Earlier today, with my colleague Vicky Atkins MP – the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability – I visited Lambeth Early Action Partnership (LEAP) to learn how the National Lottery funded programme is working to better the lives of thousands of children in the local community.

Part of the work of the cross-government ministerial group I am chairing on early years family support, we were keen to learn how this collaboration is supporting children and families from conception to four years.

It was great to see local organisations and the wider community coming together to provide a support network for families, particularly those with new babies. I was really pleased to see the innovative work of the Better Start programme first hand and to meet the committed volunteers and staff who make it happen.

We also met with families in a 40-minute round table discussion and heard how LEAP interventions have enabled parents to play an active part in deciding on and designing the support they get in order to give their children the best possible start in life.