Best Start Family Navigator Development Programme

Developing the skills, confidence and professional judgement Family Navigators need to help families find, access and navigate the right support.

Family Navigators play a vital role within Best Start Family Hubs, helping to make the wider network of services and support easier for families to find, understand, access and use.

Our Best Start Family Navigator Development Programme has been developed specifically for practitioners working in Family Navigator and similar roles across Best Start Family Hubs and the wider Best Start network.

Grounded in the national Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies guidance, the programme helps Navigators translate the five Best Start principles – Connections, Relationships, Access and Inclusion, Insights, and Data and Digital – into effective everyday practice.

The programme recognises that Navigators bring different skills and experiences to their roles. It builds on these strengths, developing the professional curiosity, practical skills and judgement needed to engage families purposefully, make effective connections, strengthen family agency and contribute to a more accessible and joined-up system of support.

What does the programme cover?

The programme focuses on six interconnected areas of effective Family Navigation.

ENGAGE – Building purposeful and trusted relationships

Developing the skills to establish trust, engage families inclusively and use everyday contacts as opportunities for meaningful conversations. Participants explore how positive relationships support effective navigation, including the confidence to ask questions, recognise concerns and have potentially difficult conversations when needed.

UNDERSTAND – Recognising what matters to families

Listening beyond the initial enquiry to understand families' circumstances, strengths, needs and barriers. Participants develop professional curiosity, recognise emerging needs and consider how to identify a purposeful next step, including when additional expertise or support may be required.

CONNECT – Making effective connections to support

Understanding and navigating the wider Best Start network, including health, early years, education, SEND, Family Help and community services. Participants explore information and signposting, supported navigation, warm connections, multi-agency working and advocacy, developing the judgement to provide the right level of support for each family.

REACH – Extending access through outreach and community connections

Recognising who may not be accessing the Family Hub offer and understanding the barriers that can prevent families from engaging. Participants explore proactive outreach, inclusive access and building relationships with schools, health services, voluntary and community organisations, faith groups and other trusted community partners.

ENABLE – Strengthening family confidence, choice and agency

Supporting families to understand their options, make informed choices and take an active role in accessing support. Participants explore the balance between doing for, doing with and supporting families to do things themselves, recognising when more active support or advocacy is needed.

LEARN – Using family experience to improve the system

Recognising the Navigator's valuable role in identifying where families experience difficulties accessing support. Participants explore how to check whether connections have worked, recognise recurring barriers and unmet needs, listen to family feedback and share frontline insight that can inform service and partnership improvement.

A practical, role-focused programme

The programme is highly participative, combining practical examples, discussion, skills practice and reflection to help participants apply their learning directly to everyday Family Navigation.

Participants are encouraged to examine their own approaches, develop confidence in making professional judgements and identify practical ways to strengthen their contribution to the wider Best Start system.

Throughout the programme, the emphasis is on turning policy into practice and helping families experience support that is accessible, connected, responsive and shaped around their needs.

Who is the programme for?

The programme is suitable for:

• Family Navigators working within Best Start Family Hubs.

• Practitioners undertaking equivalent navigation, connector or family access roles within local Best Start networks.

• Practitioners moving into Family Navigator roles, including those transitioning from family support, reception, community engagement or activity-based roles.

• Staff whose responsibilities include helping families find, access and navigate services and community support across the Family Hub network.

Find out more

To find out more about the Best Start Family Navigator Development Programme and how it could support your workforce, please contact us.