People in the Lead - Understanding & Engaging 'A Better Start' Community & Workforce

A Better Start (ABS) is a major strategic programme focussed on developing and testing new approaches to improving Early Childhood Development. The programme addresses three child development outcomes:

• Improving diet and nutrition,
• Improving language and communication,
• Improving social and emotional development.
• 5local partnerships - Blackpool, Bradford, Lambeth, Nottingham and Southend - were awarded funding by the Big Lottery Fund in summer 2014 to begin implementation of their ten-year local programmes and strategies. Successful programme implementation requires a supportive climate across all partner organisations with genuine and explicit buy-in from community members.

This contract is designed to support the five ABS partnerships with understanding the barriers and enablers to engaging and mobilising the ABS community and workforce. Findings and recommendations from this will directly feed into local workforce, community and communications strategies.

The Service Provider will render services that will support the partnerships in gaining a more detailed understanding of the capacity, capability and motivations of local people, professionals and community alike, and plan how they can best be engaged to deliver the Better Start Vision.