Early help – some signals
and examples
Nick Page
18 March 2013
Early Intervention
Early intervention is intervening early and as soon as possible
to tackle problems emerging for children, young people and
their families, or with a population most at risk of developing
problems.
Early intervention is a process and may occur at any point in a
child or young person’s life.
Grasping the Nettle, C4E0, 2010
Early identification and provision of help is in the child’s best
interest and multi-agency services which deliver support for
families are vital in promoting children’s wellbeing.
The Munro Review of Child Protection, 2011
• Lots of examples of early help
• Operates differently across the public
sector, and within systems
• Not always evidenced backed
• Seen as one of the big money saving
ideas, but.........
Why Early Years? The case for change
•
40% of children in GM were not school ready in 2012. GM is below the
national average and on a deteriorating trajectory.
•
Clear evidence that poor early experiences => poor trajectory academically,
socially and physically => poor outcomes for individuals and high costs for the
State.
•
Improving school readiness will drive future attainment, levels of economic
activity and productivity - contributing to prosperity of GM.
•
Current Early Years services cost £300m pa. But we spend at least as much
again on failure (special educational needs, anti-social behaviour…)
•
Focus on children in their Early Years and their families has significant
potential to boost growth in GM and reduce demand long-term on public
services.
Principles of the Early Years
New Delivery Model
• Approach taking the whole child within the whole family
• Integrated across sectors - health, local govt, day care
providers
• Early identification of need and risk factors through timely
assessments points
• Evidence-based approach to assessment and intervention
• Ensuring maximum VFM for the taxpayer
• Emphasis throughout on work and skills for both children
and parents (linking with Universal Credit).
What is Helping Families?
•
Salford’s Helping Families programme is a targeted and joined up
approach to supporting families with multiple problems.
•
Through Helping Families, the City Council and its partners are working
together to help families improve economic prosperity; raise aspirations
and achievement; make a positive contribution to a safe and stable living
environment; and improve long-term life chances for the whole family.
•
Helping Families will deliver Salford's commitment to the Department for
Communities and Local Government Troubled Families programme; to
engage and support 835 'troubled families' over the next three years.
How are we helping families?
Helping Families will build on what we know works for families in Salford. That means
focused, personalised support for the whole family that draws on the expertise of a
multi-agency Team Around the Family and is co-ordinated by a person that the family
trusts.
Overall EIP Numbers
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Over 2012/13 to date there have been 3,592
requests for EIP services*
Averaging 399 per month
951 CAFs currently active
1,133 open Education Welfare cases
232 active Family Support cases
55 Parenting courses held
77 Family Group Conferences held
Central locality had the highest number of
requests at 38% followed by South at 27%
over Quarters 1-3
Social Care – EIP cases
(Open cases at Jan 2013)
2798
EIP
1900
LAC/CP/CIN
Only 2.9% of referrals to EIP are re-
referrals
21
38
Central Locality
North Locality
South Locality
West Locality
27
14
2011/12 80% of 0-5s were registered at
a Salford Children’s Centre and 49%
have attended an event at a Children’s
Centre
*Does not include Children’s Centres as this data is
currently recorded on a separate system
Thresholds of Need
Movement on Threshold of Need
PRE and POST EIP support*
Threshold of Need at referral
point
48% down the thresholds
1
2a
0.3
26.4
36.4
20.3
16.6
2b
3
4
42% maintained at the same
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
threshold
10% up the thresholds
*Based on all closed cases 2012/13 to
date
Issues and opportunities
•
A number of risks have already been identified in Salford, that we are looking to
address in order to maximise the Public Service Reform benefits of the early help,
which include:
– The need for an intelligent and integrated ICT system to identify and case
manage families
– Consistent data sharing and management processes to support integrated
working
– Shared accountability and regulatory frameworks to drive integrated working
– Whole public sector approach to resource planning and allocation, including
commissioning.
– Workforce reform to engender integrated working, moving towards more
generic/homogenous roles
– Communications strategy underpin workforce reform and help unfreeze
resistance to change
•
In order to make sustainable changes, the focus needs to shift from a reactive
agenda of turning around the “failing issues” to a more preventative agenda
focussed on early help.
Salford approach: improving the way we do business
through cooperation and integration
Joining up
delivery for
families
Joining up our
investments
Strategic
relationships and
new governance
(HWBB)
Integrated
delivery of
effective
interventions
Joint investment
Systems and
organisational
culture
Reforms to
intelligence,
information
(JSNA)
management,
workforce
capability etc...