A plan to ensure children get the best possible start in life has been hailed as a major success in its first year.

North Ayrshire Council launched the strategy just over a year ago aiming to improve children's services and meet local needs.

They have claimed a number of successes including more primary pupils reaching expected literacy and numeracy levels, all children under five being allocated a health visitor and improvements in how they respond to child sexual abuse.

Councillor John Bell said: "The children's services plan is ambitious and unlike anything done before in North Ayrshire.

"It was created after extensive research and consultation with thousands of young people and their families throughout North Ayrshire and has been written in a format which they can easily understand.

"Over the past year, we have already seen how the plan is making a positive impact on the lives of our children and that's a trend we hope to see continue over the coming years."