Early Start

What is the Early Start Service?

The Early Start Service brings together professionals who work with families with young children so they can offer joined-up, consistent support. By working closely across health, childcare, early learning and family services, Early Start helps ensure children get the best possible start in life. This supports Leeds’ ambition to be a child-friendly city and a great place for children to grow up.

Early Start focuses on the crucial early years, recognising that timely support during pregnancy and early childhood can have a lasting positive impact on children’s health, development and wellbeing.

 

 

What support does Early Start provide?

Early Start offers a family-centred approach that includes:

  • Health services

  • Childcare and early education

  • Play opportunities

  • Support for learning and development

  • Advice and guidance for parents and carers

The service places a strong emphasis on early help, supporting maternal health and ensuring children’s physical, emotional and developmental needs are met from the very beginning.

Who delivers the Early Start Service?

Early Start is delivered by integrated teams made up of:

  • Specialist 0–19 community public health nurses

  • Staff nurses

  • Family health workers

  • Healthcare support workers

  • Children’s centre practitioners

These teams work together within local areas across Leeds and are based in health centres and children’s centres, making support accessible within the community.

Why Early Start was created

The Early Start Service was developed to ensure families receive the right support at the right time, from pregnancy until a child reaches five years of age. By bringing skilled professionals together, the service helps children achieve the strongest possible foundations for future learning, health and wellbeing.

Aims of the Early Start Service

Early Start aims to:

  • Offer families the Healthy Child Programme

  • Support delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage through children’s centres

  • Identify families who may benefit from early intervention or preventative support

  • Promote children’s health, development, learning and readiness for school

  • Act as a pathway into more specialist services when needed

What Early Start teams do

Early Start teams provide families with a clear point of contact for advice, information and support. They work closely with families, communities and partner services to:

  • Improve health and education outcomes

  • Help keep children safe

  • Strengthen family relationships

  • Support parenting through collaborative, restorative approaches

They work in partnership with services such as GPs, maternity services, early help teams and other agencies.

image

Early Start support pathways in Leeds

Support is tailored to meet the needs of each family:

Universal family offer

All families in Leeds are entitled to a universal programme of support from late pregnancy (around 28–34 weeks) until a child’s fifth birthday. This includes:

  • Health checks, screenings and immunisations

  • Development reviews

  • Parenting advice and information

  • Support with healthy lifestyles

Families can also access groups and services such as:

  • Pregnancy, birth and beyond programmes

  • HENRY (Healthy Families) programme

  • Baby hubs

  • Breastfeeding support

  • Information, advice and signposting

Targeted and specialist family offer

Some families may need additional or more intensive support. When concerns or additional needs are identified, an Early Start practitioner will:

  • Carry out an initial assessment

  • Discuss next steps with the family

  • Consider further support through an Early Start Allocation Meeting

Targeted support may be short-term, while specialist support is available for families with more complex or long-term needs. This can include support relating to:

  • Adult substance misuse

  • Children with disabilities or complex needs

  • Families involved with social care

Care pathways

Specific care pathways are available where families need focused support, such as help with:

  • Domestic abuse

  • Alcohol misuse

  • Maternal mental health

These pathways are designed and delivered by Early Start practitioners with specialist input where required.

How to access Early Start

Any professional working with a pregnant woman or a family with a child under five should tell them about the Early Start Service and how to access it—especially if it appears they are not receiving the support they are entitled to.

Families and professionals can access Early Start through:

  • Any 0–19 health team

  • A local children’s centre

The correct local team and children’s centre can be found using the postcode search tool on the Family Information Services website.

Best Start

Best Start – New Support for Families

The new national support offer for families is called Best Start. This replaces Childcare Choices and brings together childcare support, parenting advice and early years information in one place. Best Start is designed to help parents feel confident, informed and supported from pregnancy through to when their child starts school.

Best Start provides both online resources and local, in-person support, making it easier for families to access the help they need.

Best Start in Life – Digital Support

The Best Start in Life website (beststartinlife.gov.uk) is the central online hub for parents across the UK. It offers trusted advice and practical tools covering every stage of early childhood.

Through the website, families can:

  • Check eligibility for 15 and 30 hours funded childcare

  • Find information about government childcare schemes, including breakfast clubs

  • Access parenting advice on pregnancy, early health and child development

  • Learn how to build strong parent–baby bonds

  • Find links to local council services and support in their area

The website is designed to be a one-stop shop, helping parents make informed choices and feel supported throughout their child’s early years.

Best Start Family Hubs – Local, Face-to-Face Support

Alongside the digital offer, Best Start Family Hubs are being developed to provide local, in-person support for families. These hubs build on the principles of Sure Start and bring services together under one coordinated approach.

Family Hubs offer:

  • Professional advice on parenting, health and emotional wellbeing

  • Opportunities to meet other parents through activities such as Stay and Play sessions

  • Courses to build parenting confidence

  • Connections to wider services, including housing, employment and community support

The aim is to ensure families can access joined-up help close to home.

Key Areas of Support

Best Start focuses on three main areas:

Early Development
Helping parents understand their baby’s needs and support healthy development from pregnancy to age two.

Childcare and Education
Guidance on childcare options, funded places, early years provision and preparing children for school.

Parenting Confidence
Advice, resources and courses to help parents feel confident, informed and supported.

How Families Can Get Started

Families can:

  • Visit beststartinlife.gov.uk to explore resources and use the childcare eligibility checker

  • Search for their nearest Best Start Family Hub through the website or their local council

  • Use NHS Best Start in Life resources for health-focused advice

Changes to the Early Start Service

As part of these changes, the Early Start offer is being streamlined. Early Start services will no longer be based in our building. Instead, support will be delivered through a more integrated Family Hub model.

The nearest Family Hub for our community will be located in Armley.

Children’s centre services will align with Family Hubs across each hub area, offering support from several sites rather than a single location. This approach aims to:

  • Improve coordination between services

  • Ensure families receive consistent support

  • Follow the Family Help model of ‘one worker, one plan’