County Council launches new specialist support hub for children and families
West Sussex County Council has launched a new initiative to deliver earlier, more effective psychological support for children, young people, and families.
The county council’s new Psychological Hub aims to help families stay together, support children through complex emotional and mental health challenges. It will bring together expert services under one umbrella and create safe, nurturing environments where every child can thrive.
The Psychological Hub unites a range of previously independent specialist services under one psychology-led leadership team and is accessed via healthcare referrals. This integrated model ensures that support is timely, coordinated, and tailored to individual needs. The hub will also feature therapy pods based at County Hall North in Horsham, providing dedicated spaces for therapeutic work in a calm and welcoming setting.
At its heart, the hub brings together two key support areas:
Restore, offering psychologically informed support and interventions for children and families, helping:
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Families stay together or reunite when safe to do so.
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Children with special educational needs and disabilities who are at risk of school placement breakdown or hospitalisation due to mental health needs.
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Children experiencing, self-harm, or mental health conditions that may lead to hospitalisation.
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Children displaying harmful behaviours.
Attach, providing specialist psychological support for:
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Children in care and care leavers.
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Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
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Families in kinship arrangements, where children are cared for by someone they know and trust.
Councillor Jacquie Russell, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “This new hub is about hope, healing, and helping children thrive. By bringing together expert services, we’re creating a more joined-up, responsive system that puts the emotional wellbeing of children and families front and centre. It’s an example of our ongoing efforts to improve outcomes for vulnerable children and young people, ensuring that psychological support is accessible, coordinated, and impactful so that every child can reach their full potential.
“Working collaboratively with social workers, schools, and other professionals, the Psychological Hub reflects our commitment to putting children first and at the heart of everything we do.”
For more information, visit the Psychological Hub’s dedicated webpage.
