Act Early South London
Act Early South London is a partnership programme which takes a population health approach to reducing health and social inequalities and improving outcomes for the children and young people living in Lambeth and Southwark.
Act Early is funded primarily through Evelina London Children's Charity and was inspired and informed by ActEarly Bradford and Tower Hamlets.
Our mission
Our long-term vision is to promote a healthier and fairer future for children and young people across Lambeth and Southwark. Act Early will respond to priority social and health problems for children, and tackle unresolved challenges and system pressures through partnership working.
Children's outcomes are profoundly shaped by the wider determinants of health - income, housing, environment, education, and community - and inequalities in these areas accumulate over time. Yet these root causes are often overlooked in favour of downstream, reactive interventions.
Act Early is committed to changing this. Through collective, innovative approaches across local government, the NHS, the voluntary and community sector, and other partners, we aim to shift focus upstream and drive meaningful, long-term improvements in children's lives.
Partnership working
Lambeth and Southwark have a strong and established history of working together to improve outcomes for children and young people. In 2013 we formed the Children and Young People's Health Partnership (CYPHP), followed in 2021 by the rollout of integrated child health teams across all GP practices in both boroughs. The Child Health Integrated Learning and Delivery System (CHILDS) then built on CYPHP, applying learning to a wider range of conditions.
Act Early is the next evolution in this partnership. It builds on the foundations of CYPHP and CHILDS, bringing partners together across South East London - including local authorities; primary and secondary care including mental health providers; academic partners and others.
Act Early aims to share learnings, align with local priorities and drivers, test and evaluate innovative solutions, and create system efficiencies by working together. Through this joined up approach, Act Early strengthens the system's ability to respond to priority challenges for children and drive long-term improvements for children, young people, and families.
Act Early Child and Young Person Outcomes Report
Act Early Child and Young Person Outcomes Report
This report brings together key indicators to build a clear picture of child and family biopsychosocial outcomes across Lambeth and Southwark as of December 2025.
Using existing data sources, joint strategic needs assessment (JSNA) outputs, and additional partner-provided data and insights, the report highlights the significant variation and inequalities in child health, wellbeing, and social outcomes.
The report represents the discover phase of the Act Early learning health system and will inform future co-design, implementation, and evaluation. Partners are encouraged to use the findings to support local priorities, spark conversations, and drive collective action to reduce inequalities for children and young people.
The report will be available here soon.