The Early Intervention Foundation turns one

Last April, the newly established Early Intervention Foundation put the fire behind the early help agenda and has since played an important role in supporting authorities in transforming the lives of children and families in need.  

Introducing new ways of doing things in the children’s services arena can often bring their challenges and responding to the early intervention agenda is no exception.

One of the most important things authorities can do is have good data sharing practices in place between teams and other agencies. This is essential to their ability to identify the most vulnerable children and families and get the right help in place sooner to change their lives.

However, staff in some authorities have told me that there can be a level of nervousness around when it is “right” to share data and how it can be used to inform better decision making in the delivery of early help.

Getting this right is the key to the success of early intervention schemes.

Why it matters

Imagine a scenario where a single father of two is juggling three jobs just to put food on the table for his family. His 11-year-old son, David, has started to fall behind in school because he has to take care of his little sister, Caitlin, while their father is at work, leaving little time for homework or revision.

Without the right support, children like David and Caitlin are at much greater risk of not achieving all they are capable of in school or suffering the effects of long-term neglect. They might even slip into a cycle of antisocial behaviour or substance abuse. But if teams have the tools to flag the family’s increasing vulnerability as their circumstances change, they can then take action before problems escalate. This will make a real difference to the lives of children and families and reduce the need for more intensive support later on.  

Keeping the momentum going

It is essential that important information flows easily between children’s services teams and other agencies. The Information Commissioner’s Office provides a wealth of guidance on how and when to share data, where it is appropriate to do so.

The continuing work of organisations such as the Early Intervention Foundation will be critical in driving the early intervention agenda forward and breaking down the barriers to the delivery of early help.

It would be great to hear from those of you who have implemented effective early intervention strategies in your area. Your experiences could help other authorities to overcome some of the challenges and make it easier for more teams to ensure better outcomes for children and families most in need.