Our Work Skills project has been recognised for its innovation by the Institute of Economic Development (IED)!
Recent Parent Engagement activities have included Christmas parties and an a-peeling fruit and veg event!
Our new Starting Solids project is up and running, helping parents understand when and how to introduce solid foods
We were proud to help Southend's children's centres achieve UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative stage 1 accreditation
The new A Better Start Southend mascot, based on Southend children's creative designs, has been unveiled!
Effective and secure sharing of information between our partner organisations is key to ABSS: find out how we do it
Offering support and advice, our Family Support Workers for Social Communication Needs is a new service we offer
Here's just one experience of the HENRY programme making a difference for families with diet & nutrition and beyond
We celebrated National Libraries Week (8-13th October) helping shine a light on the nation’s much-loved libraries.
The final four options for a new ABSS Mascot are here thanks to creative ideas from children in the ABSS areas!
A Better Start Southend is set to host its first ever research and innovation conference early in 2019
We are delighted to announce new Baby and Us and Being a Parent courses beginning in October.
Exciting news as our Midwifery 1-2-1 Breastfeeding Support Service project is approved to run as a 12-month pilot
We’ve had over 20 events over the school holidays in addition to regular sessions for our projects
This month (July), we held our first co-production meeting for a food growing project at Friars Children’s Centre
Newly-trained volunteers with SAVS help Southend beach sparkle with a beach clean
For National Co-production Week (2-6 July) we look at how we have been breaking down the barriers to co-production
Take 15 mins to complete the Universal Parent Survey: help shape the future of service provision across the borough
The new Southend Supports Breastfeeding scheme: for National Breastfeeding Celebration Week (25-29 June) and beyond
A Better Start Southend welcomes Jeff Banks to the team as the newly appointed Director.
The parent-led idea of the A Better Start Southend mascot moved a step closer with our first Innovation Workshop
We are recruiting enthusiastic, flexible Level 3 qualified crèche workers (bank staff) for the ABSS programme
Our new scheme encourages public venues to welcome breastfeeding, plus our group-based breastfeeding support starts
It's National Smile Month (14/05-14/06) - the perfect time for oral health advice from our Diet & Nutrition expert
Parent Engagement: Parent-led newsletters, coffee mornings and adding parent engagement activity ideas online
Our new Attention ABS course supports younger children (aged 2-3) to develop their looking and turn-taking skills
Job-seeking parents with the Work Skills project enjoy a behind the scenes at supermarket giants Waitrose
New Parent Champion Scott Fowell tells how and why he got involved with A Better Start and why more dads should too
Our new project will guide parents of 3-4 month-olds how and when to introduce solid foods to babies
We are encouraging young children to share books and start a life-long love of reading with 'Little Libraries'
We have had a lot of headline news about nutrition recently: our health expert is on hand to explain in more detail
We're excited to be expanding our range of early years settings in which we are carrying out our Let’s Talk project
This March and April we have bus stop adverts across our areas to encourage families to get involved with ABSS
Find out about the notable success in its impact our Let’s Talk project has been showing
It's exciting times ahead for us with our upcoming Group-based Breastfeeding Support project
You will now be able to keep up with updated from A Better Start Southend with our new Twitter page!
Our exciting new Service Design Framework offers a standardised integrated approach to designing all ABSS services
New Talking Walk-Ins for parents with any concerns about their child’s speech, language or communication skills
Many drinks contain far more calories than you might imagine! Our health experts explain more
Reflecting on our 2017 highlights and things to look out for in 2018
Little Listeners, part of our Let's Talk project, starts this January supporting children's listening and attention
It was a great close to 2017 with our achievement of the UNICEF Baby Friendly Certificate of Commitment
The ABSS Research Group is looking for members from ABSS partners to help develop research culture and evidence
For our Christmas Health Message, our expert advises on how you can eat mince pies, etc while choosing healthily
Milton mum Sabrina tells of her and her son Theo's experiences with Let's Talk With Your Baby and Talking Tiddlers
Over 1,500 children have now taken part in our Let's Talk project or WellComm screenings
Our Work Skills project, helping local families in the world of work, gave a new record shop owner a better start!
14th November is World Diabetes Day, an ideal time to share our health expert's advice about the condition
Caroline Brady tells her and son Oliver's experience of Let’s Talk, our speech and language development project
Our Engagement Fund helps parents involved in ABSS design and implement ideas to bring others into the fold
Sugar Awareness Week begins at the end of October, so here's some handy tips about how to reduce your sugar intake!
Big Lottery Funded research by experts NatCen into Southend's neighbourhoods and services for young families
We marked our move to the heart of Southend with a celebration event at our new location
Understand the information provided on food labels
The community insights research we're doing this summer is helping inform our projects of the future
Our Work Skills project is running free business workshops to turn business ideas into reality
Parents can sign up now for the new HENRY group programmes beginning at the start of October!
Simple rules you can follow for weight management
Service design is a real community-led process to shape our projects, and though it Southend’s children’s futures
August is a big month for us as we begin life in our new home at in Alexandra Street with our partners SAVS
Dads, father-figures and male carers are encouraged to sign up for the upcoming FRED courses, beginning in autumn
Find out about the importance of water on your and your child's health and the dangers of dehydration
Our work with Family Storehouse's food bank helps us reach more parents in the Better Start areas
A Better Start Southend launches monthly diet and nutrition advice for the people of Southend
A few minutes with Stephanie Farr, Assistant Director for Children, Young People and Families at EPUT
We marked Infant Mental Health Awareness Week in June, highlighting the importance of early intervention
National Breastfeeding Week 2017 focuses on support and we are examining innovative ways to support parents in this
With our new focus on diet and nutrition, we bring you 12 advice items for you and your children. First up: Sugar
Calling all dads of young children!
We will be moving to the heart of the town centre, to a more accessible central location with our partners SAVS
The mobile library joins our special Book Sharing Weeks, encouraging parents and carers to read with their children
Fathers/male carers can soon join a Dad Lab to generate ideas for a range of father-related projects and activities
For Volunteers’ Week, SAVS volunteer and mother of three Donna tells her story
Our new focus for 2017/18 will be on improving Diet and Nutrition outcomes for babies and young children
Our first ever Ward Panel brought together parent reps and professionals to discuss key local community issues
The team managing the day-to-day running of the programme is starting to move on as it continues to develop
It was only a couple of hours in the Holiday Inn Southend hotel, but our Work Skills Programme packed a lot in.
Word spreads about our new child communication groups.
Our first Parent Champions have been officially recognised by the Deputy Mayor of Southend.
Find out how former SAVS volunteer Georgia’s new role helps us reach out to the community.
Neil Leitch, the Pre-school Learning Alliance Chief Executive, lets us know a little bit about what makes him tick.
Success at the first Work Skills Industry Visit as Southend mum secures job with local restaurant Bourgee.
Success with our Fathers Reading Every Day programme as Southend fathers exceed reading expectations.
Two new Parent Champions and the team met other members of A Better Start sites in Blackpool to share our progress.
How do you know if your family is eating too much sugar? Download the Change4Life app.
We welcomed the A Better Start team from Lambeth and shared our work on communications and language.
Alison Semmence, CEO of SAVS, tells us why it is so important to involve parents in developing services.
A pilot approach to the two-year health check is showing the benefits of integrated ways of working.
The SAVS team is busy getting parents involved in shaping the way local services for children and families are run.
We meet Julia Jones, headteacher at Barons Court School, to find out about their inspiring learning environment.
A new initiative is launching offering childcare staff the healthy eating training we're giving to parents.
Our health visitor lead, Debbie Payne, talks about her work in Southend and the Healthy Child Pathway.
We're introducing a new speech and language screening toolkit in Southend children's centres and other venues.
We are working with SAVS to get local families involved in shaping children and families' services.
An Essex-wide bid to boost mental health support for pregnant women and new mums has successfully secured funding.
Jane Youdale, our social and emotional lead, visits Bradford's Innovation Hub...
Sign up for our new e-bulletin which will focus on the latest practice, policy and research in early years.
Parents help us to create new courses to develop communication and language skills
We respond to the Early Intervention Foundation report The cost of late intervention: EIF analysis
Over the summer we carried out a review of the programme, its activities and structure.
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