Our new briefing note for Family Hubs and Best Start in Life  programmes “An opportunity to embed an early intervention and prevention approach?” captures our four key lessons:

1. Build a cross-sectoral partnership of senior leaders who can drive change

Our work has been led by a cross-sectoral group of senior leaders from across the early years system who are well positioned to break down organisational barriers to partnership working. This group have a shared objective of using evidence to drive change to ensure all children get the best possible start in life.

2. Develop a shared understanding of what prevention means

Early intervention and prevention often mean different things to different people working in early years, children’s services and public health. Building a strong multi-sectoral partnership has been really important in helping us develop a shared understanding of what prevention means. 

The idea of proportionate universalism is central: resourcing and delivering universal services – e.g. health visiting, midwifery, family hubs, childcare and Better Start projects – to give a continuum of support and at a scale and intensity proportionate to need; with targeted services for children and families that need more support. 

3. Focus on evidence and learning

The Born in Bradford Innovation Hub have worked with Better Start Bradford and partners to develop a learning partnership; with structures and ways of working oriented towards evidence and evaluating what services can be delivered locally and are acceptable to families. We have developed theory of change toolkits  and a pragmatic evaluation framework which monitors performance (test and learn), assesses implementation of services, and can demonstrate impacts in seldom heard communities. 

All the Hub’s work is co-produced with the community, partners and Better Start Bradford to ensure it is impactful locally. The Hub's work strengthens our partnership, integrating evaluation into practice and improve decision-making: helping us think about local need together, monitor reach, identify strengths or issues, and inform us when adaptations, new initiatives, or decommissioning are needed – making good use of limited resources.

4. Coproduce everything

Coproduction is a 'golden thread’ through all our early years work including research and evaluation. We have involved parents as partners as much as possible: creating structures to formalise their voice and influence, challenge us, and learn together.  We have invested in community engagement workers who have the expertise to reach out, listen, celebrate parents’ strengths, and mobilise opportunities for parent influence and action. 

We may not have always got coproduction right, but we have always listened and worked hard to address issues and move closer towards our joint aim of ensuring children in the Better Start areas of Bradford have the best start in life.

For more information

Read our Family Hubs and Best Start in life briefing note by clicking the button to download below.