Early Intervention: Informing Local Practice

Claire Easton, Geoff Gee

10 February 2012

Executive Summary

The Local Government Association (LGA) commissioned NFER to carry out a review of early intervention approaches to inform the practice of local authorities (LAs). This study complements three other studies funded or supported by the LGA to help authorities to evidence impact and assess value for money (VfM). NFER researchers reviewed published literature exploring the impact of early intervention on outcomes for children, young people and families. The report provides:

• a summary of examples of early intervention approaches shown to improve outcomes for children, young people and families
• further evidence of which early intervention approaches are likely to improve outcomes for children, young people and families
• information on the financial costs associated with offering early intervention provision and the costs associated with negative life outcomes.

Overall, the evidence reviewed shows that the case for investing in early intervention approaches to improve outcomes for children, young people and families and to bring about cost savings in the longer term is widely accepted and supported. It is the extent of potential cost savings that increasingly needs to be identified and evidenced to enable policy makers and local commissioners to make informed decisions. There is, however, a paucity of evidence on the cost effectiveness of early intervention approaches within the UK.