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
Meeting Papers and Presentations at the Pathfinder Workshops
14 February 2019
Useful links:
18 November 2019
13 September 2019
28 June 2019
02 May 2019
20 March 2019
8 February 2019
Further Readings