As set out in the National Strategy Prosperity for All, we want:

“Children from all backgrounds to have the best start in life. Our aim is that everyone will have the opportunity to reach their full potential and maximise their chances of leading a healthy, prosperous and fulfilling adulthood, enabling them to participate fully in communities, the workplace, and contribute to the future economic success of Wales.”

The ambition is to develop joined up and responsive Early Years’ services to ensure every child has the best start in life.  Children should be at the centre of excellent, integrated services that put their needs first, regardless of traditional organisational and professional structures.

Our aims are:

  • To create an Early Years system to deliver services in a co-ordinated, integrated and timely way
  • To support local partners to re-configure Early Years services focusing on planning, commissioning and identifying and addressing needs.
  • Through this process to identify barriers to integration and ways to remove, reduce or rationalise them.

Guiding Values

An integrated early years’ system will:

  • Give children and parents a voice and listen to their needs;
  • Put the needs of the child and the family first;
  • Reach all children and families as early as possible;
  • Ensure stability and continuity of services along a continuum from prenatal into Foundation Phase and on to school;
  • Include and effectively accommodate children with ALN/SEN;
  • Value parents as decision makers;
  • Work in true partnership across and within organisations and professions to maximise investment;
  • Develop the workforce around a shared ambition for the success of every child.

There are currently eight Pathfinders involved in this work:

Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Cwm Taf PSB, Flintshire, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea

These pathfinders are expected to:

  • Shape the Welsh Government plan, principles and priorities
  • Feedback on WG policy thinking
  • Help WG understand barriers and solutions
EY framework.png

Meeting Papers and Presentations at the Pathfinder Workshops

14 February 2019

Wales Perinatal Mental Health NetworkDownload
EY Pathfinder Workshop Bilingual AgendaDownload
Miller Research UK Ltd Evaluation Session Notes MindmapDownload

Useful links:

Mums Matter PresentationDownload
MR Pathfinder Workshop PresentationDownload
Perinatal Mental Health Toolkit
Saving Lives,Improving Mothers’ Care 2019:Lay Summary

18 November 2019

Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion PresentationDownload
Early Years Pathfinder Workshop AgendaDownload
Pathfinder Julie Evans Vulnerability ProfilingDownload
Miller Research Integrated System EvaluationDownload
Swansea Bay Pathfinder ProgrammeDownload

13 September 2019

Early Years Integration Pathfinder – GwentDownload
Early Years Pathfinder Presentation – FlintshireDownload
Early Years Pathfinder Workshop AgendaDownload
ISOS Partnership – Planning for ImplementationDownload

28 June 2019

Early Years Pathfinders Presentation Millbrook PrimaryDownload
EY Pathfinder Workshop 28 June 2019 AgendaDownload
Funding Flexibilities PresentationDownload
Jigso PresentationDownload
Midwifery and Health Visiting PresentationDownload

02 May 2019

Early Years Integration Pathfinder Workshop agendaDownload
Logic Model (English)Download
Logic Model (Welsh)Download
NESTA PresentationDownload

20 March 2019

Approaches to system working – learning from systemDownload
Cwm Taf Early Years MappingDownload
Early Years Integration Pathfinder WorkshopDownload
Early Years PersonasDownload
Making Change StickDownload
Notes of Early Years Pathfinders WorkshopDownload

8 February 2019

Developing the Early Years System in Cwm Taf – Chris HoleDownload
Early Years Transformation ProgrammeDownload
Presentation for Workshop Feb 2019 – Sharon WestDownload
Tackling disadvantage the contribution of early years integrated services – Naomi EisenstadtDownload

Further Readings

Building-Resilience – Family Support (English)Download
Building Resilience – Family Support (Welsh)Download
Early Years Parental Social Insight Project Qualitative Findings Beautfort Research July-2018Download
Jigso Project-–-Final ReportDownload
PHW Parental insights Report for First 1000 days and transition stages 0-7. Cymru Well Wales November-2017Download
The Right Way A Childrens Rights Approach in Wales by the Childrens Commissioner for Wales Childrens Commissioner-for Wales March 2017Download
WCPP Comparative Study of International Approaches to integrating Early Years Services Chris Pascal Tony Bertram and Kathryn Peckham January 2019Download