progress & outcomes
We’re making good progress
We’ve been putting the strategy into practice and are starting to see results at each stage.
Progress in pregnancy and early parenthood
- New support for parents-to-be is now available across the region drawing on expert advice from health visitors and midwives. This includes peri-natal mental health support in Ceredigion.
- Hywel Dda University Health Board is introducing more supportive approaches to infant feeding, in co-production with Flying Start and health visiting teams.
- 97.5% of newborns in West Wales now get a home visit from a health visitor — higher than the Wales-wide figure of 92%.
Progress in Early Years
- Families with young children across the region can now access better joined-up support.
- 87% of children get a health check at age 3½, up from 51% in 2021.
Progress in the transition to Early Years education
- In Pembrokeshire, Cluster Transition Meetings bring together pre-school leaders, key workers and school teachers to share information, with the aim of ensuring each child has the best possible start at school.
- Also, health visitors meet with childcare settings before entry to share development, wellbeing, and family context information.
- The Carmarthenshire team has created a new role focused on getting schools ready to welcome young children, and has been running training for both school and health staff.
We’re integrating our Early Years services
- A regional Maternity and Early Years Steering Group brings together the key people across the region to make sure we have a shared plan for improving the health and wellbeing of babies and young children. The group also makes sure the youngest children aren’t overlooked in wider regional planning.
- Across the region we’ve been testing new ways for services to work together to support families.
- In Carmarthenshire, the Early Years Integration team was piloted in the Gwendraeth Valley and, following its proven success, has now been fully established. It will expand to cover the Amman Valley, with the addition of Family Support Worker roles and a Preparation for Parenthood role.
- In Pembrokeshire, Bump Start antenatal sessions have been rolled out across the county, bringing family-focused support during pregnancy.
- In Ceredigion, new roles have been funded to make sure families get a consistent offer of early years support wherever they live in the county.
- Hywel Dda University Health Board has run an infant feeding pilot where midwives and health visitors worked side by side. This means parents across the region can now get reliable, evidence-based advice from pregnancy onwards, as well as links the third sector. Extra funding has also allowed the infant feeding team to grow, so more families can get the help they need.
There is greater collaboration between the third sector, the Local Authority and Health Board
– Project worker, Plant Dewi
Having a relationship with other services makes it easier to help parents
– Family information officer in Carmarthenshire
We're able to work far more holistically and flexibly around the needs and strengths of each family
– Team manager in Ceredigion
We’re taking a person-centred approach to service design
We’ve been listening carefully to parents and early years staff to help shape new services and spot where things need to improve. Their feedback tells us what’s working and what isn’t. Parents say they feel listened to and understood — which is a good sign we’re on the right track.
We’re developing our workforce
- We’ve been opening up more training for Early Years staff across the region, helping teams work more closely together and share knowledge across services.
- Staff from family centres and health services in both Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire have taken part in baby massage training.
- In Carmarthenshire, health and education staff have attended joint training sessions on supporting children through the transition to school.
- Hywel Dda runs regular training on a range of health topics for Early Years staff, including webinars and a yearly full-day event. Topics are informed by feedback feedback from the early years workforce and are aligned with local priorities.
- Training is now open to everyone working in early years, including third sector partners, helping build stronger links between teams.
I've improved my knowledge of services by attending jointly planned events, including maternity events in Glangwili
– Family support manager in Camarthenshire
Our services have become more collaborative, coordinated, and family-centered, with clearer practices and better use of feedback
– Early Years coordinator in Pembrokeshire
We’re improving access to information
- Across the region, teams have begun recruiting Signposting Champions to help families access the information they need.
- In Ceredigion, the team has refreshed its Parenting and Family Support webpages to make them more user-friendly, and now promotes courses and reaches families through Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
- The Carmarthenshire team has developed a dedicated maternity and Early Years page on the FIS website, co-produced with parents. All parents will receive a QR code — at their midwife and health visitor appointments and when registering the birth — which directs them to this page.
We’re tracking our progress towards outcomes
To make sure our services are making a difference, we are tracking our progress using indicators chosen from the Welsh Government Early Years Outcomes Framework and Early Years Framework for Action.
Our strategy sets the direction for achieving these outcomes and will be under review as data is updated. We need the support of all involved. Get in touch to raise your questions and offer your ideas for how to make this a reality.
