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:
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Connect • Learn • Share good practice
The Best Start in Life Community of Practice (CoP) is a dedicated space for Early Years Professionals across Gwent who work with families from pregnancy to age 7. It brings people together to connect, share knowledge, celebrate successes and strengthen how we work together to give EVERY baby and child the best start in life.
By joining this growing community, you become part of a supportive network committed to embedding family voices and promoting equity, inclusion and opportunity for every child to thrive.
Take part in expert led webinars exploring key topics that support your role and everyday practice in the early years. These sessions offer practical insight, shared learning and opportunities for reflection and discussion. You can help shape future topics by sharing your expertise.
Our quarterly enewsletters spotlight work happening across Gwent to support a Best Start in Life. They are shaped by you, and by the lived experiences and voices of babies, children and families across Gwent.
Members are encouraged to contribute articles, resources, toolkits, guidance and examples of good practice, to help shape each edition.
👉 Complete the Submission Form to get involved.
Connect with colleagues from across the early years system, share experiences, and learn from both the successes and challenges of others working with babies, children and families.
Sign up here to become a member.
If you have any queries or want to get involved, please email us at abb.bsil.cop@wales.nhs.uk
All our previous e-newsletters and webinars can be found here to read and watch:
First Edition – released January 2026.
Second Edition – released May 2026.
All of our previous webinars can be viewed below or via our dedicated BSiL CoP Youtube Channel.
4th February 2026 – Understanding the Impact of Trauma & Adversity on Child Development
Delivered by Natalie Blakeborough | ACE Hub Wales Deputy Leader | ACE Hub Wales and Rebecca Calvert & Dr Sarah Wolfenden | Blackpool Better Start
Useful links:
Trauma Informed Wales Framework – ACE Hub Wales
This framework sets out a whole-system approach to becoming trauma-informed in Wales, offering guidance for organisations and professionals on how to recognise, respond to and support individuals affected by trauma.
Building Systems for Child Development (Better Start)
This resource from Blackpool Better Start explores systems-building approaches in early years services, providing practical examples of how to create joined-up, sustainable change to improve outcomes for children and families.
Early Years Resources & Reports (The Knowledge Hub, Better Start)
This webpage provides access to a range of research, reports and practical resources focused on improving outcomes in the early years, including evidence-based approaches and learning from the Better Start programme.
22nd April 2026 – How Gwent Early Years Professionals Can Make Speech, Language & Communication Everybody’s Business
Delivered by Emily Hoskins | Speech & Language Therapist | ABUHB and Elle Farrah | Speech & Language Therapist | ABUHB
Useful links:
Talk with me | GOV.WALES
This resource supports both parents and practitioners to develop children’s speech, language and communication skills, offering practical advice, activities and guidance to encourage early language development.
Sign & Talk | YouTube Channel
This channel provides accessible videos demonstrating signs and communication techniques to support children’s understanding and expression, helping to promote inclusive communication.
An Introduction to Speech, Language and Communication
This ELKLAN introductory, short course offers practical strategies and knowledge to help practitioners support children with speech, language and communication needs in everyday settings.
Tiny Happy People | CBeebies Parenting
This resource offers simple, evidence-based tips, activities and videos for parents and carers to support babies’ and young children’s communication, language and early development.
10th June 2026 – How Gwent Early Years Professionals Can Support Secure Attachments with Babies & Young Children
Delivered by Belinda Lyndon | Music Therapist and Trainee Parent‑Infant Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist | G-PIMHS | ABUHB
Useful links:
The Parent-Infant Foundation
This organisation supports local services and practitioners to strengthen relationships between parents and infants, promoting secure attachment and healthy early development through evidence-based programmes and resources.
The Association for Infant Mental Health
This professional network promotes the social and emotional wellbeing of babies from conception to age two, offering training, guidance and resources to support practitioners working with infants and their families.
The Brazelton Centre UK
This centre provides training and resources based on the Brazelton approach, helping practitioners understand infant behaviour, cues and development to strengthen parent-infant relationships and responsive caregiving.
The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood
Established to raise awareness of the importance of early childhood, this centre shares research, campaigns and practical resources to support children’s social and emotional development in the earliest years.
Early Thoughtfulness Questions (G-PIMHS)
These reflective questions support practitioners to think more deeply about the emotional world of babies and their caregivers, helping to guide sensitive, relationship-focused practice across organisations.
Infant Mental Health HEIW Training
This training programme from Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) provides practitioners with knowledge and skills to support infant mental health, focusing on early relationships, attachment and trauma-informed care. These modules can be completed online with the option to attend a follow-up live workshop.
