Evaluating the expansion of the Welsh Government's Flying Start programme

Welsh text follows below / Mae testun Cymraeg yn dilyn isod

We are pleased to announce that our process evaluation of the expansion of the Flying Start programme, commissioned by the Welsh Government, has now been published.

Flying Start, initially launched in 2006, is designed to assist families in disadvantaged areas of Wales through four key elements: part-time high-quality childcare for 2-year-olds, enhanced health visits, parenting support, and speech and language development support.

Following the 2021 Programme for Government, the Welsh Government committed to delivering a phased expansion of Flying Start with a particular emphasis on services provided in Welsh. The expansion consists of two phases, with Flying Start services offered in new geographical areas across all local authorities in Wales.

Areas eligible for Phase 1 of the expansion started receiving all four components of Flying Start from September 2022 onwards, aiming to reach an additional 2,500 children. Phase 2 consisted of the expansion of the childcare component of Flying Start beginning in April 2023, with a target of an additional 9,500 offers made to children.

Alma Economics was tasked with evaluating the implementation of this expansion to understand the successes and challenges faced by key stakeholders such as local authorities, childcare settings, and families. Our comprehensive assessment included document reviews, stakeholder interviews, and detailed data analysis.

Our key findings included that the targets for Phase 1 have been met and surpassed; targets for the ongoing Phase 2 have likewise already been achieved . At the same time, however, we identified a number of challenges that local authorities and other stakeholders have had to overcome. Our report highlights instances of best practice as well as lessons learnt.

From our research, key recommendations for the Welsh Government include:

• Multi-Agency Integration: Enhanced collaboration between health boards and local authorities would improve data sharing and service integration. Obstacles to effective data sharing were one of the key challenges faced by some local authorities.

• Preparation and Planning: Longer lead times, where possible, would allow local authorities to better prepare and receive approvals for expansion plans.

• Innovative Procurement: Flexible procurement methods like Dynamic Purchasing Systems can increase participation among childcare providers and should be encouraged.

• Strategic Vision: Establishing a clear, long-term strategy for Flying Start, possibly establishing a timeline for universal access, would provide greater certainty for local authorities, childcare providers, and parents.

• Impact Evaluation: Longitudinal impact studies should be used to measure the real effects of Flying Start on child development. These would be facilitated by the collection of uniform performance and outcome data by local authorities.

These recommendations aim to refine the approach and ensure the continued success of the Flying Start expansion, helping to secure the best possible start in life for children in Wales.

You can find our full report here.

Rydym yn falch o gyhoeddi bod ein gwerthusiad proses o ehangiad Dechrau’n Deg, a gomisiynwyd gan Llywodraeth Cymru, ar gael i’w ddarllen.

Mae Dechrau’n Deg, a lansiwyd yn 2006, wedi’i gynllunio i gynorthwyo teuluoedd mewn ardaloedd difreintiedig yng Nghymru drwy bedair elfen allweddol: gofal rhan amser o safon wedi’i ariannu ar gyfer plant 2 oed; cymorth rhianta; cymorth gwell gan ymwelwyr iechyd; a chymorth lleferydd, iaith a chyfathrebu.

Yn dilyn Rhaglen Lywodraethu 2021, ymrwymodd Llywodraeth Cymru i ehangu Dechrau’n Deg yn raddol gyda phwyslais penodol ar wasanaethau a ddarperir yn Gymraeg. Mae’r proses i ehangu Dechrau’n Deg yn cynnwys dau gam, gyda gwasanaethau Dechrau’n Deg yn cael eu cynnig mewn ardaloedd daearyddol newydd ar draws holl awdurdodau lleol Cymru.

Dechreuodd ardaloedd sy’n gymwys ar gyfer Cam 1 dderbyn pob un o’r pedair elfen o Ddechrau’n Deg o fis Medi 2022 ymlaen, gyda’r nod o gyrraedd 2,500 o blant ychwanegol. Roedd Cam 2 yn cynnwys ehangu elfen gofal plant Dechrau'n Deg gan ddechrau ym mis Ebrill 2023, gyda tharged o 9,500 o gynigion ychwanegol i blant.¬

Cafodd Alma Economics y dasg o werthuso’r broses o weithredu’r ehangiad hwn er mwyn deall y llwyddiannau a’r heriau a wynebir gan randdeiliaid allweddol megis awdurdodau lleol, darparwyr gofal plant, a theuluoedd. Roedd ein hasesiad cynhwysfawr yn cynnwys adolygiad o ddogfennau, cyfweliadau â rhanddeiliaid, a dadansoddiad manwl o’r data.

Roedd ein canfyddiadau yn cynnwys bod y targedau ar gyfer Cam 1 wedi'u cyrraedd a'u rhagori; mae targedau ar gyfer Cam 2 hefyd eisoes wedi'u cyflawni. Ar yr un pryd, nodwyd nifer o heriau y roedd rhaid i awdurdodau lleol a rhanddeiliaid eraill eu goresgyn. Mae ein hadroddiad yn amlygu enghreifftiau o arfer gorau yn ogystal â gwersi i’w ddysgu.

O’n hymchwil, mae argymhellion allweddol ar gyfer Llywodraeth Cymru yn cynnwys:

• Hyrwyddo Integreiddio Aml-Asiantaeth: Byddai gwell cydweithio rhwng gwasanaethau iechyd ac awdurdodau lleol yn gwella rhannu data ac integreiddio darpariaeth gwasanaethau. Roedd rhwystrau i rannu data effeithiol yn un o’r heriau allweddol a wynebwyd gan rai awdurdodau lleol.

• Paratoi Digonol: Bydd amseroedd cyflwyno hirach yn galluogi awdurdodau lleol i baratoi cynlluniau a derbyn cymeradwyaeth mewn modd amserol.

• Caffael Arloesol: Gall dulliau caffael hyblyg fel Systemau Prynu Deinamig gynyddu cyfranogiad ymhlith darparwyr gofal plant a dylid cael eu hannog.

• Gweledigaeth Strategol: Byddai sefydlu strategaeth glir, hirdymor ar gyfer Dechrau'n Deg – o bosibl sefydlu amserlen ar gyfer mynediad cyffredinol – yn rhoi mwy o sicrwydd i awdurdodau lleol, darparwyr gofal plant, a rhieni.

• Gwerthusiad Effaith: Dylid defnyddio astudiaethau effaith hydredol i fesur gwir effeithiau Dechrau'n Deg ar ddatblygiad plant. Byddai'r rhain yn cael eu hwyluso drwy gasglu data perfformiad a chanlyniadau unffurf gan awdurdodau lleol.

Nod yr argymhellion hyn yw cryfhau’r dull gweithredu a sicrhau llwyddiant parhaus ehangiad Dechrau’n Deg, gan helpu i sicrhau’r dechrau gorau posibl mewn bywyd i blant yng Nghymru.

I ddarllen ein hadroddiad llawn, ewch i.