Legal News

Dudley Council in the West Midlands is expanding an existing children’s centre at Coseley, to help more vulnerable children and their families.

The council said that the existing Coseley Children’s Centre currently helps families with children up to the age of five.

However, Dudley Council has agreed a deal to buy the former Family Health Clinic next door – which is currently empty – from owners Action for Children Ltd to facilitate the expansion.

The two buildings are joined and are already accessible to one another – they will form the new North Dudley Family Centre, which will help and provide services for children up to the age of 18, or up to the age of 25 for those with learning difficulties or disabilities.

Family centres exist to provide need-based help to children, young people and their families affected by a range of events – these include death, physical and mental illness, divorce, unemployment, and child abuse and child neglect.

The centres offer a range of services, from counselling to support in finding a job.

There will also be space within the Family Health Clinic building for a council “hub” to be created, providing information on local authority services for local people.

Dudley Council’s strategic director for people, Tony Oakman, said:

“This is a very positive move, which will enable us to help more vulnerable children in a wider age range.

“Keeping children out of care and in a family environment where it is safe and sustainable to do so will always be one of our priorities.

“This new centre will give families in Coseley somewhere they can go locally to hopefully get the help and support they need.”

The existing children’s centre, which is run by Sure Start, has been open since 2008.

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Duncan Lewis Child Care Lawyers can advise parents on a wide range of child care law and family matters, including parents’ duties under the Education Act 1996 and SEND.

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