Graham Allen Independent review on Early Intervention

1. Graham Allen Independent review on Early Intervention • The review, chaired by Graham Allen MP, is reporting in two parts: • Part 1 (Report published January 2011): Models of best practice around Early Intervention and how such models could best be disseminated and supported (and the institutional arrangements for supporting them);    • Part 2 (Reporting May 2011): New and innovative funding mechanisms, including non government funding, which will ensure the long term stability and funding of early intervention programmes.   • The review defines Early Intervention as: “those programmes which ensure that babies, children, and young people build the social and emotional bedrock to fulfil their potential and reduce dysfunction. This is a prerequisite to break the intergenerational cycle of disadvantage and underachievement.”

2. Early Intervention: The Next Steps - Core Message • Early Intervention is an approach which offers a real opportunity to make lasting improvements in the lives of our children, to forestall many persistent social problems and end their transmission from one generation to the next, and to make long term savings in public spending. It covers a range of tried and tested policies for the first three years of children’s lives to give them the social and emotional security that they need for the rest of their lives. It also includes a range of well established policies for when they are older which leave children ready to face the challenges of each stage of childhood and of passage into adulthood –especially the challenge of becoming good parents to their own children.

3. Early Intervention: The Next Steps • A strong rationale for early intervention, drawing on the scientific, economic and social science literature to demonstrate multiple, cost effective, benefits to society. • An illustrative list of validated programmes to enable commissioners to best utilise new funding streams • A framework by which motivated Early Intervention Places trail-blaze early intervention, and provide a long list of 26 local authorities who have expressed an interest. • A Foundation to improve the methodology and list of programmes, to aid local authorities with contracting and choice of programme, and to provide a conduit to alternative funding possibilities. • wider recommendations to enable a step change in delivery of Early Intervention

4. Recommendations • 33 Recommendations - Top 3: • 19 ‘top programmes’ identified in the report should be supported and work undertaken with local areas to explore how they might be expanded. However, this list of 19 should not be regarded as exhaustive or complete: all 19 should be reviewed and reassessed by the new Early Intervention Foundation (proposed below) before a ‘living list’ is evolved. • Early Intervention should build on its local base by establishing 15 local Early Intervention Places to spearhead its development. These should be run by local authorities and the voluntary sector, who are already the main initiators and innovators of Early Intervention. • The establishment of an independent Early Intervention Foundation to support local people, communities and agencies.

5. Early Intervention Places – pioneers for a new way • 15 Early Intervention Places • To build on the strength of the local base and spearhead further development • prove the benefits of the recommendations from the Review; • help demonstrate  the cost effectiveness of early intervention; • share the best of local and national innovation with other areas; • Work with a new Early Intervention Foundation and help to build momentum and support improvements in early intervention across England and potentially across the UK.

6. Dissemination and future funding - an Early Intervention Foundation? An independent Foundation to: • To encourage the spread of Early Intervention • To improve, develop and disseminate the evidence base of what works , utilising rigorous methodologies; • To provide independent and trusted monitoring of the effectiveness of programmes; and • Encourage new investment in the delivery of early intervention; • Act as a trusted source of information for financial investors; • Actively market effective early intervention policies to local authorities and funders

7. Some of the other recommendations • Co-ordination of Departmental strategies • Foundation years 0-5 plan • LGA and Departmental ministers to agree solutions on data sharing • Regular assessment • Parenting campaign • Improve workforce capability

8. Second Phase of the Review • Financing Early Intervention • Barriers to Public Sector investment • Need and scope for External investment • Range of models • Outcomes based funding