Best Start in Life services are based on St. Mary’s and strives to provide the best possible opportunities for babies, toddlers and their families. Services are also delivered across the islands for families to access opportunities on their own island.
There are a range of Best Start in Life activities for families, with children aged 0 up to 5 years old. To ensure you receive regular updates with details of all our activities taking place please complete a Best Start in Life Registration Form, you can return this by email: FamilyScilly@scilly.gov.uk or by post. You can also see what's on by Liking our Facebook page to see upcoming events.
Parenting
Parenting Groups (Solihull Approach)
Our parenting groups offer welcoming, peer-to-peer support for parents and carers. Sessions are facilitated by a Strengthening Families Practitioner trained in the Solihull Approach, a nationally recognised programme that supports emotional health, relationships, and positive parenting.
The programme is delivered on St Mary’s and runs for 6 weeks, with weekly 1-hour sessions.
These groups are designed for all parents and carers, providing a safe space to:
- Share experiences with others
- Build confidence in parenting
- Learn practical strategies to support children’s behaviour and emotional wellbeing
Whether you are seeking guidance, reassurance, or connection with other parents, these groups provide valuable support in your parenting journey.
Online Parenting Courses
We also offer access to free evidence-based online parenting courses through the Togetherness, using the Solihull Approach. Parents can sign up using the code TAMAR via the following link: HERE
Bitesize Parenting Workshops
Parents have access to a range of Bitesize Parenting Workshops, each lasting approximately one hour and available during both daytime and evening sessions. These workshops cover a variety of topics to support parents and carers, including: introduction to mental wellbeing, introduction to the teenage brain, introduction to understanding your child, Boundaries, Parenting separately, parenting together, praise and rewards, remaining calm, routines, sibling rivalry and conflict, special time with your child, supporting education and school, and technology and safety. Parents can access these here: HERE
Empowering Parenting Podcasts
Parents can also access the Empowered Parenting Podcasts from Together for Families. New episodes are released each week, bringing you top tips and guest speakers to discuss a range of topics relating to your parenting journey. Access these online FREE:- HERE
Support your child’s development for FREE and get unlimited access
We have partnered with the Easy Peasy app to provide parents and carers in Isles of Scilly with FREE access to parenting advice and activity ideas for children aged birth to five. This is part of our government funded programme.
Easy Peasy's community of parents and experts share their best tips and activity ideas. These are personalised for you and your child.
Information about the app is being shared with early years settings across Scilly.
You can download the app for free from:
For full terms and conditions, please visit easypeasyapp.com/terms
Alternatively you can visit the EasyPeasy website.
Family Sessions
Weekly Health Visiting & Play Sessions
The Early Years team host a weekly event for families on a Thursday morning in partnership with the Health Visiting team. Families are welcomed along to these sessions to meet new friends, access professional support, to have their babies weighed and measured. Additional Health Support sessions are also offered throughout the year on topics such as breastfeeding, weaning, healthy eating and dental care. With informative and professional support, play sessions and drop-in sessions there is something for everyone.
Stay & Play Sessions
Regular stay and play sessions are delivered across the Islands, offering many opportunities to partake in physical, creative and imaginative play. Both children and adults can benefit from these wonderful sessions, as they can meet up and make new friends, learn new skills, get involved in many new experiences and enjoy having lots and lots of fun. These are led by a member of the Early Years team and are advertised well in advance so families are aware of what is on.
Story Time at the Library
Regular monthly Story Time sessions are held at St. Mary's Library these are led by a member of the Early Years team. During the session a story is read, songs sung and an activity to accompany the story topic is offered. A great session to build on children's experiences of books and to encourage families to visit the local library.
Active Scilly Splash Tots
Active Scilly Splash Tots is run by the Active Scilly team at St. Mary's Normandy swimming pool. Babies and toddlers accompanied by an adult can enjoy the wonders of the water and begin to develop an understanding of the importance of water safety, making rapid progress with their swimming skills and abilities.
Outreach Sessions on the Off-Islands
We deliver monthly outreach sessions for families with early years children living on the off-islands, ensuring they can access support closer to home. These sessions offer opportunities for children to learn through play while parents and carers receive advice, guidance, and a chance to connect with their local community.
Breast Feeding Support
Breast feeding support sessions are delivered every two weeks in the klondike room at the Carn Gwaval Wellbeing Centre on St Marys
Off Island Access
Funding for families from the off-islands to access services is available, for more information please contact the Children's Services Team.
Best Start in Life
For more information about Best Start in Life please visit Homepage | Best Start in Life.