Corporate Strategy 2022-2027

Well-being Objective 1

Enabling our children and young people to have the best possible start in life (Start Well)

Why is this important?

1. Giving every child the best start in life is crucial to reducing health inequalities across the life course. The foundations for virtually every aspect of human development – physical,intellectual and emotional – are laid in early childhood. What happens during these early years, starting in the womb, has lifelong effects on many aspects of health and well being – from obesity, heart disease and mental health,to educational achievement and economic status. To have an impact on health inequalities we need to address the social gradient in children’s access to positive early experiences. Later interventions, although important, arconsiderably less effective if they have not had good early foundations. Fair Society, Healthy Lives, the Marmot Review, 2010
2. Adverse Childhood Experiences ACE’s are stressful experiences during childhood that directly harm a child (e.g. sexual or physical abuse) or effect the environment in which they live (e.g. growing up in a house with domestic violence) that can impact throughout the course of life. For every 100 adults in Wales, 47% have suffered at least one ACE and 14% have suffered 4 or more.
3. Early language acquisition is important in the development of the child. Welsh language development in the early years can encourage feelings of belonging.
4. In March 2022, there were 165 Looked After Children in Carmarthenshire, which equates to 45 per 10,000 population compared to the Welsh average of 112.
5. 31% of children are living in poverty in Carmarthenshire (in households with less than 60% of the average income before housing costs). This is just above the Welsh average of 30.6%.
6. Carmarthenshire is the 5th worst county in Wales for levels of childhood obesity. In 2018/19, almost a third of children aged 4 to 5 were overweight or obese.
7. Compulsory education is changing in Wales and a new curriculum is being introduced that aims to provide young people with the skills they will need in the future.

A recent consultation with Carmarthenshire’s residents indicates that there is overall agreement that local schools provide children and young people with a good education.

8. Children learn through play and develop essential skills - play sufficiency is essential.
9. Attendance at a quality pre-school (aged 0-3) is shown to improve outcomes for children.
10. Making sure young people are in Education, Employment or Training reduces the effects of poverty and the wider cost to society of support services, reliance on benefits and offending.
11. Young carers are more likely to achieve poorer educational outcomes – there are 1,800 young carers in Carmarthenshire.
12. There is a net migration over the last five years in the 16-24 range.
13. Key local issues identified by the Carmarthenshire Youth Forum are:
    a) access to training and jobs with 21.3% of votes
    b) homelessness with 20.9% of votes,
    c) domestic violence with 17% of votes.
14. Concern over mental health is a key issue raised by young people.
15. Young people are also concerned with bullying and cyberbullying.
16. Research on early years investment suggests significant returns for each £1 invested.