Dorset’s Early Help Strategy: Supporting families early for brighter futures

Dorset Council and its partners have launched the Early Help Strategy 2026 - 2029, a bold plan that, together with other approaches and initiatives, will make Dorset the best place to be a child, and the best place to raise a family. The strategy focuses on timely, voluntary support for families, helping

to prevent problems and improve outcomes for children and young people. The strategy focuses on timely, voluntary support for families, helping to prevent problems and improve outcomes for children and young people

Early Help is about working together with families, not doing things to or for them. It strengthens family networks, builds resilience, and promotes wellbeing from pregnancy through to adolescence. By offering practical advice, emotional support, and access to local services, families can overcome challenges early and thrive.

Among the benefits for families are:

• Support when it matters most: Help starts early, reducing stress and preventing crises.
• Family-led approach: Families shape their own plans, supported by trusted practitioners.
• Local and accessible: Services delivered through Best Start Family Hubs and community networks.
• Whole-family focus: Support considers the needs of everyone, creating lasting change.
• Better outcomes for children: Improved health, school readiness, and emotional wellbeing.

Cllr Clare Sutton, Dorset Council’s Cabinet Member for Children's Services, Education and Skills, said: 

"When we support families early, we give every child the best chance to thrive. This strategy is about listening, building trust, and working together to create strong, resilient communities."

This Early Help approach is about services working together to give children, young people and families the right support at the right time. Local organisations work closely with each other, sharing responsibility and staying connected, so families don’t feel passed from one service to another. This joined up way of working helps make sure support is clear, responsive and focused on what matters most to families.

Families and the people who matter to them are at the heart of this approach. Family Network Meetings help families have real choice and a strong voice in decisions about their support. They give families the chance to bring together relatives, friends and trusted people to find solutions, build on strengths and put plans in place that sustain change.