Early intervention and prevention service
The purpose of an early intervention approach is to work in partnership to improve outcomes for children, young people and families. The aim is to address problems at the earliest opportunity before they are able to escalate and by helping to break the longer term intergenerational cycle of poor outcomes.
Early intervention requires a shift in focus onto the causes rather than the symptoms of problems, with investment in prevention and early intervention which has been proven to reduce the demand on specialist services in the longer term.
The Early Intervention and Prevention Service is a new service arm within the Children's Services directorate; it has brought together, strengthened and enhanced, a range of existing services under a single management structure, business plan and outcomes framework.
Definition of early intervention:
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 may occur at any point in a child or young person's life.
(Centre for Excellence and Outcomes (C4EO), 2010)
Work in the service area is focused on whole family engagement, assessment and intervention for children and young people aged up to 19 years. It works to promote collaboration with families and a range of partners to give support when it can make the most difference. By providing a range of low cost, early interventions we can hopefully prevent the need for more costly interventions later on.
The ethos of early intervention has been given greater impetus due to the Graham Allen MP report into it.
Locality based services
Locality teams are multi-disciplinary teams providing early intervention and prevention services for children, young people and families across Salford. There are four locality teams in Salford - North, Central, South and West. The teams are positioned strategically across the city to offer a wide range of services through a single point of contact.
Locality teams include:
- Education welfare officers
- Family support workers
- Brief intervention workers
- Common Assessment Framework
- Skills and work officers
- Housing officers
Evidence-based parenting
There are currently two types of evidence based parenting programmes being delivered to families living in Salford. These are the Incredible Years and Triple P programmes. Both types of programmes have been extensively researched and have a solid international reputation. They are proven to have positive outcomes for families.
Funded day care
This provides support for families, so they are able to access other services. Places are requested by a professional working with the family and provision is purchased from providers with whom there is already a contract.
Children's centres
Children's centres link closely to the Locality based services. They are places where children up to 19 years of age and their families can receive seamless integrated services and information, and where they can access help from multi-disciplinary teams of professionals.
The new core purpose of a children's centre is:
To improve outcomes for young children and their families, with a particular focus on the most disadvantaged families, in order to reduce inequalities in:
- Child development and school readiness
Supported by improved:
- Parenting aspirations, self-esteem and skills
- Child and family health and life chances
(Department for Education, 2011)
Who to contact
- Name
- Sue Myers
- Address
- Head of Early Intervention and Prevention
Mossfield Children's Centre
Swinton
M27 6EH
Map to this location - Telephone
- 0161 778 0396
- susan.myers@salford.gov.uk
This page was last updated on 24 May 2012
