Early interveners: “Leave your comfort zone!”

Abstract

Purpose

The prominence of late intervention in service delivery culture contrasts with the depth of scientific evidence that demonstrates the advantage of intervening early to prevent the development of social dysfunction and problems. The paper seeks to address this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on the author's experience as a leading UK politician advocating the greater use of evidence‐based early intervention approaches, including in two independent reviews to Government.

Findings

Early intervention programmes not only deliver better outcomes for children and families, but also yield substantial service savings and provide significant returns on investment. An Early Intervention Foundation, independent of government oversight, will respond to localised demand for evidence‐based interventions, and disseminate the body of science in a digestible and practical form.

Originality/value

The paper argues that the Early Intervention Foundation will lead a cultural shift towards localised, evidenced‐based services funded by evolving and innovative finance methods.

Citation

Allen, G. (2012), "Early interveners: “Leave your comfort zone!”", Journal of Children's Services, Vol. 7 No. 1, pp. 73-77. https://doi.org/10.1108/17466661211213698