Understanding the role of community-led early years support

In this report, published in partnership with Local Trust, we explore the types and distribution of community-led early years provision in England.

We examine community-led early year support’s role in promoting positive outcomes for families and young children, including for underserved groups and communities experiencing ‘double disadvantage’. (High levels of deprivation and weak social infrastructure – the places, groups, and connections that support the community.)

We also explore the barriers to achieving impact that early years work can face, and highlight the key qualities that make for effective community-led support.

Our key findings

• Community-led early years support takes many forms. This ranges from more formal services, such as baby banks and parent-led nurseries, to less formal parent and toddler groups or online peer support networks.
• Community-led support is a critical part of the early years ecosystem. It has particular value in:
  • engaging sections of the community who might mistrust statutory services
  • creating deep relationships with local families
  • accurately reflecting the needs and preferences of users.
• Community-led provision may be of particular importance in underserved communities or those experiencing double disadvantage. It can help fill gaps in provision, provide a safe space for individuals who might mistrust more formal settings, and empower community members.
• Some community-led services can experience barriers to impact. These may include:
  • a lack of training to provide appropriate support for those with more acute needs
  • a lack of inclusivity—particularly amongst parents or carers in the most challenging circumstances
  • a lack of sustainability or scale, given their reliance on minimal funding and volunteer efforts.
• We found effective community-led support shares certain qualities, which can help it overcome the barriers to impact:
  • it retains its informal and welcoming ethos, while learning and adapting
  • it provides different ways for community members to get involved
  • it is connected into a wider eco-system of services and support.

Our recommendations

1. Central government should support local authorities to take steps to understand existing early years provision, and support community provision to address unmet need.
2. Local authorities should be able to use local growth funding to develop early years infrastructure.
3. The Department for Education and funders should fund research to understand what works, and work to share best practice.
4. Funders should proactively seek to support community-led early years provision and capacity-building.