We were honoured to welcome the First Minister to mark the opening of our Early Years Family Hub," said Nikki O’Hara, Director for Home-Start Glasgow North and North Lanarkshire. "This is a celebration of what’s possible when community, health, and third sector partners come together with families at the heart of the work. It’s about ensuring every child has the best possible start in life—right here in Maryhill".

John Swinney, Scotland First Minister, said:

“This Home-Start hub is a great example of how bringing different services together in one place can benefit families in many different ways, from pregnancy to the early years of a child’s life. The services they offer – from midwifery appointments to mental health support – are crucial to helping parents raise children to their full potential.

The important work taking place here is contributing to my government’s overarching priority of eradicating child poverty and creating better outcomes for the next generation.”

Mary Ross-Davie, Director of Midwifery, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said:

“I am delighted that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde maternity services have been able to support the setting up of this innovative hub.  By reaching into communities and to services like the Home-Start hub in Maryhill, we are increasing the presence of community midwives within the communities we serve.  The midwifery clinic and workshops at the Hub make it easier for women to access our care during pregnancy and then also learn more about the wide range of supportive services that the Hub provides. 

This new way of working is beneficial for our midwifery teams to build great working relationships with third sector organisations like Home-Start Glasgow North and North Lanarkshire and to learn more about all of the non-NHS services that are available to support pregnant women and young families.

I would like to see this kind of approach spread across Greater Glasgow and Clyde, as I can see huge potential benefits in reducing health inequalities and giving more families the chance to have the best possible start.”