PRESS RELEASE: New Pembs Community of Practice Launches
26 FEBRUARY 2026 12:25
PRESS RELEASE: New Pembs Community of Practice Launches
PRESS RELEASE - 26 February 2026
Pembrokeshire’s New Community of Practice Launches with Strong Momentum and Shared Commitment to Tackling Child Poverty
The inaugural meeting of the Pembrokeshire Words to Action (W2A) Community of Practice (CoP) took place yesterday at Pembrokeshire Archives in Haverfordwest—and was marked by exceptional energy, cross‑sector enthusiasm, and a strong shared commitment to collaborative action.
More than 40 frontline practitioners, team leaders, and community contributors, came together for the first time to shape a new county‑wide space for learning, problem‑solving, and joined‑up working.
The CoP has been established to strengthen communication between agencies, support the frontline workforce, and ensure grounded insight informs local planning and commissioning—especially in the county’s collective efforts to reduce and prevent child poverty.
A CoP was seen as a mechanism to support and strengthen the workforce, helping it to remain resilient in the face of high demand, workforce shortages, and increasing complexity. Frontline workers emphasised the value of shared problem identification, collective problem solving, mutual support, and sharing of training and resources.
At a strategic level, a CoP has the potential to inform planners, commissioners, and decision-makers about the pressures, strengths, and emerging needs within the county’s network of services. This insight can help create the conditions for stronger coordination, improved service design, and more effective collaboration across sectors.
A key emphasis emerging from the inaugural meeting was the importance of **problem‑solving around communication and early intervention services**. Participants highlighted how clearer communication pathways, shared understanding across agencies, and more coordinated early help responses could significantly reduce delays, duplication, and gaps for families. Strengthening these two areas was identified as central to improving outcomes and ensuring services are more responsive, connected, and accessible.
Strong Enthusiasm and Shared Purpose
The meeting opened with context from the Words to Action project, highlighting the importance of connecting what practitioners see on the ground with how services and systems are designed.
Participants expressed overwhelming support for the creation of the CoP, describing it as:
• “Much‑needed collective space”
• “A practical way for agencies to work together, not in parallel”
• “A route for frontline voices and lived experience to genuinely shape solutions”
Next Steps
Attendees agreed to meet regularly, with the next session focused on finalising the CoP’s Terms of Reference and setting up initial working groups. A summary of ideas and opportunities from the first meeting will be circulated to all participants.
Geraldine Murphy, Words to Action Project Lead, said:
“The level of enthusiasm in the room shows how committed practitioners across Pembrokeshire are to working differently and working together. Yesterday was the first step, and already the ideas and connections formed are incredibly promising.”
Jayne O’Hara, CEO of Citizens Advice Pembrokeshire, added:
“This community of practice will help ensure that frontline experience and lived experience play a real role in shaping services. We are delighted to see such strong early engagement.”
Further Information
For enquiries about the Community of Practice or future meetings, please contact:
• Geraldine Murphy – Words to Action Project Lead: words2action@pembscab.org
• Jayne O’Hara – CEO, Citizens Advice Pembrokeshire: jayne.ohara@pembscab.org