The PSB has identified the Best Start in Life as one of its four priority Areas of Focus, reflecting a shared commitment across all partners to reduce inequalities from the earliest stages of life, recognising that the foundations for lifelong health, learning and wellbeing are laid in the early years.
Enabling EVERY baby and child in Gwent to have the best start in life is about ensuring all babies and children have the optimal conditions necessary for healthy physical, emotional and cognitive development and supporting them to reach their potential.
Child development is influenced not only by healthcare access but by wider social determinants such as housing, income, education, employment and the environment. Addressing these contributory factors is essential to giving every baby and child the best start in life and supporting them to thrive.
Inequalities in the early years are significant contributors to inequalities in adulthood, impacting health, wellbeing, education and employment outcomes. Supporting optimal development during pregnancy, infancy and childhood is therefore key.
Enabling every baby and child the best start in life for the Gwent region encompasses ages 0–7 years, including:
To achieve this vision, eleven ambitions were identified.
To reduce inequalities and give EVERY baby and child the best start in life, universal services with targeted interventions, are required. This will enable a baseline of support for EVERY child, with an active approach to ‘level up’ and reduce the gap in inequality.
Delivering the BSiL ambition across Gwent requires a coordinated, system-wide approach. Partners across the Public Services Board are working together to strengthen how services are planned, delivered and improved, ensuring that babies, children and families receive the right support at the right time. To support this work, a three-pronged approach has been established.
This section is being updated; check back soon!
This section is being updated; check back soon!
The Best Start in Life Community of Practice (CoP) is a dedicated space for Early Years Professionals across Gwent to connect, share knowledge, celebrate successes, and work together to give EVERY baby and child the best start in life.
Your role as an Early Years Professional is key; you are on the front-line supporting families, influencing early childhood outcomes, reducing inequalities and helping shape the experiences of babies, children and families every day. This Community recognises the expertise, insight and impact you bring to this work.
By joining this growing community, you become part of a network that shares ideas, showcases achievements and strengthens collaboration across the early years system.
This is your community; shaped by your experience, your ideas, and your commitment to improving the lives of babies, children and families across Gwent. Central to this Community is ensuring that the voices of babies, children and families help guide our priorities and learning opportunities.
To join the Community and be the first to hear about webinars, newsletters and other opportunities, subscribe to our mailing list by completing this Member Form.
All our previous e-newsletters and webinars can be found here to read and watch:
If you have any queries about the CoP or submissions, email us at abb.bsil.cop@wales.nhs.uk.
