Ministers have ‘moral duty’ to prioritise early intervention

Led by the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF), the charities are calling for a dedicated Early Intervention Investment Fund tied to the life of the next Parliament.

An analysis by the EIF shows that the cost of tackling social problems affecting children and young people, including mental health, care, unemployment and youth crime, is in the region of £17 billion a year.

The coalition is now calling on ministers to set a target of a 10 per cent reduction in this figure by 2020, which it says can be achieved by effective early intervention.

Its proposal for an Early Intervention Investment Fund suggests that the money, which could be supplemented by private sector capital such as social investment, could be awarded to councils, healthcare providers, schools, voluntary groups and other organisations who could “prove they have ambitious plans to redesign local services around effective early intervention”.