Ambitious ‘Best Start Local Plan’ launches to improve early childhood development across Dorset

We have unveiled our new Best Start Local Plan — a comprehensive, long-term approach to ensuring every baby and young child in Dorset has the strongest possible start in life.  

The plan brings together education, health, Family Hubs, early years settings and the voluntary sector to create a fully integrated early years system shaped by family voice, local insight and shared data. 

The Best Start Local Plan aligns with major national reforms, including the Government’s 2026 Schools White Paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving, which places strong emphasis of early identification of need, inclusive practice from birth to five years old, and stronger links between Family Hubs, health visiting and SEND teams.  

Dorset’s approach places prevention and early intervention at its heart, recognising the critical importance of the first 1,001 days of life. 

At present, 69.7% of Dorset children achieve a Good Level of Development (GLD) at the end of Reception, dropping to 45% for children eligible for Free School Meals. The new plan sets out an ambitious but achievable goal to raise overall outcomes to 76.4% and increase GLD rates for disadvantaged children to 55%, helping to narrow the attainment gap by 2028. 

Cllr Clare Sutton, Dorset Council’s Lead Member for Children, Education and Early Help, welcomed the plan: “Every child in Dorset deserves the opportunity to thrive, and this plan shows our unwavering commitment to making that happen.  

By bringing together partners across health, education, Family Hubs and the voluntary sector, we are creating a more joined-up, accessible and responsive system for families — one that listens, learns and adapts to what our communities need.” 

Dorset is a large rural and coastal county, with many families facing additional challenges linked to rurality, transport, childcare access, housing and cost-of-living pressures. Hidden pockets of deprivation sit within otherwise affluent areas, and dispersed communities can make it harder for families to reach services. 

The Best Start Local Plan tackles this by using detailed local insight and shared data to pinpoint where barriers are greatest and direct resources accordingly. Funding, workforce and targeted programmes will be aligned to communities with the highest levels of need, ensuring the greatest impact. 

Cllr Sutton added: “Dorset’s geography can make life more difficult for families with young children—but it also gives us strong, connected communities. This plan builds on those strengths. By focusing support where it’s needed most, we can reduce inequalities and ensure that no child is held back because of where they live or the circumstances of their family.” 

The Best Start Local Plan reinforces Dorset’s Family Hub Network as the visible, trusted ‘front door’ for families. Every Family Hub will offer: 

• Parenting support and evidence-based programmes
• Early language, play and home-learning support
• Infant feeding and nutrition help
• Access to Health Visiting, including all mandated reviews
• Perinatal and early emotional wellbeing support
• Early SEND identification and pathways
• Integrated health services wherever possible

These hubs will play a central role in early intervention, ensuring help reaches families early, locally and in a coordinated way. 

Dorset is already well aligned with national SEND reforms, particularly around early identification of need, collaborative working between early years and health teams, and strong transition processes. The plan strengthens this further through: 

• A new Experts at Hand offer for early years settings
• Preparation for national inclusion standards
• Development of Individual Support Plans for young children
• Enhanced early support roles within Family Hubs

This will ensure children with additional needs are identified earlier, supported more effectively and able to transition smoothly into school. 

The Best Start Local Plan brings together a wide network of partners—from maternity and health visiting to early years providers, libraries, the voluntary sector and Integrated Neighbourhood Teams. By sharing insight, coordinating support and focusing on prevention, Dorset aims to reduce inequalities linked to poverty, rurality and access to services. 

Cllr Sutton concluded: “The Best Start Local Plan sets out a bold and hopeful vision for Dorset’s youngest children. It reflects our belief that early support changes lives—and that investing in families now will have a powerful impact for generations to come. I am incredibly proud of the collaborative spirit behind this work and excited to see the difference it will make to children across the county.”