Best Start in Life
Working together to make things better
Parenting is hard – everyone needs help sometimes and it’s ok to ask. Family Hub Champions are here to listen and stand beside you to make a positive change for you and your family.
Supporting families in the early years with issues such as sleep, behaviours, connection, parent and child wellbeing and antenatal and postnatal information.
Working in partnership with Portsmouth Family Hubs, HIOW Healthcare and Portsmouth City Council, the new support available in the family hubs is designed to give children the best start in life and make a difference in the early years.
Courses will be available to book for antenatal support, postnatal support and parenting groups. This will all be facilitated by the Family Hub Champions alongside other health professionals, all using the Solihull parenting approach.
Courses are available to book below
Where you can find the Portsmouth Family Hubs
There are 5 family hubs located across the city. You can access support from services within the hubs, book appointments, attend groups or drop in to speak with the Family Hub Champions
Somerstown Family Hub – Omega Street, Southsea, PO5 4LP
Buckland Family Hub – Turner Road, Buckland, PO1 4PN
Milton Park Family Hub – Perth Road, Southsea, PO4 8EU
Northern Parade Family Hub – Doyle Avenue, Hilsea, PO2 9NE
Paulsgrove Family Hub – Cheltenham Road, Paulsgrove, PO6 3PL
Portsmouth Family Hubs
Watch the video here of what you can expect from the full Start for Life offer across the city of Portsmouth.
From parenting support to infant feeding teams, to perinatal support, to dads specific groups – there’s so much for the whole family to access, all for free.
View the full video here
Your Voice: Early Support and Inclusion in the Portsmouth Family Hubs
Portsmouth City Council has received extra funding to improve support for babies and young children (aged 0–5) with additional or emerging needs through our Best Start Family Hubs. The funding will help us:
- provide new inclusion support roles within Portsmouth Family Hubs*
- identify children’s needs earlier
- make it easier for families to understand what SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) support is available
This survey has been created in partnership with Portsmouth Parent Voice and Home‑Start Portsmouth. Together we want to hear from families about their experiences and what support they need . Your feedback will help us shape support that meets the real needs of children and families in our communities and improve services in Portsmouth. This survey is for people living in the PO1–PO6 areas. All information provided will remain confidential and will be used solely to inform service planning and decision‑making. The closing date for this survey is Friday 5th June 2026.
* Family hubs are local, “one-stop shop” centres providing integrated support services for families, parents, carers, and young people. We have five Family hubs in Portsmouth located in Paulsgrove, Northern Parade, Buckland, Somerstown and Milton.
Big Steps for Little People
Introducing our BRAND NEW Stay & Play sessions supporting parents and children to learn together.
Weekly sessions offer fun activities, singing, and stories for your family to enjoy together, whilst supporting your child’s development through play in a firendly group session.
Using the Peep Learning Together programme at each session, supports how you can make the most of learning and play opportunities in everyday life, so that children become confident communicators and are ready for school when the time comes.
Sessions are fun, creative, and built around play – just like our Stay & Play groups that you know and love, but with the added focus each week to benefit your child’s learning and give you the tools to use at home and in the every day.
Antenatal Parenting Group
Our Antenatal Parenting Group is a six-week course which will take new parents through topics such as:
– Helping you and your baby through pregnancy and birth
– Getting to know your baby in the womb
– You, your baby and stages of labour
– Helping you and your baby through labour and birth
– Feeding your baby
– Caring for your baby
Rolling throughout the year with different start dates, these will be held at different hubs across the city.
Tuesdays – 18.00-20.00 – Online – next course starting 18th August 2026
Wednesdays – 12.30-2.30 – Northern Parade Family Hub – next course starting 16th September
These groups are delivered by Family Hub Champions face-to-face, working in partnership with local health services. For more information or to book your place, visit Portsmouth Family Hubs
Postnatal Parenting Group
Our Postnatal Parenting Group is a six-week course which will take new parents through topics such as:
– You and your baby’s feelings
– Baby brain development, communication and crying
– Developing healthy sleep patterns
– Feeding and weaning
– Play and development
– Childcare
Rolling throughout the year with different start dates, these will be held at different hubs across the city.
Tuesdays – 9.30-11.30 – Somerstown Family Hub – next course starting 15th September 2026
These groups are delivered by Family Hub Champions face-to-face, working in partnership with local health services. For more information or to book your place, visit Portsmouth Family Hubs
Understanding Your Child Parenting Group
| Session | Course Content |
| Week 1 | Introduction to Understanding Your Child |
| Week 2 | How are you and your child feeling? |
| Week 3 | Tuning in to your child’s developmental needs |
| Week 4 | Responding to your child’s feelings |
| Week 5 | Different styles of parenting |
| Week 6 | Parent-child relationship – having fun together |
| Week 7 | The rhythm of interaction and sleep |
| Week 8 | Self-regulation and anger |
| Week 9 | Communication and attunement – how to recover when things go wrong |
| Week 10 | Celebration! |
Understanding Your Child is a 10-week course intended for parents and carers who want to know more about sensitive and effective parenting. It aims to develop a framework of thinking about parent / child relationships which can be developed into a lifelong skill. This in turn promotes effective behaviour management. It explores issues such as:
- Tuning in to children
- Exploring feelings
- Parenting styles
- Communication – what is being communicated through behaviour
- Tantrums and what might be meant by them
- Sleep patterns
- Behavioural difficulties
Rolling throughout the year with different start dates, these will be held at different hubs across the city.
Check back for new dates
These groups are delivered by Family Hub Champions face-to-face, working in partnership with local health services. For more information or to book your place, visit Portsmouth Family Hubs
TEDS team at Little Stars Group
The TEDS team pop into Little Stars to offer extra support during group sessions.
If you would like some additional support or the opportunity to speak with the TEDS team, please book onto the group. Sessions include sensory play, crafts, advice, and support, all tailored for children with SEND and their parent/carers.
Little Stars runs during term time every Monday at Northern Parade Family Hub 10am-11.30am and every Thursday at Somerstown Family Hub 1pm-2.30pm
TEDS Drop In dates –
Northern Parade, Doyle Avenue, PO2 9NE
- Monday 2nd February
- Monday 13th April
- Monday 1st June
- Monday 29th June
Somerstown Family Hub, Omega Street, PO5 4LP
- Thursday 8th January
- Thursday 5th March
- Thursday 7th May
- Thursday 6th August
To book your free space, visit our Stay & Play booking page
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