Published on Friday 27 March 2026
Boscombe Family Hub and Poole Old Town will be two of the first places to benefit from the new Best Start in Life (BSiL) programme, as Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council rolls out strengthened support for residents with young children.
The programme will strengthen the focus on babies and young children, improving early development through a BCP-wide partnership across Public Health, Early Years, SEND and Early Help, focussing on support for babies and young children up to five years old.
It builds on the strong foundations of BCP’s Family Hubs started by the Transformation Family Hub initiative and, through the Best Start Family Hub offer, will focus, which already provide a "one-stop shop" for families, integrating services for parents and children aged 0–19 (or 25 with special educational needs).
As part of this work, BCP Council has also been selected to partner with Bristol University on the Communication and Skills Intervention with Fathers (COSIE): project which aims to help staff involve dads and male carers more effectively in support programmes.
The COSIE collaboration will play an important role in making Family Hubs in BCP more inclusive and improving engagement from the very start of a child’s life.
Cllr Richard Burton, Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People, said:
“I’m so pleased that we’re able to launch not one but two Best Start in Life Family Hubs as we begin our wider rollout, ensuring families across BCP can access this fantastic support. Our Family Hubs already provide great help to parents and carers, and the Best Start in Life programme will make this support even clearer and more joined‑up. We’re also proud to be working with the University of Bristol on the COSIE project, which will help us involve dads and male carers more effectively. These developments will make our hubs even more inclusive and ensure every child across BCP has the best possible start in life.”
Lee Bayliss, The Boscombe Best Start Family Hub Team Manager said:
”We are proud that Boscombe has been chosen as the first Family Hub to benefit from this programme. Families already tell us how welcoming our hub feels, and these improvements will make it even better. Our focus is on making sure every child feels safe, supported and ready to learn and grow.”
Recent upgrades to strengthen access, communication and relationships include refreshed Family Hub Spaces; better support to access early education and childcare options; improved quality of childcare and the environments for home learning; and, strengthened access to early health and education (emerging SEND) support. The programme aims to reduce inequalities, so more children start school with a good level of development and ready to learn.
As part of the Government’s plan to improve outcomes from pregnancy to age five, all councils, including BCP Council, must publish a Best Start in Life Local Plan by 31 March 2026. Work is underway as to how best to share the plan locally with children, young people, families, communities and stakeholders.
The BCP Council Best Start in Life Plan will be available on our website and various platforms from 31 March 2026.