Best Start in Life - Swindon 2025 to 2028
We want every child in Swindon to grow, learn and thrive. Our Best Start in Life approach focuses on early development, reducing inequalities, strengthening family wellbeing and targeting support where it makes the greatest difference.
Our approach
You can explore the full approach and summary documents below:
Who we focus support on
We provide extra help for children under five who are more likely to experience poorer early development. This includes children in:
- families living in high deprivation
- households experiencing poverty
- one parent households
- families where English is an additional language
- families with rising special educational needs and disabilities, including children with autism spectrum disorder
- younger age groups such as summer-born children
- groups where data shows poorer development outcomes, including boys
Where support is focused
Swindon North: Penhill and Upper Stratton
- High levels of deprivation
- The highest social care caseloads
- A high number of children under five
Swindon South: Walcot East and The Parks
- The highest levels of child poverty
- High levels of social care involvement
Together, these areas cover 52 percent of neighbourhoods with the highest income deprivation affecting children, and 78 percent of areas where early support has the greatest impact.
Find out more about our Best Start Family Hub at The Meadows in Penhill, and share your views on the Lets Talk Swindon website.
Child development priorities
We use data from the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, the Good Level of Development, and feedback from parents and practitioners to focus on what matters most for children’s learning and wellbeing.
We prioritise development in:
- self regulation
- managing self
- building relationships
- emotional wellbeing
- early communication and language
- writing
- number and numerical patterns
Health priorities
What is going well
- 91.8 percent of children have their first Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccination by age two
- 87.1 percent have both MMR doses by age five
- Tooth decay in five-year-olds has reduced to 16.5 percent, lower than South West and England averages
- Ages and Stages Questionnaire completion is high at 99.2 percent
Where more support is needed
- Social, emotional and mental health needs
- Early child development and access to early education
- Access to nutritious food and physical activity
- Ongoing oral health concerns despite improvements
Family and parenting priorities
- Support with poverty and the cost of living
- Better mental health support for parents and young children
- Maternal health and early years support
- Early and easy access to services with no wrong door
- Clear help with special educational needs identification and navigation
- Reliable childcare options
- Culturally inclusive services for migrant families
- Support to reduce isolation and build peer networks
- Help with digital safety and healthy screen use
- Stronger engagement with fathers
How we are improving the early years system
- Building an integrated Best Start system across health, education, special educational needs and Family Hubs
- Strengthening the workforce with trauma-informed, neuro-affirming and culturally competent practice
- Using local data to direct support where it is most needed
- Creating a clear Early Years Development Pathway
- Making all services accessible, inclusive and culturally safe
Our commitment
We are committed to reducing inequalities, improving early development and strengthening family wellbeing. By focusing on priority populations, neighbourhoods and developmental needs, we aim to create an easy to navigate, joined-up system that gives every child in Swindon the best start in life.
Further support
You can learn more about the national Best Start in Life programme, including guidance, case studies and research that informs our local work.
Go to the Best Start in Life website