Suffolk County Unison

30/10/2026

💚 ‼️KEEP HIGHFIELD CHILDREN’S CENTRE OPEN – SUPPORT THE PARENT-LED PETITION!‼️

UNISON is standing alongside local parents and families who are speaking up for the future of Highfield Children’s Centre in Ipswich.

This parent-led petition highlights just how important Highfield is to the community. It is much more than a building – it is a familiar, welcoming place where families can access practical help, advice, early support and trusted relationships.

Sign the petition. Share it with friends, family and colleagues. Help keep Highfield at the heart of its community.

✍️ SIGN HERE:
https://www.change.org/p/keep-highfield-children-s-centre-ipswich-open

From Stay & Play groups, infant feeding and child development support to help with housing, benefits, parenting and additional needs, Highfield’s outreach offer makes a real difference to families.

We believe local families should not lose access to support because services are reorganised or staff are relocated elsewhere.

A Family Hub network should strengthen local provision, not make it harder for families to get help.

👏 Please support the parents who have taken the initiative to campaign for their local centre.

✍️ SIGN HERE:
https://www.change.org/p/keep-highfield-children-s-centre-ipswich-open

💚 Keep the front door open. Keep support local. Keep Highfield open!

Keep Highfield Children's Centre Ipswich open

30/10/2026

📢 ‼️Suffolk families deserve better!‼️

Thank you to Jess Asato MP for speaking out on BBC Radio Suffolk about the proposed cuts to Healthy Child Services and Family Hubs.

UNISON shares these concerns. With an estimated 79 community nursing posts at risk and proposals to reduce Suffolk’s Family Hubs from 29 to 17, the impact on children, young people and vulnerable families could be significant.

The Council’s decision on nursing services is due on ‼️10 November‼️. There is still time to make your voice heard!

🎧 Have a listen, share the message and contact your county councillor.

💚 Protect our nurses. Protect our Family Hubs. Protect the services Suffolk families depend on.

You can also have your say on Family Hubs here: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/t/BSFHConsultation/

\

30/10/2026

📢 ‼️SUFFOLK MPs CHALLENGE PROPOSED CUTS TO CHILDREN’S HEALTH SERVICES‼️

Four Suffolk Labour MPs have called on Suffolk County Council’s Reform UK administration to withdraw its proposed cuts to children’s nursing services and family hubs.

Their message is clear: Suffolk families deserve the same access to support as families elsewhere.

UNISON shares their concerns about the potential impact on children, young people, parents and frontline staff.

💚 Early help matters. Health visiting matters. School nursing matters. Family hubs matter.

We need investment in prevention and support, not changes that risk making services harder to access when families need them most.

**Protect our services. Protect our workforce. Put Suffolk’s children and families first.**

Yesterday, Jess Asato and I met the Minister for Public Health, Diana Johnson, to raise our deep concerns over Reform's proposals to axe Suffolk's community staff nurses.

Under their plans, Reform would cut up to 50 nurses putting babies, children, and families at risk.

You can write to your local councillor on Suffolk County Council urging them to oppose Reform's damaging proposals: https://www.writetothem.com/

With a decision expected in the next few weeks, it is not too late for them to reverse their brutal cuts to this crucial family service.

29/10/2026

👏 Great to see MPs backing the campaign against Suffolk County Council’s proposed cuts to Healthy Child Services.

Parents, families, staff and MPs are raising their voices about the impact these cuts will have on children, young people and families in our communities.

Early help, accessible heath services, access to all year round school nurses and community staff nurses; advice and support for vulnerable young parents are vital to giving every child the best possible start in life. These services should be strengthened, not diminished.

UNISON stands with the families and staff calling for Healthy Child Services to remain accessible to everyone who needs them.

💚 Our children, young people and families deserve better. Thank you to everyone speaking up and making their voices heard!

MPs challenge Reform over its frontline pledge

28/10/2026

A win for workers on mileage rates 🚗

But we will push the government to go further on the cost of living, says Andrea Egan Unison General Secretary

27/10/2026

👏 1,000 SIGNATURES – A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY!👏

UNISON welcomes the parent petition reaching 1,000 signatures in support of Highfield Children’s Centre. This is a significant milestone and a powerful demonstration of how much this service means to local families.

Every signature represents a voice calling for accessible, local support for children and parents, and for the continuation of the familiar, welcoming community space and the staff that so many families rely on.

We stand alongside the parents and families raising their concerns and calling for Highfield’s future to be protected.

💚 We want to see:

- Highfield’s front door remain open to local families.
- Familiar staff available on site to provide face-to-face support during opening hours.
- The commissioned outreach offer and community activities protected.
- Services developed in line with the Family Hub model without making it harder for families to access the help they need.

A network of Family Hub services should strengthen local support, not leave families having to travel elsewhere to find it.

Thank you to everyone who has signed, shared the petition and spoken up for Highfield. Your support sends a clear message about the value of this service and staff to the community.

Let’s keep the conversation going and make sure local families’ voices are heard.

✊ Keep Highfield open. Protect local support. Stand with our families.

\

Add a clear petition call to actionMake the wording more concise

More than 1,000 have signed the petition

27/10/2026

Children’s Health before cuts …

24/10/2026

📢 ‼️UNISON: RETAIN HIGHFIELD CHILDREN’S CENTRE OUTREACH OFFER‼️

Protect local support for children and families – keep Highfield’s outreach offer! Suffolk County Council’s decision to end the longstanding outreach contract with Highfield Nursery School and Children’s Centre would lead to existing staff and services changing management arrangements and work bases. For families it could mean travelling to alternative locations, which may not always be practical.

Highfield Children’s Centre outreach provides much more than activities for young children. The staff offer practical help, advice and vital support to families across the local community, helping parents navigate challenges and giving children the best possible start in life. The outreach offer includes:

👶 Stay & Play groups and activities for families to enjoy together.

🤱 Infant feeding support, infant massage and opportunities for parents to access advice.

🏡 Housing, financial and benefits support, helping families find assistance when they need it most.

💚 Parenting and behaviour support, including help with sleep routines and toilet training.

🌱 Child development and additional needs support, helping families access guidance tailored to their children.

⚖️ Self-weigh opportunities and breast pump loans, alongside referrals to other services where needed.

These services matter. They provide early help, build trusted relationships and connect families with support before difficulties escalate.

UNISON supports the development of joined-up Family Hub services, but a network of services must not come at the expense of accessible, local support. We want Highfield to retain a meaningful, staffed local presence, with its outreach offer and community activities protected.

**Our message is simple: keep the support local, keep the front door open and protect Highfield’s vital role in the community.**

✊ ‼️UNISON stands with the staff and families who depend on these services.‼️

23/10/2026

‼️ UNISON: Keeping Highfield’s front door open for local families ‼️

Our members are clear: local families should not have to travel to other locations to access support because Highfield staff are being relocated to other sites or placed under different management arrangements.

UNISON welcomes the agreement to begin discussions with Highfield management. However, we want to be clear about what matters most to our members and the community.

We want the front door to remain open at Highfield. This means:

Existing staff available on site during opening hours to support the hundreds of families who walk through the door seeking help every year.

Continued access to support in a familiar, local and accessible setting.

Community activities continuing, closely aligned with the Government’s and Council’s Family Hub Model.

Highfield plays a vital role in supporting local families. We believe that keeping services accessible within the community, with staff available in person, must remain central to any future plans.

Our priority is clear: protect local access, retain on-site support and keep Highfield at the heart of its community.

21/10/2026

NHS staff 2.4% pay proposal ‘derisory’, says UNISON
‘This government came into office on a promise of change. Two years later, it’s pledging hope. But most NHS workers have seen neither’. Helga Pile, UNISON head of health

Read more: https://buff.ly/gNQOMzn