Overview

Local Authorities are key players in family and early help services. But their structures, language, and processes can seem daunting.

This section looks at how local government works, why the public sector is increasingly turning to relational, place-based support, and how churches can become vital partners through Family Hubs.

Local government in England and Wales comes in various forms:

• Unitary Authorities – a single council responsible for all local services.
• Two-Tier Areas – where responsibilities are split between County and District/Borough Councils.
• Combined Authorities – groupings of councils with devolved powers, often led by a Metro Mayor.

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Essential Reading 

Local authorities are responsible for a wide range of services - from housing and adult social care to education and public health. While structures vary (unitary authorities, two-tier systems, combined authorities), all face common challenges: rising need, shrinking budgets, and growing complexity.

Faith groups, especially churches, have a distinct and underutilised asset: supportive communities rooted in place and marked by constancy, compassion, and care.

In England, local government operates through both two-tier and single-tier systems. In two-tier areas, county councils and district councils share responsibilities. In single-tier areas, unitary authorities, metropolitan boroughs, and London boroughs provide all services within one council.

In England’s two-tier system, county councils handle major services such as social care, education, and highways, while district councils manage more localised functions like planning, waste collection, and leisure services. In contrast, unitary authorities manage all services under one organisation.

Additionally, some areas have formed Combined Authorities, where multiple councils work together on regional issues like transport, housing, and economic development. These bodies are often led by an elected Metro Mayor, but individual councils still run local day-to-day services.

Combined Authorities (such as Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, and West Midlands) are collaborations between multiple councils to manage strategic functions regionally. They focus on transport, economic development, skills, and infrastructure. These authorities are governed by a Metro Mayor but do not replace the existing councils, which continue to manage local services like family hubs, housing services, and safeguarding.

In Wales, all principal councils are unitary authorities, meaning each council provides the full range of local services. Local government in Wales works closely with the Welsh Government, which has devolved powers over areas like education and social care.

Because of these differences, not every council will have the same departments or service structures. Some services, like early help for families or safeguarding, may be organised within broader directorates, and the exact setup varies between councils. It is therefore important that you get to know your council structures locally. 

This webpage is helpful in explaining the different council structures. Find out which is the relevant structure for your area. You can also familiarise yourself with Local Government Terminology and Family Hubs Terminology here.

Family Hubs can act as bridges between public sector services and the supportive communities that walk with people through crisis and recovery. This is not about churches delivering council services—it’s about creating trusted pathways of connection.

Case Studies

1. Yeovil Community Church/Yeovil4Family: holistic family support in church-run Hub

Yeovil Community Church (YCC), through its community facility The Gateway, offers a model of transformational community engagement that closely aligns with the principles of a Family Hub, though it evolved independently of formal government initiatives.

Since acquiring a disused car showroom in 2000, YCC has repurposed The Gateway into a vibrant centre providing a wide range of services, including a long-established food bank, parent and toddler groups, youth and children's programmes, parenting support, and a community coffee shop. The building operates extensively throughout the week, hosting both YCC-run activities and services delivered by partners such as the NHS, drug and alcohol support providers, and refugee support networks.

In 2011, YCC launched Yeovil4Family, a home-based family support service utilising a multidisciplinary team of staff and trained volunteers. In 2012, Yeovil4Family secured a service-level agreement with South Somerset District Council (now Somerset Council) to deliver the Troubled Families Programme, a relationship that continues despite the council heading into financial difficulties in 2024 meaning that the long-standing funding relationship had to be significantly reduced. The programme supported 150–200 families at a time, offering intensive, tailored support integrated with local statutory and voluntary services whilst fully funded. With reduced funding, the programme now offers some one to one support for families plus multiple peer support groups in order to enable their vital support to continue. 

Building upon the foundation of Yeovl4Family, YCC expanded to include services for homeless and vulnerably housed individuals through The Roost, and in 2022 following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, established a Welcome Hub. Both of these initiatives are supported by funding from the local council, and YCC played a key role in Somerset’s refugee resettlement response, helping establish and support Welcome Hubs for Ukrainian, Syrian, and Afghan families across Somerset. 

Central to YCC’s model is a relational approach that sees every individual as having both needs and contributions. Its third-sector positioning allows it flexibility and agility, enabling innovation and co-designed service delivery alongside partners including local councils, housing associations, healthcare providers, and fellow voluntary organisations.

The Gateway serves as an anchor institution within Yeovil, a place where individuals and families across a spectrum of circumstances find connection, support, and the opportunity to flourish.

Alice Knight, a Manager at Somerset Council, said this is what the Council had learned from working in partnership with Yeovil Community Church.

We have worked in close partnership with Yeovil Community Church for well over 10 years now. We’ve all learned a lot from each other, but I’d say we’ve learned something deeper from them that we don’t encounter often.

As a local authority with lots of statutory duties, coupled with never-ending jargon and acronyms, it’s always refreshing to work with YCC who keep people, families and community at the heart of what they do. Their inspiring, independent approach reminds us of what’s important, and to stick to what you believe in.  Their faith and commitment enables them to overcome those all-too-familiar bureaucratic hurdles and traditional public sector boundaries which surround our working lives!

Without YCC we never would have reached the people we’ve been able to reach. People trust them, people open up to them. They welcome them into their homes and lives and they talk to them, like they might never do with ‘someone from the council.’

2. Bridge Family Hub in Suffolk

Background
Bridge Community Church in Suffolk partnered with the Family Support Team at Suffolk County Council to set up Bridge Family Hub. It provides toddler groups, a coffee space, a community grocery, support for children not in school, a Ukrainian language group, and other local projects.

Challenges
Initially, the Hub struggled to navigate the complexities of working with the Local Authority and building relationships with key contacts. Although frontline professionals supported their work, gaining recognition from decision-makers proved difficult. Financial instability was a major issue, with a hard-won commissioning grant withdrawn after six months due to council budget cuts.

Solutions
The Hub adapted by broadening its partnerships across education, inclusion, and SEND teams, persistently advocating for its impact, and diversifying its funding sources. Staying rooted in their mission, they supported both the community and local professionals, creating opportunities for hope even in difficult times.

Lessons Learned

• Keep building wide-ranging relationships across the Local Authority.
• Diversify funding and maintain strong evidence of impact.
• Stay focused on the small moments of hope that outweigh the challenges.

Questions to Consider

• How visible is your church to the local authority?
• Do you know who leads Family Hub strategy in your area?

• What is already happening in your church that aligns with Family Hub aims?
• Are you trusted in your local area?
• What strengths could your church bring to a Hub network?

Questions to ask yourself as a church 

• On a scale of 1-10 (1 being ‘we don’t know the name of someone to call’ and 10 being ‘we have working relationships and growing partnerships with this sector or organisation’), rank your relationships with the following services:
  
  • Local schools
  • Local council
  • Early help
  • Police
  • NHS Public Health
  • Primary care health
  • Local MP

• In the above list, which relationships could be important to strengthen? 
• What would be your first steps to intentionally growing or starting a partnership? Who should lead that initiative? 

Meet your local council

Listen to the council…

• Find out what they already doing
• Find out what their expectations  are
• Find out what their understanding of relationship with you is (if any)
• Find out what they see as the role of the voluntary and faith sector (what do they think the sector brings?)
• What are their biggest concerns for their communities?

Useful Links and Resources

• NHS England – Working in Partnership with Faith Communities
• Healthy Faith Settings Tool Kit

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