CASE STUDY- Embedding co-design and participation in early years services
Policy Lab worked with the Department of Health and Social Care to develop a co-design toolkit enabling parents and carers to shape early years services.
The Family Hubs and Start for Life (Healthy Babies) programme was established to strengthen early years services by ensuring parents and carers are actively involved in shaping how services are designed and delivered. However, many local authorities highlighted that they lacked the practical tools, confidence, and capacity to move beyond traditional consultation towards more meaningful and sustained co-design with families.
In response, Policy Lab worked in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to develop a co-design toolkit designed to strengthen capability across 75 local authorities. The toolkit was tested and refined with parents, carers, and practitioners in a range of real-world settings to ensure it was practical, inclusive, and adaptable to different local contexts.
Launched in June 2025, the toolkit is now supporting more consistent and meaningful participation from families. It enables a broader range of voices to be heard in service design, including those who may not typically engage through standard consultation approaches.
This work has helped strengthen local capability by embedding participatory approaches into everyday practice, rather than treating engagement as a standalone activity. It has also increased confidence among practitioners in facilitating collaborative discussions and creating more inclusive environments where families feel able to contribute.
In addition, the programme has strengthened relationships between national and local partners through shared ownership of the tools and the establishment of ongoing feedback loops between policy development and frontline delivery.
Overall, this work demonstrates the value of structured, practical co-design approaches in improving early years services, ensuring they are shaped by the lived experience of families and more closely aligned with local needs.
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