Under-5s to be targeted as part of early intervention crime scheme
Neil Puffett
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Police in the West Midlands will work with vulnerable children aged five and under as part of an initiative being launched in conjunction with the Early Intervention Foundation.
The work will involve Staffordshire Police teaming up with local authorities in the county to attempt to transform the lives of children at risk of abuse and neglect or being affected by crime before they start school.
It will initially target more than 400 pre-school children who are known to the authorities.
A report going before Staffordshire’s police and crime panel today states that the initiative intends to reduce the number of children aged up to five who are subject to a child protection plan and improve the number of children who are assessed as being “ready for school” at reception age.
“Quite simply, children who are ready for school at reception age, that do not experience abuse and neglect have better life chances, are less likely to become vulnerable, less likely to be victims of crime, or future perpetrators placing less demand on public sector resources in the longer term,” the report states.
It adds that exact details of how the project will work will be drawn up by September 2014.
Staffordshire is one of 20 “early intervention places” that are working alongside the Early Intervention Foundation to shape police, health and social care services around early intervention work.
Learning from the project will be shared with other early intervention places to develop commissioning advice and make national recommendations to support future developments.
