Publish date: 10 June 2025
Better Start and Blackpool Teaching Hospitals’ programme for parents-to-be, Baby Steps, has been highlighted as part of the new ‘Shaping Us’ framework – The Princess of Wales’ mission to create a happier, healthier society. It aims to improve awareness of and knowledge about social and emotional skills to inspire action across society.
Blackpool appears alongside several bitesize films from across the UK showing examples of how different types of services are supporting different aspects of babies and young children’s social and emotional development.
Baby Steps is developed by the NSPCC and was launched universally in Blackpool in 2015. To-date, 430 groups have been delivered to over 2500 expecting mothers. The group programme is open to both parents and helps to strengthen their relationships with their baby, with each other, and with the people around them - ensuring babies have the nurturing care they need to thrive.
The Shaping Us campaign is supported by The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood which was founded by the Princess of Wales in 2021.
Christian Guy, Executive Director for The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood commented: “The science is now clear. The first five years of our lives – from pregnancy to the age of five – are absolutely fundamental to our future, both as individuals and as a society. We must recognise their importance and prioritise those earliest years to ensure future generations are equipped with the vital life skills they need to thrive.”
Programmes like Baby Steps support parents from before birth to help them understand and build the skills to manage the emotional and physical transition into parenthood.
Clare Law, Director at Better Start, commented: “By talking about secure loving relationships, undertaking activities and encouraging parents to think about bonding before birth, it’s really helping babies to develop a sense of how we build relationships with others.
“Services like Baby Steps are helping to ensure the best start for our families. We are thrilled to be working alongside The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood on our shared mission to improve babies’ and young children’s lives.”
Jennifer Bayliss, Team leader for the health visiting and baby steps service at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals hopes this collaboration will help more families come forward to receive support.: “We are so happy that the services and groups that we deliver has been recognised by the foundation and been chosen to feature within their campaign. This is a free service and is already being delivered to hundreds of families across Blackpool, but we hope that more families will come forward to benefit and learn about how by nurturing relationships, even before a baby is born, can lay the foundations for their future development.”
Anyone wishing to know more about the programmes mentioned should reach out to their healthcare professional, such as a midwife or health visitor or self-refer into a group via Blackpool Better start.
