Early intervention hub begins life

It has been two years in the making, but the Early Intervention Foundation will finally open its doors this spring.

Labour MP Graham Allen’s pet project may have had an extended gestation, but its work to “tackle the root causes of social problems” has only just begun.

“This is about inter-generational change,” says Allen, who chairs the foundation. “To imagine we can do this in two, five or even 10 years is unrealistic. This is a long haul and we hope the foundation is here for the long term.”

It certainly looks like a long, uphill challenge. Allen might have secured £3.5m over two years from the Department for Education for the foundation, but real-terms spending on early intervention work has been shrinking.

Reversing the trend
On a like-for-like basis, government funding on early intervention for local authorities will be £1.709bn in 2013/14, down 11 per cent from the £1.919bn provided through the early intervention grant in 2012/13.

And the latest local authority spending figures reveal councils are focusing on preserving child protection and looked-after children budgets at the expense of preventative services, such as Sure Start children’s centres.

The foundation exists to reverse that trend. The organisation will have three main functions: advocacy, assessment and advice.

Its advocacy role will focus on persuading central government, local authorities and agencies, including the NHS and the new police and crime commissioners, that intervening early delivers results for children and families. This will be done through meetings with government ministers as well as seminars and conferences for the wider sector.

Allen says the foundation intends to work with 20 “early intervention places” – areas that are leading the way in practice – to highlight the value of a range of projects.