Ealing Council is looking at how it can improve Early Help services to better support children, young people and families across the borough.
As part of this, revised plans for the borough’s children’s centres and Early Help services will be considered by the council’s cabinet on Wednesday 11 June 2025.
The updated proposals follow a public consultation that gathered views from residents, staff and community organisations. More than 2,000 people took part, helping to shape the new plans, which recommend delivering services from 15 children’s centres- including three that were not part of the original proposals:
- Jubilee Children’s Centre, Ealing
- Petts Hill Children’s Centre, Northolt
- Dormers Wells Children’s Centre, Southall
The revised plans aim to improve support for families with children under five, with longer opening hours and a wider range of Early Help services, such as midwifery, health visiting, parenting programmes, and stay and play sessions. Each of the borough’s seven towns would see an increase in children’s centre activities, making it easier for families to get the help they need closer to home.
Reaching more families in the community
The council is also proposing to expand its outreach programme to connect with families who might not currently use children’s centres. Outreach sessions could take place in nearby community spaces like schools, libraries, GP surgeries, nurseries, and faith or community venues.
At these locations, families would be able to access learning materials, speak with an Early Help worker, and take part in selected activities like those offered in the centres. There are currently 11 outreach venues across the borough, with full details available on the Ealing Council website.
The council continues to work closely with local partners to promote Early Help services, share information, and encourage more families to take up the support available. It also plans to make its children’s centres webpages easier to use and to introduce online parenting workshops to help more families access support.
Making services more inclusive
Councillor Josh Blacker, the council’s cabinet member for a fairer start, said: “We’ve listened carefully to residents and made important changes in response to what we heard.
“This is about getting support to families earlier and in the ways that work best for them.
“That means not just keeping centres open where they’re most needed, but also making sure all existing sites continue to play a role in supporting children and families across the borough.”
In addition to the 15 proposed centres, a further 10 current children’s centre sites would continue to be used for specific children’s services, such as high-quality childcare, services for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and short breaks provision. This means all existing children’s centre sites would remain in use for children’s services, though not all will operate as full children’s centres.
Under the revised plans, Copley Close in Hanwell and Academy Gardens in Northolt would continue to run as nurseries. These sites haven’t been used as full children’s centres for some time, so the proposals reflect their current use and ensure continuity for local families.
If approved, the changes would be introduced in phases throughout the year. In the meantime, families can continue to access services as usual, with arrangements in place to make sure no one is left without support.
For full details of the new Early Help strategy and what it could mean for local services and families, visit the Ealing Council website.
