HEA2 (PP) - Delivering the best outcomes for children, young people and families

The City will work to create the conditions where children, young people and families can thrive, assisting them to build resilience through the early development of good physical and emotional health and by equipping young people and parents with the skills to improve their wellbeing. This will be achieved through:

1. Ensuring the best possible start in life for all children by increasing the focus on the first 1001 critical days from conception, enabling and supporting parents and carers, and ensuring that the best maternity services, parenting programmes, childcare and early year's education are in place.
2. Providing high quality, accessible childcare enabling parents to work, by ensuring child care and after-school/holiday provision is safe and flexible. 
3. Supporting child development in the early years and providing children and young people with the best and most appropriate learning and vocational educational opportunities and experiences that inspire them to learn and develop skills for future employment and life.
4. Showing the value of STEM skills and activities that will ensure they are able to transition to our workforce of the future that is overwhelmingly focussed on STEM related occupations.
5. Ensuring that there are sufficient, high quality schools which aspire to achieve not just better education provision but also support wider community capacity in the area.
6. Ensuring that early intervention, help and prevention meets the needs of children, young people and their families who are ‘vulnerable’ to poor life outcomes and supports them to achieve their potential.
7. Ensuring that parents most at risk of poverty are supported in gaining better qualifications, sustainable employment and have access to support for mental health and wellbeing which will improve learning outcomes for their children.
8. Ensuring that integrated assessment and outcome-based care planning for children with special educational needs and disabilities and additional needs, including social, emotional, mental health and speech, language and communication problems, are built upon the voice of the child and family. 
9. Ensuring that all children, young people and their families have access and the opportunity to participate in physical activity and the cultural life of the city.
10. Providing effective safeguarding and excellent services for children, young people and families.
11. Ensuring that employers and service providers are sensitive to the needs of working parents by promoting and delivering family-friendly policies.