Reflections from the Blackpool Better Start conference

In March, Blackpool Better Start hosted their annual conference. The event brought together parents, practitioners, leaders, and researchers to explore how we build early years systems that work for all babies and families. Across a full day of panels and symposiums, a powerful and consistent message emerged. We must design early years systems with humility, curiosity, and an unwavering commitment to the voices of families.

Building systems with, not for, families

Speakers highlighted that the most effective services are those co created with communities. As Alison Morton, CEO of the Institute of Health Visiting, noted, “the best services are built with people”. This helps ensure that babies’ needs remain central and support is grounded in lived experience.

A local parent stressed the urgency of getting early years provision right, stating “children only get one chance at early years”. Timely health visiting and language support didn’t just meet practical needs, they created a long-lasting peer network for her and her children.

Access and engagement

Panellists discussed the sustained issue of unequal access to services. Attendees described a “postcode and professional lottery,” urging for simpler, fairer pathways to support. A standout message was for professionals to “reach in” rather than expecting families, especially dads, to “reach out”. Kieran Anders from Dad Matters shared how engagement can be transformed when practitioners meet fathers where they already are. Places such as antenatal clinics, and start with pertinent questions like “How was the birth?” and “How’s the baby?” This idea of proactive, relational outreach reappeared throughout the conference.

Collaboration and building trust with families

While collaboration is valued, speakers acknowledged that siloed and competitive funding continues to hold systems back. Emily Sun, CEO of Place Matters, argued for pooled resources and improved data sharing, describing the need for “data democracy”. And, putting information in the hands of communities and practitioners who can use it to improve lives. This theme of coordination echoed across panel discussions. One argument presented was that “the problem isn’t a lack of resources, but a lack of coordination”.

One discussion highlighted persistent power imbalances between practitioners and families. When people share personal experiences but never hear back about how their input is used, trust erodes.

This inequity is even sharper for marginalised families. Panel members stressed that not all babies are heard equally, and systems must be designed to actively counter this imbalance. Trusted relationships which are consistent and respectful, remain one of the strongest enablers for effective services and parent engagement.

Beyond school readiness: measuring what really matters

A key topic of discussion at the conference was the limitations of current metrics, especially the Good Level of Development (GLD) measure. Speakers warned that GLD risks creating a focus on children close to meeting targets rather than those with the greatest need. One speaker asserted that the Department for Education is aligned with this message, as representatives have acknowledged that “the metric is not the mission”. Attendees and panel members called for a richer, more holistic picture of child development.

Funding priorities

Funders were encouraged to rethink what counts as “good evidence”. Short term, inflexible projects - those relying solely on Randomised Controlled Trials may overlook what works for the most marginalised families. Speakers urged funders to take risks. Invest for the long term, and support the evaluation needed to understand who benefits and who is left out.

When asked what they would change in the system, contributors said:

• more money

• devolved decision making

• stronger senior level vision

The conference closed on a note of optimism, echoing Margaret Mead’s quote that a small group of committed people can change the world. In Blackpool, that group spans:

• families

• practitioners

• researchers

• leaders

They are united by a belief that babies deserve fair, relational, coordinated systems that meet them where they are. A parent reiterated, "babies only get one chance at early years", underlining the urgency of this work.

About A Better Start

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A Better Start is a 10-year project set-up by The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK.

Five A Better Start partnerships based in Blackpool, Bradford, Lambeth, Nottingham and Southend are supporting families to give their babies and very young children the best possible start in life. Working with local parents, the A Better Start partnerships are developing and testing ways to improve their children’s diet and nutrition, social and emotional development, and speech, language and communication.  

The NCB is coordinating the ambitious A Better Start's NCB-led learning and evidence programme for ABS, disseminating the partnerships’ experiences in creating innovative services far and wide, so that others working in early childhood development or place-based systems change can benefit.