Plans for parenting courses and centres for advice and activities for children across Wiltshire have been approved.

The plans were approved at a Cabinet meeting on June 13 and the scheme will give support and advice for families with children or young people aged from 0–19, or up to 25 for those with special educational needs and or disabilities.

The plans will involve turning libraries and leisure centres across the county into hubs for families to be offered activities for young children, parenting support and mental health support.

There will also be QR codes placed around the community in libraries, leisure centres, schools, early years settings, soft play, parks and coffee shops which will link to online advice and self-help courses.

The scheme will have family hubs in 21 buildings across Wiltshire.

Wiltshire Times: Cllr Laura Mayes discussing plans at Cabinet

Advisors called Navigators will be in the libraries to offer advice to families.

At the meeting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ian Thorn questioned: “I'm just wondering how often the Navigator will be there?”

Cabinet member for children’s services Laura Mayes responded: “The person will be officially in any venue at least once a week.

"We're also going to make sure all our staff are trained to make every contact count so that if someone comes into the library or Leisure Centre, they will meet someone who has been trained to say ‘we're part of a family hub, you're someone who needs support and we can help you and guide you’.”

Cllr Thorn questioned further: “I'm concerned about people that don't have access to digital technology and there's quite a big focus on digital and I'm worried about families that don't automatically go to a digital solution to the questions that they've got.

“I think it's terribly important that we are inclusive rather than exclusive in terms of technology and access to what I hope will be a really fantastic service.”

Cabinet member for children’s services Laura Mayes said: “I take your point about digital access.

"I think we have to remember that our families are generally younger than us and therefore for them digital would come first probably beyond all else but I mean where there is the exceptional case of someone who has no online access whatsoever we would be able to support them and physical buildings will be there as well so it's not an either or it's a whole package of support in that respect.”