Promoting Bookstart across Dudley Family Hubs in line with the Best Start Local Plan

Dudley Council, in partnership with BookTrust, is embedding the Bookstart programme across its Family Hub network to strengthen early language, literacy and school readiness. The programme is coordinated by Dudley Libraries, who have built networks across the region to identify the most effective routes to reach families most in need.

Bookstart packs are introduced through universal services, including Stay and Play sessions, developmental checks, speech and language support and parenting programmes, with practitioners modelling simple ways to share books from birth. The approach aligns with Dudley’s Best Start Local Plan and is reinforced by STaRT (Sing, Talk and Read Together) messaging. Early feedback indicates improved family engagement, increased access to age-appropriate books and greater parental confidence, alongside earlier identification and signposting for additional speech and language support.

This work is driven by the ongoing priority within Dudley Family Hubs to strengthen early literacy, communication and school readiness for young children. Local insight from Family Hub services shows that while families value reading, some parents lack confidence in how to introduce books and stories during the early years.

The Bookstart programme provides a universal, evidence-based way to place books at the centre of early childhood development. Its focus on sharing stories from birth supports children’s language development while strengthening parent-child relationships. Within Dudley Family Hubs, Bookstart delivery is supported by STaRT (Sing, Talk and Read Together), which reinforces simple, everyday actions families can take alongside book sharing.

This approach contributes directly to the ambitions of Dudley’s Best Start Local Plan, ensuring families receive clear, consistent support that promotes positive early experiences and helps reduce inequalities.

The objectives of the work are to:

• Increase awareness and sustained engagement with the Bookstart programme among families.
• Encourage parents and carers to share books with their children from birth, as part of everyday routines.
• Build parental confidence in supporting early language and communication development.
• Embed book sharing and Bookstart messaging across core Family Hub provision, including Stay and Play, developmental checks, and parenting support.
• Strengthen early literacy and school readiness outcomes.
• Ensure delivery aligns with the priorities set out in Dudley’s Best Start Local Plan.
• Improve equitable access to age-appropriate books, ensuring all children have books in their home environment.

These objectives are supported by STaRT, which reinforces consistent messages about talking, singing and reading with children as part of daily life.

Dudley Library Service, who coordinate the Bookstart programme, identified Family Hubs as a key route to reach the families they are targeting. Through working together, they have been able to embed Bookstart within routine Family Hub delivery to maximise accessibility, familiarity and sustainability for families.

Delivery includes:

• Introducing Bookstart packs and key messages within Stay and Play sessions, with practitioners modelling book sharing through play.
• Using Bookstart books within group activities, story time and rhyme sessions.
• Promoting Bookstart through developmental health checks, speech and language advice sessions, and parenting programmes.
• Reinforcing simple STaRT messages to help parents and carers understand how book sharing fits naturally with everyday talking and singing at home.
• Ensuring Bookstart messages are consistently reinforced across Family Hub services.

Practitioners focus on demonstrating how books can be used in everyday moments, helping families to feel confident and supported to share books at home.

Overall, integrating Bookstart into routine Family Hub delivery has increased family engagement, improved access to age-appropriate books, and strengthened support for early language, literacy and school readiness.

Public health and wellbeing:

• Parents, carers and children are encouraged to connect through shared book experiences, strengthening quality time together and supporting positive interaction.

Social impact:

• Improved engagement with Stay and Play groups, where Bookstart activities are integrated into sessions in a visible and welcoming way. Families can take resources home, helping to extend learning beyond the session and supporting continued book sharing in the home environment.
• The programme has improved access to age-appropriate books for children who may not otherwise have them at home, contributing to a more equitable early learning offer across communities.
• By embedding Bookstart within routine Family Hub provision, book sharing is increasingly normalised as part of everyday family life.

Early years and education outcomes:

• The programme has strengthened the emphasis on early literacy and school readiness across Family Hub services.
• Bookstart books are actively used to support children’s speech, language and communication development, with practitioners modelling and reinforcing age-appropriate book sharing approaches.
• The approach also supports earlier identification of children who may benefit from additional speech and language input, enabling timely signposting and support.

What have you learnt as a result of the programme?

The programme is demonstrating that Bookstart integrates effectively with Dudley’s STaRT messaging, reinforcing consistent, practical guidance for families. Parents and carers respond particularly well when practitioners model that book sharing can be informal, flexible and part of everyday routines, rather than a formal or time‑consuming activity. Having multiple copies of the same book available within sessions has also supported shared reading, enabling children and parents to engage with the story together and helping to build confidence to continue book sharing at home.

Any recommendations for other councils interested in implementing similar projects?

Our recommendations for other councils interested in implementing similar projects would be to:

• Maximise Bookstart by embedding it within universal early years and Family Hub provision, rather than delivering it as a stand-alone offer.
• Use Stay and Play sessions to model shared reading in a relaxed, practical way, helping families build confidence and take ideas into the home.
• Deliver through universal services to maximise reach and reduce stigma, while ensuring consistent messages across partners and settings.

This approach has been highly effective in meeting its initial objectives and is now embedded within routine Dudley Family Hub delivery, with continued development as services transition to Best Start Family Hubs. The combined use of Bookstart and STaRT provides a sustainable, low-cost model aligned with Dudley’s Best Start Local Plan and remains well placed to support long-term improvements in early communication, family relationships and outcomes for children across Dudley.

Building on this progress, future activity may include gathering parent and carer feedback to strengthen understanding of impact from a family perspective and inform ongoing service improvement. Overall, the programme is expected to continue as a core element of early years support delivered through the Family Hubs as they evolve within the Best Start framework.

Contact

Danielle Summersby-Ingram, Family Hub Manager at Dudley Central Family Centre

Contact: [email protected]

Leona Wilson, Community Engagement Coordinator at BookTrust

Contact: [email protected]