A CONSULTATION into community health services for families, children and young people in the borough has begun.

Start Well is a model of joined up work in communities, connected to early years settings, schools and GP surgeries.

It is aimed at ensuring children have the best start in life, arriving at school healthy and ready to learn so they can go on to access opportunities to be successful, healthy and independent adults.

An initial consultation with families and staff, which ran earlier this year, has helped to shape the plan for the Start Well services incorporating health visitors and school nursing with Wigan Council’s children’s services.

Based on the evaluation of this consultation the council has issued more detailed proposals to the Start Well model and families are now being asked to provide further thoughts and feedback.

Residents can have their say at the Spinning Gate Shopping Centre on Ellesmere Street in Leigh between 10am and 2pm on Monday, October 2.

There will also be focus group sessions with free childcare provided held at the Atherton Start Well Centre from 4pm to 5.30pm on Wednesday, October 4, the Tyldesley Start Well Linked Site from 9.30am to 11am on Thursday, October 5, the Westleigh Start Well Family Centre from 1pm to 2.30pm on Wednesday, October 11, and the Leigh Central Linked Site from 1pm to 2.30pm on Monday, October 16.

Parents must register beforehand with the centres for the focus groups and to access the free childcare facilities.

For anyone unable to attend the sessions but wanting to have their say, the consultation is also available online at wigan.gov.uk/consultations.