PRESS RELEASE – 24.10.24

Support for families with babies and young children in Southend is changing as the A Better Start Southend (ABSS) National Lottery Community Fund grant ends in March 2025.

Over the last ten years, ABSS has supported 7,865 children aged 0 – 3 and pregnant women in six wards through a range of projects and services aimed at discovering what works best to help make Southend a great place to have and raise a child.

The programme has been dedicated to working with local partners, as well as listening to, learning from and supporting families and young children.

Local organisations and parents have been integral to exploring new ways to think about and deliver services to give Southend’s children the best start in life.

Nia Thomas, Director of A Better Start Southend, said:

“We want to thank all our delivery partners, parent champions and everyone who has been part of the A Better Start Southend journey over the last decade, especially the families and children that have accessed the services we’ve supported.

“Their experiences and feedback have helped us to discover new and different ways to improve the lives of babies and local families.

“Over the last decade, we’ve supported over 40 different projects, listened to and learnt from parents and children and made a real difference to people’s lives.

“Now the time has come to look beyond A Better Start Southend, we are working with our partners to plan for the future and support a new era of early years, family support and partnership working.

“City Family Community Interest Company will be key to ensuring A Better Start Southend’s legacy in the city”.

In December, City Family will launch a service providing first line advice and support, particularly focussed on ABSS projects and services and the transition to Beyond ABSS.

Some of the projects ABSS has supported have secured funding to enable them to continue, while others will change, be delivered differently or end in their current form.

ABSS is working with partners to plan changes and support the transition to March 2025 and beyond.

Those who want to know more about the end of the A Better Start Southend programme can visit www.abetterstartsouthend.co.uk/beyond-abss/ or email BeyondABSS@eyalliance.org.uk.

ENDS\
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Editor’s notes:

For media enquiries, please email melanie.larke@eyalliance.org.uk or call Melanie Larke on 07562 666988.

More about ABSS

A Better Start Southend (ABSS) programme was established through a grant of £36.7m and part of a ten-year test and learn programme from The National Lottery Community Fund.
ABSS is a partnership of organisations, including:

• Southend on Sea City Council
• Essex Police
• Mid and South Essex Hospital Trust
• Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
• Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System
• Early Years Alliance
• University of Essex
• Southend Association of Voluntary Services (SAVS)
• City Family CIC

ABSS has focussed on three specific areas of a child’s development:
• diet and nutrition,
• social and emotional, and,
• communication and language.

Additionally, building community resilience and implementing system change.

ABSS is independently evaluated by the University of Essex and RSM UK to understand and measure the impact of the programme, as well as to share research findings.

There are a range of next steps for different projects as the programme comes to an end:
• Some projects will be handed over to delivery partners to continue after the programme has ended,
• Some projects will change either in the way they are delivered and/or who they’re delivered by,
• Some projects will end in their current form, when the programme ends.

Media pack:
To access and download some supporting images, please visit https://abetterstartsouthend.co.uk/beyond-abss/

More about City Family CIC:
City Family was created as part of the outcomes of ‘A Better Start Southend’ (ABSS) Programme.

Using evidence and data from the ABSS programme, City Family CIC aim to strengthen the ‘village’ around a family and re-empower parents so that children can have the best start in life.

In December, City Family will launch a telephone, web-based and drop-in advice and information service, open Monday to Saturday.

The service will be delivered by the YourFamily team and will put local parents in touch with skilled and knowledgeable Navigators.

This triage service will:
• Provide first line advice and support,
• Improve access to services, and,
• Connect parents with wider community provision, linked to the legacy of ABSS projects and services.
Please visit https://www.cityfamily.org.uk/ for more information about City Family CIC.