Children and Communities Grant (CCG): guidance 2025 to 2026

1.1 The vision for Funding Alignment is to provide financial flexibility that facilitates the delivery of outcomes, which can empower Local Authorities and Welsh Government to align and improve early intervention, prevention and support services together, ensuring the right support reaches the right people at the earliest opportunity

1.2 Funding Alignment has five broad objectives:

• to provide greater autonomy about how services are delivered, particularly around joint planning and commissioning
• to provide greater financial freedom and flexibility to enable local authorities to work differently
• to enable local authorities to plan strategically and holistically
• to enable service re-design
• to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy

1.3 Please note – Your grant offer letter includes funding to support the Programme for Government commitment to “Deliver a phased expansion of early year’s provision to include all 2-year-olds, with a particular emphasis on strengthening Welsh medium provision.” This allocation includes: 

• funding for administration purposes to prepare for the expansion (from April 22)
• allocation for the first phase of the expansion
• allocation for Phase 2 (A and B) of the expansion 

1.4 The outcomes we are seeking to influence reflect the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 (‘WFG Act’) well-being goals. There should be a focus on actively helping those who require help now and also the development of innovative approaches to delivery, designed to prevent people becoming more vulnerable in the future. 

1.5 One important way, which services can support people, is by working in ways which are trauma informed. The Welsh Government is keen for services, delivered as part of this grant, to operate in a trauma-informed way. The Welsh Government has supported the development of a Trauma-Informed Wales framework. The framework seeks to support a consistent approach to developing and implementing trauma-informed practice in Wales. The framework defines what is meant by trauma-informed, it sets out five principles which should underpin all trauma-informed practice, and it established four practice levels, from universal through to specialist, which describe the different roles people and organisations may have when supporting people affected by trauma. 

1.6 A key aim of Welsh Government across all policy areas is to improve partnership working and improve children and families’ experiences of navigating a complex system for support. Our NYTH/NEST framework outlines our ‘no wrong door’ approach and provides key principles for creating a system that offers the right help, in the right ways, at the right time. To support organisations to imbed the NYTH/NEST framework we have created a NEST Self-Assessment Tool and NEST Training. We believe that it would be beneficial for all projects funded through the CCG to undertake NEST training and use the self-assessment tool. There is opportunity within the reporting template to provide case studies on how NEST is being implemented through the CCG.

2.1 Prosperity for All: the National Strategy sets out the need to deliver public services in a more collaborative and integrated way. This grant is seeking to address the support needs of the most vulnerable children and adults in our communities through a range of early intervention, prevention and support mechanisms. It will seek to mitigate or remove disadvantage to vulnerable people to enable them to have the same life chances as others, thereby contributing to a more equal Wales.

2.2 The programmes/ elements of the Children and Communities Grant are:

• Families First
• Flying Start (Flexible Funding element including the ‘Phase 1’ Expansion element which has been de-ringfenced)
• Flying Start Phase 2 Expansion (which has been de-ringfenced)
• Childcare & Play
• Training and Support Programme
• Promoting Positive Engagement for Young People at Risk of Offending
• St David’s Day Fund
• Out of Court Parenting Support
• Playworks Holiday Project
• Early Intervention Parenting Support 

2.3 Local authorities need to consider how they deliver the services they provide more strategically. Flexibility within this grant can support and promote joint planning and commissioning to make more effective use of the funding in pursuit of the constituent programmes’ aims and objectives. There is an expectation this extra freedom will allow a more strategic approach to delivering for the most vulnerable in society.

2.4 The money allocated for the Children and Communities Grant for 2025-26 must only be spent on delivering against this grant (and the programmes within it).

3.1 Grant recipients are required to set out their strategic plans for the delivery of services provided through the CCG in Delivery Plans for 2025-26.

3.2 Reporting arrangements for progress remain through the current claims and monitoring procedures set out in the Grant award letters for 2025-26.

4.1 The purpose of this section is to outline the high level aims of each of the programmes delivered through the CCG.

FAMILIES FIRST:

4.2 Families First promotes multi-agency systems and support for families, with a clear emphasis on early help and prevention and works with the whole family to stop problems escalating towards crisis.

4.3 Local Authorities should continue to use the funding to provide multi-agency services which have been identified via local needs assessments. The following key elements of Families First should continue to be prioritised by Local Authorities:

• Joint Assessment Family Framework (‘JAFF’) which provides 
  a comprehensive strengths-based evaluation of families’ needs.
   
• The Team Around the Family (‘TAF’) which brings together a wide range of professionals to work together with a family to help them address the range of challenges they face.
   
• Strategically commissioned projects developed in response to identified local needs to support babies, children young people and their families.
   
• Disability Focus – a focus on innovative support for families affected by disability. 

4.4 The current Families First programme guidance was developed in collaboration with key stakeholders and published in April 2017. This sets out a clear delivery framework for the programme. Within this framework, local authorities are given a considerable degree of flexibility to determine how the programme should be delivered at a local level to meet the needs of the communities they serve. To read the full guidance follow the link below. The guidance is currently being reviewed and we will engage with Families First co-ordinators about timescales for issuing when it has been finalised.

Families First: guidance for local authorities | GOV.WALES

FLYING START:

Core Flying Start Programme including Phase 1 Expansion (Flexible Funding) 

4.5 Flying Start is the Welsh Government’s flagship Early Years programme for disadvantaged families with children aged up to 4 years. Flying Start aims to make a decisive difference to the life chances of children in the areas which it runs. In the longer term this should see fewer young people being disadvantaged as a result of poverty. 

4.6 Additional funding is provided to support the Programme for Government commitment to “Deliver a phased expansion of early years provision to include all 2-year-olds, with a particular emphasis on strengthening Welsh medium provision.”

4.7 In September 2022 the Flying Start programme was expanded to reach up to 2,500 more children aged 0 to 4 under Phase 1 of the expansion. The Flying Start target areas were increased in every local authority in Wales. The first phase of the expansion includes all four elements of the core Flying Start programme including childcare for those aged 2 to 3. The programme has 4 core elements which must continue to be offered to all eligible families. Families may, however, choose not to take up all of these elements – but will not be able to opt for the childcare alone.

4.8 Please be aware that funding to support Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the expansion of Flying Start, which was previously ringfenced, has now been de-ringfenced within the CCG. 

Flying Start: guidance | GOV.WALES

4.9 The four key elements are:

1. Health Visiting 

An enhanced FS Health Visiting (HV) service supported by improved health visitor ratios of 1:110 to enable intensive intervention with families. 

2. Childcare

The provision of up to 12.5 hours a week of quality childcare for 2-year-olds up until foundation phase nursery entitlement begins. If parents choose not to take up the full 12.5 hours offered, then unallocated sessions may be offered to other parents (up to the 12.5 hour maximum).

FS Childcare provision must:

• Be delivered by a suitably qualified and well-trained workforce (in accordance with Social Care Wales’ list of Required Qualifications to work with the Early Years and Childcare Sector in Wales. Section 5 specifically identifies the qualifications required to work within Flying Start).
• Support a child’s development
• Facilitate a smooth transition into education.

3. Speech, Language and Communication (SLC)

The provision of Speech, Language & Communication (SLC) support for all children eligible for Flying Start. SLC support will be provided at population level (i.e. for all families eligible for Flying Start) or targeted level (i.e. for families with an identified need) according to need. 

4. Parenting

The provision of evidence-based parenting support as well as more informal interventions for families related to need.

4.10 Local Authorities are set a target number of children they are expected to reach over the course of a year, and this should be seen as the minimum to be reached. 

Phase 2 Expansion of 2-year-old funding via Flying Start Childcare (now de-ringfenced)

4.11 You have received additional funding to support the Programme for Government commitment to “Deliver a phased expansion of early year’s provision to include all 2-year-olds, with a particular emphasis on strengthening Welsh medium provision.”

4.12 Phase 2 commenced in April 2023 and will be offering the childcare element of Flying Start during this phase. This investment will allow the reach of Flying Start childcare provision to expand significantly, supporting long-term, positive impacts on the lives of the most disadvantaged children and families across Wales.

• Your allocation includes: an allocation for the third year to continue funding provision relating to the Phase 2 of the expansion (from April 2024). 

CHILDCARE AND PLAY 

4.13 High quality childcare and staffed play provision help to meet the needs of parents who wish to work or train and promotes child development and attainment and supports the well-being of children.

4.14 Local authorities should use the grant to address gaps identified in their Childcare Sufficiency Assessments and Action Plans to provide sufficient, sustainable and flexible childcare that is responsive to parents’ needs. Guidance on meeting these needs is provided in the Childcare Statutory Guidance.

4.15 Local authorities may also use the grant to address gaps identified in their Play Sufficiency Assessments where this relates to staffed play provision which enables parents to work or train e.g. out of school clubs, holiday play schemes.

4.16 Guidance on securing sufficient play opportunities is provided in the statutory guidance: Wales - A Play Friendly Country.

4.17 In considering the use of the grant; 

• Local authorities should give special consideration and support to the childcare and play needs of:
   
  • Low income families
  • families with children with additional needs
  • families wishing to access provision through the medium of Welsh.
     
• The grant may be used to support sustainability of provision; provide workforce development and encourage flexible approaches to meet the needs of parents working atypical hours.

Local authorities should provide a clear rationale within their Delivery Plan for how they have prioritised childcare and play (including the Training and Support programme).

TRAINING AND SUPPORT PROGRAMME

4.18 High quality childcare and play provision relies on having a well-trained workforce who are supported to access both fundamental and best practice training. 

4.19 Following the publication of the Independent Review of Childminding, which highlighted the significant decline in childminders across Wales, a number of actions have been identified for both Welsh Government and local authorities to take forward. These actions aim to encourage new childminders into the sector. The provision of part or fully funded training and start up support is fundamental to this.

4.20 The Training and Support Programme element of the CCG focuses on providing training and related support for the childcare and playwork sector, specifically to support the workforce to access the following: 

• The mandatory paediatric first aid and safeguarding training as specified by the National Minimum Standards.
• Best practice training, this should include training to support Additional Learning Needs.
• Pre-registration training for childminders and mandatory unit 326 qualification for childminder assistants.
• General start-up support for childminders entering the sector, this can include start up grants, covering the costs of resources, support etc. 

4.21 Local Authority claims and monitoring information should outline clearly the number of sessions provided and the profile of attendees for each of the categories above. 

4.22 The information provided on childminder start up support, pre-reg training and other training support will be used by Welsh Government to monitor the level of support provided to childminders as part of the work underway to reverse the decline of childminders in Wales.

4.23 It is expected that local authorities ensure that funding for access to training as listed above is available throughout the financial year. 

PROMOTING POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT (‘PPE’) FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AT RISK OF OFFENDING

Aims/ Objectives/ Outcomes of PPE

4.24 In May 2019 the Welsh Government published its Youth Justice Blueprint. The Youth Justice Blueprint for Wales sets out the vision for youth justice in Wales and has a clear focus on early intervention and prevention. Please identify links between the Youth Justice Blueprint and the work delivered by the Youth Justice Service in receipt of PPE funding.

In order to support the implementation of the Blueprint we may require local authorities to provide additional information about the Promoting Positive Engagement for Young People At Risk of Offending (PPE) fund. You can access the Blueprint and implementation plan here: https://gov.wales/supporting-young-offenders. Where we require additional information we will write to you separately setting out what information we need and what it will be used for

4.25 The aim of the funding for Promoting Positive Engagement for Young People at risk of offending is to support projects that are aimed at the reduction and prevention of youth crime and disorder and that support the following strategic objectives:

• Reduce the number of first-time entrants to the youth justice system in Wales
• Reduce the rate of proven reoffending by young people in Wales
• Reduce the proportion of young people who receive a conviction in court and then receive custodial sentences
• Improve the number of hours of suitable education, training or employment children and young people receive while within the youth justice system
• Improve access to suitable accommodation for young people in the youth justice system
• Improve access to substance misuse assessment and treatment
• Improve access to CAMHS assessment and treatment.

4.26 In June 2022 the Welsh Government published ‘An Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan’ Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan (gov.wales) which set out how the Welsh Government will take an anti-racist approach to all of their work, pro-actively taking steps to address discrimination across Welsh Government policy areas. Eradicating racism and promoting race equality have always been priorities for the Welsh Government and the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan is built on the values of anti-racism and calls for zero tolerance of racism in all its guises. We expect the work funded through the PPE takes an Anti-Racist approach and considers the needs of children and young people with protected characteristics, including children and young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

4.27 The Trauma Informed Wales Framework aims to set out an all-society Framework to support a coherent, consistent approach to developing and implementing trauma-informed practice across Wales, providing the best possible support to those who need it most. The Framework establishes how individuals, families/other support networks, communities, organisations and systems take account of adversity and trauma, recognising and supporting the strengths of an individual to overcome this experience in their lives. It also sets out the support they can expect to receive from the organisations, sectors and systems that they may turn to for help. We expect all work undertaken through the PPE to reflect a trauma informed practice approach.

4.28 For a number of years the PPE for Young People at risk of Offending grant has been funded through regional footprint partnerships. We would encourage all authorities to continue working collaboratively in relation to this funding as far as possible.

ST DAVID’S DAY FUND - For young people who are or have been in local authority care

4.29 Local authorities are corporate parents for children and young people in their care. We have heard from young people that they are often disadvantaged because they do not receive the support to which their peers living with birth parents have access. That support includes guidance about education choices; funds to maintain social contact with peers and advice on living independently (covering issues including how to budget, pay bills and buy household goods).

4.30 The purpose of the funding is to support young people who are or have been in local authority care to access opportunities that will lead them towards independent and successful lives. Local authorities should administer it flexibly and creatively to meet the needs of their young people in the same way that birth parents support their children, including the ‘bank of mum and dad’ role.

4.31 We expect local authorities to be doing what they can for care-experienced young people whose lives have been adversely affected as a consequence of the pandemic or by recent increases to the cost of living. It is important that young people are appropriately supported to continue to transition towards independent living or to maintain their existing independence. For example, helping with income loss, food supplies, household bills and other essential living costs including ensuring tenancy arrangements are protected and so forth. Maintaining contact with friends, families and services continues to be important for care-experienced young people. Therefore, local authorities will also wish to ensure the digital and data needs of care leavers are identified and met. This includes access to devices such as laptops, tablets and phones, broadband connectivity and data and phone credit.

4.32 The fund is not to support the implementation of national strategies but is to go directly to care-experienced young people in sums of money which can be used as a catalyst to advance independence, development and progression.

4.33 Local authorities are encouraged to make care leavers and those due to leave care aware of the fund through Pathway Plan discussions and review meetings. Through their corporate parenting boards (or equivalent) or leaving care teams, local authorities should promote the fund to their 16-25 population, encourage funding requests and work within the following set of guiding principles:

• Recognise and embrace the unique relationship between the child/young person and the local authority as their corporate parent. This relationship is not replicated anywhere else in the many relationships that exist between citizens and their local authority. 
   
• Be responsible corporate parents by promoting their organisation as a family business, offering all care-experienced young people opportunities for work experience and apprenticeships. 
   
• Support and nurture young people’s aspirations and help them to work towards achieving their goals so they can flourish and achieve.

OUT OF COURT PARENTING SUPPORT (OoCPS)

4.34 The Out of Court Parenting Support (OoCPS) Grant supports the implementation of the Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Act 2020. Under the Act, since 21 March 2022, all physical punishment of children is illegal, including by parents and anyone acting in loco parentis in any setting in Wales.

4.35 If the police (having considered the evidential and public interest tests) decide to take further action against a parent who has physically punished their child, they might offer an out of court disposal (OOCD), such as a community resolution or conditional caution, to avoid the potential of prosecution through the courts for low level offences. A condition of the OOCD would be engagement in parenting support which is intended to develop positive non-violent parenting practices.

4.36 The OoCPS Grant provides funding to enable local authorities to deliver this tailored parenting support. 

4.37 Local authorities should in the first instance refer to and follow the Out of Court Parenting Support – Guidance which was co-produced with local authorities, the police and Youth Offending Teams, for guidance on meeting the requirements of the Grant, including the information and data required to effectively monitor and understand the impact of the support.

Section 2 of the guidance sets out the purpose and eligible costs of the grant, in summary these are:

i. Employment of a parenting worker 

ii. Training and supervision 

iii. Sharing learning and good practice 

iv. Supporting parental engagement 

4.38 There can be flexibility in how the parenting worker role is accommodated and where the tailored support would best ‘sit’ within early intervention services. A specific individual may be employed, or the specifics of the role may be added to the job descriptions of individuals already employed in the local authority. 

4.39 The parenting worker is expected to give priority to referrals from the police in conjunction with an OOCD, and a key requirement of the grant is that all referrals from the police should be actioned, and parenting support delivered within 3 months of receipt, or to a longer timeframe subject to discussion with the police. However, if the parenting worker has capacity, they can support the delivery of the universal parenting offer within the local area.

4.40 It is expected that the parenting support delivered under the OoCPS Grant, alongside an OOCD offered by the police, should be provided on a one-to-one basis by a highly skilled parenting worker able to provide parenting support across the continuum of need and tailored to each individual’s specific family context.

4.41 The tailored parenting support will operate on an all-Wales basis. Whatever police force area the offence was committed in, the individual would be eligible to access tailored parenting support in the local authority where they are resident.

PLAYWORKS HOLIDAY PROJECT

4.42 The Playworks Holiday Project (a holiday hunger initiative) aims to support access to increased rich play opportunities for children and young people during the school holidays and provide healthy food / snacks.

4.43 Feeding children over the school holidays, when breakfast clubs and free school meals are not available, can be a challenge for some families. No child should have to go hungry, and to help support those families, the Welsh Government intends to support tackling holiday hunger through playwork settings.

4.44 Play is a vital element in children’s development and something that can provide a strong protective factor in children’s lives. Playing and staffed play provision positively impacts on children and families who are experiencing poverty. Playing can shield children from the negative aspects of poverty, helping them to develop their inner resources and build resilience.

4.45 Local authorities should refer to the detailed guidance on what can be delivered, and the priority areas for the Playworks Holiday Project, which sets out the grant aims and funding criteria. 

https://www.gov.wales/playworks-holiday-project-2025-2026-guidance-local-authorities

4.46 Local authorities must ensure that any initiatives funded are in line with their 2025-26 Play Sufficiency Action plan. They must consult with colleagues within their local authority as part of their planning, to make sure this funding is used in a complementary way and does not unintentionally negatively impact on other related areas of work, in particular:

• childcare
• education regarding the School Holiday Enrichment Programme (SHEP)
• those involved in child poverty initiatives.

4.47 Local authorities should provide a clear rationale within their Delivery Plan on how they have prioritised children’s play through staffed playworks during school holidays, and holiday hunger through the provision of food / snacks. 

4.48 Data collected through the mandatory monitoring forms will be used to assess whether or not funding has met the Playworks Holiday Project aims. 

EARLY INTERVENTION PARENTING SUPPORT GRANT

4.49 Parents play a central role in relation to outcomes for children and positive outcomes are more likely when parents provide positive guidance and care for their children based on the principles set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

4.50 Childhood experiences, both positive and negative, have an impact on the health and well-being of children. Stressful or traumatic experiences that occur during childhood (adverse childhood experiences – ACEs) can cause problems both early on and throughout life. The Welsh Government recognises the importance of providing good quality parenting support because there is plenty of evidence that good parenting is key to successful outcomes for children.

4.51 The cost-of-living crisis will also bring pressures for parents which could lead to additional support being required, and greater pressure on local authorities to find resources to provide comprehensive support in a timely way.

4.52 The core purpose of parenting support is about working with parents to increase parents’ confidence in their parenting skills, improve parent-child relationships; improve outcomes for the child and promote healthy relationships either in the home or among separated/separating parents.

4.53 Parenting support should be responsive to parents’ needs and should incorporate open access and universally available services, through to more structured and targeted support. While parenting support is provided through our Flying Start and Families First programmes, there is a need for a wider programme of parenting support to reach families who cannot easily access support through those programmes; and to provide specialised support with inter-parental relationships, including for separating and separated parents. Our Parenting in Wales: Guidance on engagement and support document sets out our expectations on how parenting support should be delivered.

4.54 The Early Intervention Parenting Support Grant can be used for the following purposes (and should not duplicate any other parenting and family funding streams, including Flying Start and Families First):

• increase the capacity of the parenting support workforce;
• support development of skills, knowledge and resources of the parenting and wider workforce (who provide parenting support);
• support innovative community-based provision such as parenting groups or peer support groups;
• develop innovative training tools for parenting practitioners and parenting support packages to be delivered to families virtually;
• support creative approaches to support healthy relationships among separating and separated parents, aiming to avoid or mitigate adverse experiences and outcomes from divorce and separation on children and parent.

OTHER ACTIVITIES WHICH COMPLEMENT THE CCG PROGRAMMES (Historical non-employment and unallocated funding)

4.55 The funding for the non-employment element of the historical Legacy fund remains within the CCG, although it no longer forms a separate programme. This has been distributed to local authorities based on historical spend, as a result, some small underspends were unallocated. These have been distributed across all local authorities to integrate across the CCG programmes. 

4.56 This funding enables local authorities to continue delivering the non-employment related services previously funded under the Legacy programme and to continue having the flexibility to invest resources which underpin the remainder of the CCG programmes.

4.57 These activities should complement the programmes within CCG and be reported against those programmes accordingly. However, if the activity does not neatly fit with a programme, it should still meet the early intervention/prevention principles of the CCG and shouldn’t be employability related. In this case, these should be reported separately in the monitoring form.

5.1 The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 (“The Act”) provides the basis for driving a different kind of public service in Wales, with five ways of working (long-term, prevention, integration, collaboration, and involvement) to shape how public services should work to deliver for people.

5.2 The Act requires public bodies by law to do what they do in a more sustainable way. It requires them to think more about the long term, work better with people and communities and each other, look to prevent problems and take a more joined-up approach. Public bodies need to make sure that when making their decisions they take into account the impact they could have on people living their lives in Wales in the future. It expects them to:

• work together better
• involve people reflecting the diversity of our communities
• look to the long term as well as focusing on now
• take action to try and stop problems getting worse - or even stop them happening in the first place.

5.3 Local authorities should consider how CCG services can be designed and commissioned to improve the well-being of people. The Future Generations Framework for Service Design tool describes what the five ways of working mean in practice for service design and can be used by those who design and oversee provision of services to prompt thought, have structured discussions, and make decisions, about new ways of working to ensure services are resilient and seeking to improve the well-being of people now and in the future.

6.1 The Welsh Government is committed to implementing the aims of the Cymraeg 2050: A million Welsh speakers Welsh language strategy. It is expected that grant recipients actively support opportunities to increase the use of the Welsh language within funded activities.

7.1 CCG budget allocations along with the terms and conditions for the CCG are set out in the Grant Award letter issued in March 2025 to Local Authorities.

7.2 Claims/Payment Processes

A financial claim form template will be circulated to local authorities for this financial year. This will include guidance on how to complete the claim form, the timetable for returning the claim and the appropriate budget lines (expenditure types) required (along with definitions – see table below).

7.3 Claims will be paid in arrears to Local Authorities. The payment profile is set out in Annex A and is also included within your grant award letter.

7.4 CCG Eligible Spend

7.5 Capital Funding

The CCG is revenue only, however, it can be used to purchase capital items that are written-off to revenue:- If physical adaptations are required to settings which is likely to be capital/or purchase of capital items, then this can be claimed through the CCG if the equipment is essential to deliver the service. You are able to claim up to the authorities “capitalisation” threshold for capital items which will depend on the authorities own financial policies (we cannot fund items which have been capitalised). 

7.6 Reporting and Monitoring 

The data monitoring and reporting requirements for programmes for the CCG will be issued to Local authorities for this financial year (via the 2025/26 monitoring form) which needs to be sent to Welsh Government with each claim.

7.7 Audit

A Statement of Grant Expenditure is required for completion as identified in the grant award letter terms and conditions/schedules. This will seek assurance of spend for the CCG 2025-26 and require it to be certified by the LA Chief Finance Officer.

The Welsh Government reserves the right to appoint an external auditor if required.

7.8 Contact us

Should you have any queries about this guidance please contact the Flexible Funding Mailbox (flexiblefunding@gov.wales) or for anything urgent please speak to one of our team which are set out below:

CCG Payment Profile

In early 2026 we will ask you to provide a final claim forecast for 2025/26. You will not be able to claim for any expenditure in Claim 2 which is over and above the forecast provided, or if it takes you above your overall annual budget allocation.