Brighton & Hove City Council has been awarded £5.3 million to transform a primary school in a deprived area into a 'community hub' with health and welfare specialists housed on-site.

The council will be the first local authority in the country to provide health, education and social care within one location as part of a government drive to innovate services.

Staff will be 'co-located' within Whitehawk Primary School while new modern buildings will be built to create a community hub with improved links between health and education.

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Brighton and Hove Children & Young People's Trust staff, including school nurses, health visitors and social workers, will move into offices within the Whitehawk Community Hub Project.

Brighton & Hove City Council Director of Children's Services Di Smith said: "This pioneering project will change the way we deliver services in this part of the city and offer better support to children and families so that all children can achieve their potential.

"I am delighted that the government has recognised our groundbreaking work to develop integrated children's services. The funding will enable us to develop an exciting project that benefits the whole community in Whitehawk. We now have the resources to take our work on integrating services to the next level of co-located teams of staff. "

(CD/JM)