The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall are to visit a ground-breaking integrated early support centre in Chester which has helped to cut 24% of referrals to Social Services.

A trip to the centre in Lache will be one of the highlights of the royal visit which will also see Charles and Camilla officially opening the new Cathedral at Height attraction at Chester Cathedral and the recently launched Countess of Chester Country Park.

The visit will take place on Friday, September 12, when the Earl and Countess of Chester will tour the former children’s centre, in Hawthorn Road, Lache, which the Prince opened as a youth club in 1971.

Now supporting babies to 18-year-olds and their families, the centre is one of the main reasons for the strong community spirit which still dominates on an estate which has its share of social disadvantage and unemployment.

From toddlers and their mums learning play techniques in the ‘Diddy Den’ and families being advised on how to eat well without breaking the bank, the royal visitors will see the full range of skills offered to local families.

The Prince of Wales, Earl of Chester and President of The Prince’s Trust will chat to teenagers who have benefited from courses with the youth charity – established to help disadvantaged youngsters.

Meanwhile, three former victims of domestic violence will tell the Countess of Chester how multi-agency intervention has helped to turn their lives around.

Domestic violence advocates work with offenders, their victims and children to prevent continuation of the cycle of abuse and violence within the home.

At the end of their tour the royal visitors will unveil a commemorative plaque which will stand beside the plaque marking the opening of Lache Youth Club by Prince Charles on February 5, 1971.

Watching will be mums, parent members of the advisory board and key members of staff who help to ensure that the centre remains an essential part of life for the Lache community.

Launched in October, last year, in eight children’s centres throughout West Cheshire, the innovative IES has already shifted demand from social care to early support through timely multi-disciplinary problem identification, assessment and intervention.

An assessment Team Around the Family identifies the support needed by the child and family to avoid statuary intervention and focuses on improving family functioning and improving its capability to solve problems.

In July 2013, more than 1,000 calls were registered with Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Social Care Contact and Referral Service during the controlled phase of IES – compared to 576 in June this year.

Seventy-three children required more intensive social care support but 98 moved in the other direction as family difficulties reduced. Social workers closed a further 285 cases, now receiving single-agency support - frequently a school or health visitor.

Council partners include police, health, probation, midwifery, housing, drug and alcohol services, young carers, the youth offending team and domestic violence advocates.

Alison Stathers-Tracey, aead of CWaC’s IES, said: “No single professional can have a full picture of a family’s needs and circumstances but this new innovative approach means that they are now receiving the right help at the right time.

“At the point of closure when needs have been met, parents have felt more empowered and in control of their own lives by receiving the support that the team can provide.”

Earlier the royal visitors will meet pupils and staff at the neighbouring Lache Primary School, where they will be greeted by the school’s steel band and see specialist work with information technology, musical theatre group and reading mentoring by community volunteers.

The couple will also visit the school allotment and hen coop.

A packed programme continues with a tour of the city’s Cathedral, where they will watch an extract from the historic Mystery Plays and officially open the Cathedral at Height tower tour.

The Prince of Wales will visit Airbus at Broughton, to mark the company’s 75th anniversary whilst the Duchess of Cornwall, Countess of Chester will open the Haygarth Building at the Countess of Chester Hospital, meeting staff and patients before opening the adjacent Countess of Chester Country Park.