Early intervention revival needs cross-party backing to succeed

It has been a tough few years for advocates of early intervention.

While the logical arguments in favour of intervening earlier in children's problems have been regularly repeated in reports and speeches, central government and local government actions have often seemed to move in the opposite direction. But now I can spot some signs of encouragement.

There is, of course, still plenty of bad news. The funding available to local authorities to support early intervention has reduced significantly in the last three years, and is set to reduce further. The numbers of children being received into care has increased, which in turn directs greater proportions of local authority funding towards picking up the pieces after things have gone wrong. Some local authorities now spend as much as 80 per cent of their shrinking children's budgets on children in care and child protection, leaving only 20 per cent for family support and prevention.