As local authorities have been developing their Best Start in Life local plans over the past few months, Nesta has been offering a free package of support to all local authorities.

It’s clear there is a shared ambition from the Department for Education, local authorities and Nesta to use this opportunity to deliver real change for children and families and give all children the same chance of developing to their full potential in the early years.

Through talking with those leading the local plan development, gathering feedback at our regional events (attended by 75 local authorities) and through our coaching offer, here are five insights we’ve learnt from local authorities.

The 2028 target of 75% of children reaching a good level of development is important to galvanise change, communicate the level of ambition, secure funding and align conversations.

Encouragingly, many local authorities are also thinking beyond 2028 in their plans to transform local early years systems and improve the lives of children and families in their areas, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Local authorities want to achieve their targets, but they also want to improve support for the first years of life and ensure this progress is sustained long-term.

At our regional events, ideas were shared about how to approach common challenges, such as partnership working across agencies, meeting families where they are, identifying needs and monitoring progress before the end of reception year, and integrating early childhood education and care settings with family hub support. Local authorities are eager to learn from their peers, adapt and adopt what has worked elsewhere, and collectively improve outcomes in the early years.

One key barrier to delivering Best Start in Life local plans, identified by just over half (52%) of respondents in our event survey, was data sharing. Linking information across different data systems is complex, and there is variability in how data regulations (including GDPR) are interpreted. Yet success stories from local authorities show it’s possible to address these issues at a local level. For example, many local authorities took inspiration from Somerset Council, where their Transform family view platform provides a single digital view of a child and their family, bringing together data on a child’s health and education, people who live at the address and others who have influence over the child and more.

There are examples of great work happening across England. Hearing local authorities share their successes at our regional events was not only a good reminder of what can be achieved; it was a source of inspiration and practical advice for areas that might be facing similar challenges.

Feedback from local authorities has consistently pointed to peer learning, structured peer exchange and networking as one of the most useful ways to problem-solve and support local plan development. Local authorities are linking up with other areas to broaden and deepen their knowledge, and this presents an opportunity to adapt and grow solutions to common challenges that have already been successfully implemented in one area.

Large-scale restructure of local government is underway and many areas are undergoing significant changes. At the same time, local leads are considering overlapping programmes related to Families First, special educational need and disability strategies, and neighbourhood health. Local leads are working to weave these into a coherent narrative and ensure that Best Start in Life local plans receive the focus they need. While this requires high levels of coordination, doing so also provides new impetus to bring all partners together in a more effective, integrated system to link up support for children and families.

Evidence-based plans and targeted programmes can set the foundations of success, but these need to be accompanied by trust between local authorities and the families in their area. Local authorities talked consistently about the importance of good relationships where families, especially those from deprived areas, are treated with respect and experience a welcoming environment.

Naomi Eisenstadt, former director for Sure Start and non-executive member of the boards of the Department for Education and Department for Health and Social Care, echoed this as a learning from Sure Start when she spoke at our event in Birmingham. Strong, respectful relationships can go a long way to achieve change, and when they aren’t in place, leave a risk that parents won’t take advantage of the support on offer.

The government’s national ambition provides a key moment for change. As focus shifts from planning toward effective delivery, at Nesta, we’re continuing to support local authorities to seize this opportunity and move toward a future where more parents are accessing support, and more babies and young children have the same opportunity to develop and thrive. Most recently, we’ve launched the parent engagement playbook, a free, evidence-informed resource which helps local authorities ensure that the parenting support they offer reaches the families who would benefit the most.

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