Cuts spell the end of early intervention as we know it

Now that the dust has settled over the proposal, buried in a summertime business rates consultation, councils know there will be no money dedicated to early intervention. Money for such work – which includes Sure Start children’s centres, short breaks for disabled children, mental health support in schools, targeted youth support and sexual health programmes – will from April not only be reduced, but will have to come out of councils’ mainstream budgets.

But local authorities still have hundreds of wide-ranging statutory duties to meet, which is likely to further relegate support for such work. The government’s obfuscation over the issue has cut the time for councils to react, perpetuating the hand-to-mouth existence and financial uncertainty for so many good service providers. It would have been better if it had been upfront about its intentions from the outset.