Early Intervention:Making it happen

Claire McCarthy4Children

claire.mccarthy@4children.org.uk

Early intervention – what do we mean?

Intervention at any point to support the development of social and emotional

capabilities, the lack of which is the cause of so much dysfunction, if not tackled at the

earliest opportunity

Early Intervention and Child Poverty

“The confusion is that the current approach to tackling poverty and speeding mobility is mired between policy agendas - of income distribution and opportunity creation - that have been made to sound like enemies when they are actually friends.”Alan Milburn, Poverty and Life Chances Commissioner, December 2011 "We remain committed to the targets set out in the Child Poverty Act, but it is increasingly clear that poverty is not about income alone."Iain Duncan Smith, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, June 2012

Child Poverty Measures

• Income tax thresholds • Tax credits• Child benefit • Minimum wage • Childcare costs support• Welfare to work support

Early Intervention

• Pupil Premium• Intensive Family Support• Early years investment• Evidence based programmes eg Triple P• Community Budgets• Early Intervention Grant

Where are we on Early Intervention journey?

• Variable picture across the country • Link to strategic re-shape – spending constraints• Great programmes but lacking the glue to bring

together• Place-based approaches being adopted in many

areas• Troubled families and 2 year old offer central to

agenda • Children’s Centres faring differently in different

areas

What will success look like?

• Families know how to access the right services at the right time

• Families feel supported and challenged by services and professionals they feel are ‘on their side’

• Families making positive lifestyle choices and children are brought up in stable, secure families with strong attachments

• Fewer families reach crisis point• Tangible shift in spending – away from crisis

interventions towards prevention• Harnessing the capacity of the community –

empowering citizens and neighbourhoods

Opportunities

• Widespread support – political and public • Localism• Health and Well-being Boards • Early years focus – 2 year olds and Health

Visitors • Early Intervention Foundation

Challenges

• Resources inc end of Early Intervention Grant and top-slicing

• Troubled families agenda pulling focus to later on

• Evidence base • New forms of finance – Social Investment slow• Making the case for joint investment

Making the case for joint investment

Case study: West Cheshire – asking the fundamental questions

Early Intervention Foundation (1)

• Recommendation from Graham Allen Report• Independent charity with trustees inc Graham

Allen, Prof Michael Marmot, Cllr David Simmons plus Advisory Council

• 3 roles:1. Advocacy2. Assessment 3. Advice

Early Intervention Foundation (2)

Key activities: Evidence – evaluation and assess new

programmes Support commissioners – EIAs to support LAs,

Health, Justice Social Finance

Any questions?

claire.mccarthy@4children.org.uk