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Children’s Services Policy

Children’s Services Policy. Early Years & Getting it Right for Every Child . Why?. The early years set a large part of the pattern of an individual’s future life If we can improve them, we can begin to address inequalities. Backed up by research from a number of academic fields.

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Children’s Services Policy

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  1. Children’s Services Policy Early Years & Getting it Right for Every Child

  2. Why? • The early years set a large part of the pattern of an individual’s future life • If we can improve them, we can begin to address inequalities. • Backed up by research from a number of academic fields. • Ensuring children and families get the help they need, when they need it.

  3. Evidence • Dr Bruce Perry – neuroscientific evidence on brain development • EPPE Study –- 2004 • CMO’s report 2007 • The Foundation Years - Frank Field – 2010 • Early Intervention - Graham Allen – 2010 • Joining the Dots – Report from Professor Susan Deacon • Scottish Government economic modelling (Nov 2010)

  4. Scottish Government Commitments • Further develop the highly successful PlayTalkRead campaign. • Continue to roll out the Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) programme across Scotland. • Create an early years task force. • Commitment to preventative spend. • Ensure that every council in Scotland reflects this agenda in its Single Outcome Agreement.

  5. Scottish Government Commitments (Contd) • Develop a national parenting strategy. • Put childcare at the centre of our ambition for families in Scotland. • Invest in an Early Years change fund (covering a range of activity including family centres). • Develop legislation to support our early years policies and ensure that the Getting it right for every child approach is developed nationwide.

  6. National Parenting Strategy Why? • Supporting parents key to improving outcomes for children and young people • Building resilience, capacity and confidence of parents • Value and importance of parenting • Relevance to a wide range of outcomes • Fundamental to early intervention/preventative spend • Key role for partners– what are the opportunities and challenges?

  7. Likely scope of parenting strategy • All parents (not just vulnerable families) • All those in parental role (including the corporate parent) • Parenting of children of all ages • Address issues which can impact on parenting • Specific focus on fathers • Building on GIRFEC principles/indicators

  8. A phased approach? • Phase I (2011/12) Overarching national strategy • Phase II (2012/13) Aligning local outcomes with national strategy • Phase III (April 2013 onwards) (Age-specific) outputs for parents

  9. The overarching strategy (yr 1) • Ambitious and aspirational, setting out a compelling narrative for parenting support • Demonstrate relevance/contribution to a wide range of national outcomes • Provide an overview of national policies and initiatives which support parenting • Provide a context for local delivery • Set out the ‘offer to parents’

  10. National approach must: • Have credibility and coherence from a delivery perspective • Reflect and respect local variation • Complement good work already underway locally • Support local delivery • Encourage provision of consistent, high-quality parenting support across Scotland

  11. Early Learning and Childcare • Committed to continued expansion of early learning and childcare provision, • Focusing our initial efforts on those from the most deprived backgrounds • Purpose • enhance development of child’s learning • break cycles of poverty • support parents

  12. Early Learning and Childcare • Key challenges: • choice; • quality; • accessibility; • affordability • positive home learning environment and role of parents is vital • Long term focus on the child’s outcomes.

  13. Going forward Work with partners to: • Increase capacity, range and flexibility of provision • Improve the quality of provision • support parenting and links with helping families • access to teachers and professional staff • Develop steps to make early learning and childcare accessible and affordable for all Work with business to: • Promote and support early learning and childcare for employees • Implement family friendly policies

  14. Change fund • Designed to Improve Outcomes, Deliver Reform and Reduce Costs by: • Providing a focus on the Early Years and Early Intervention. • Effecting Transformational change and making the shift to preventative spend. • Delivering effective early intervention for children and families using evidence based approaches. • Developing individual, family and community capacity. • Driving out cost savings by reducing need for acute services.

  15. Change Fund • Size, scale and scope still to be determined • To be considered • What? • Who? • How? • How to measure? • Need to engage with partners to develop the work programme

  16. Legislation • To support our early years policies and ensure that the Getting it right for every child approach is developed nationwide. • Opportunity to consider later how delivery may be better supported by legislative options and where legislation may be inappropriate.

  17. Conclusion • How can we collectively develop these areas? • Further opportunities for dialogue in the coming weeks and months. • Specific events and consultation, but also contact the team direct: Donna.bell@scotland.gsi.gov.uk 0131 244 0966

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