A new national study reveals how placing community-based supports, local venues and health and social care professionals together in welcoming spaces is helping people access advice and support more easily. The research sets out the key factors local areas should consider when designing and running effective community hubs.
The research evaluated the running of ‘community hubs’ in which professionals and services are based in local venues, including libraries, faith buildings, football clubs and supermarkets. Local people can access the professionals and services for informal advice and guidance, and in some cases, to participate in a formal assessment.
Community hubs can be run by local authorities and/or voluntary and community organisations and are now located in over 30 local areas across the UK. They also often offer practical supports such as food banks or accessible groceries to respond to the needs of local people.
The hubs, sometimes called Talking Points, Community Lounges, Places to Talk, and other names, have been set up through the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi) Community Led Support (CLS) programme.
Researchers from the University of Birmingham, King’s College London, Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South London and ARC West Midlands led the evaluation. It is part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research's (NIHR) National Priority Programme for Adult Social Care and Social Work, coordinated by the University of Kent and hosted by ARC Kent, Surrey and Sussex. The team evaluated hubs in four local authority areas in England and also drew on good practice examples from the wider CLS network. It found that setting up and running hubs required the local coordinators to consider four important issues:
- Location: Ensuring the hub is easy to reach, physically accessible and supported by good transport links.
- Populating the hub: Offering a range of professionals, services and other community-based support.
- Navigation: Helping people understand and access the range of support available, often through volunteers.
- Promotion: Engaging relevant communities, including those who are often excluded, through social media, professional networks and word of mouth.
Professor Robin Miller, Principal Investigator, University of Birmingham, said:
“Local areas can readily see the potential benefits of enabling people and communities to have quicker access to health and social care advice and support through basing professionals and services in local venues. This research helps them to think through the practicalities of setting up and running such hubs so that these most effectively reach the target populations and provide the range of supports which most effectively meet local interests and needs.”
Jenny Pitts, Community Led Support lead at NDTI, said:
“Community hubs show what’s possible when support is coproduced and rooted in places people already know and trust. Through CLS, we’ve seen how bringing community-based supports, local venues and professionals together in welcoming spaces helps people get the right advice early, builds stronger relationships and strengthens communities. This research reinforces what local areas tell us every day, that small, informal, accessible spaces can make a big difference to people’s wellbeing and independence.”
Professor Ann-Marie Towers, NIHR National Priority Social Care Lead, said:
“This national study, led by Professor Robin Miller, as part of the NIHR's National Priority Programme for Social Care and Social Work, has demonstrated the value of bringing professionals to local populations, rather than waiting for individuals to find them. Study findings will support the implementation of this model in other parts of the UK, enabling communities to access information and advice when they need it.”
This Community Led Support approach aligns with national policy, including the NHS Long Term Plan and emerging neighbourhood health guidelines, which emphasise delivering more health and care support closer to home by using trusted community venues to improve access and reduce inequalities.
More details on the report, and an accompanying film, can be found here: Research about community hubs | NDTi
