Sure Start-style health services for parents will be rolled out across England

Sure Start-style health services for parents will be rolled out across England Yvette Cooper, who helped establish the original Sure Start centres, told Labour's annual conference that she was 'still angry' about the Conservatives abolishing the programme Sure Start-style health services for parents will be rolled out across England in a revival of the landmark New Labour scheme. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to bring the Healthy Babies programme to more than 1,000 family hubs by 2028, which will help parents with infant feeding and offer mental health support, as well as health visiting and midwifery support. Ms Cooper, who helped bring in the original Sure Start programme, told Labour conference in Liverpool: "I am still angry about the Conservatives abolishing Sure Start – as I told George Osborne to his face this summer. "A shocking decision, especially as the evidence shows that Sure Start improved mental health, reduced absence from schools, improved education achievement, prevented hospital admissions for years to come, and that some of the biggest positive impacts were on working class boys." Sure Start was one of the major successes of the last Labour government, helping parents and pre-school children in deprived areas access vital services. Labour began setting up new family hubs under Keir Starmer - but more than half of local authorities in England don't have health services in the centres, unlike the original Sure Start scheme. The Health Secretary said: "They don’t have the Healthy Babies support, the mental health care for mums and dads, the feeding and bonding support for babies. That changes now. "I can announce we will bring back those Sure Start health services into every family centre. Reaching up to 1,000 family hubs over the next two years. Sure Start - one of the Labour Party’s greatest achievements restored to families throughout the land." Sir Ciarán Devane, chief executive of the NHS Alliance, said: "Prevention, early intervention and joined-up support are essential if we are to give every child the best start in life and build a more sustainable health and care system." Dan Paskins, of Save the Children, said: "Sure Start was a lifeline for parents, and reduced children’s hospitalisations, improved their wellbeing, school attendance and outcomes into their adolescence. "We hope that the UK Government will continues their commitment to investing in the babies and young children, and invests further to ensure that a new generation of babies lives are not limited by their circumstances." Ms Cooper also said the NHS must treat violence against women and girls “as the epidemic it really is”, as she announced she would invest some £50 million in a new public health approach to supporting victims of domestic violence. The Health Secretary also pledged to set up a new pension scheme for workers in the care sector. She said: "It is just wrong that the people who work hardest to help others maintain dignity and respect in old age too often get nothing back for retirement themselves." It came as Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy also set out a major drive to hire 1,000 new youth workers, which she described as the "biggest investment into youth work in a generation". The top Cabinet minister told delegates: "Starting today, we are going to fund and recruit 1,000 youth workers - the biggest investment into youth work in a generation. "We won't stop there, we will rebuild youth services, we will bring back youth work, we will ensure that every young person in this country has someone who cares. No young person forgotten. No young person written off. We will reclaim youth." The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has previously said the first new recruits - to work with kids over the age of 11 - will be in place by spring 2027. The aim is to reach vulnerable young people and those deemed at the highest risk of becoming Neets - those not in education, employment or training.