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Early intervention for bright future
18/03/2008
Identifying vulnerable mums-to-be and supporting them through pregnancy and their child's early years will deliver better life chances for Scotland's young people, according to a radical new policy statement published today by the Scottish Government and COSLA.
Launching the Early Years policy statement on a visit to Greengables Family Centre in Edinburgh, First Minister Alex Salmond said that this new focus on stepping in early to break cycles of inequality, deprivation and ill-health will bring an end to the culture of crisis management and coping. It is a strategy designed to put young people at the heart of a changing Scotland.
The new approach will also see a focus on:
- Helping young and vulnerable pregnant women plan for motherhood, identifying risks early, putting intensive support in place and promoting health messages
- More integrated childcare services that are easier for parents and provide continuity of care for children
- Promoting the strengthening of parenting capacity as a core function of health, education and social care services to build resilience among families
- Promoting a change in social attitude towards young people and encouraging communities to foster positive opportunities for them
First Minister Alex Salmond said:
"We know that people are our greatest asset and we must foster opportunities for all if we are to reach our goal of creating a smarter, more successful Scotland. That is why the Scottish Government is committed to long-term investment in the development of this policy.
"Until now, social-ills in Scotland have held too many people back. Crime, poor health, and poverty mean that some of our children are unable to achieve their potential.
"It can be startling how early disadvantaged children fall behind their peers.
"But by giving support at the first opportunity, we can offer better chances for those at risk, reinforce families, promote maternal health, tackle drug and alcohol misuse and strengthen communities.
"This overarching approach marks a new era for Scotland, with central and local government working together to prevent early disadvantage hindering children throughout their lives."
Minister for Children and Early Years Adam Ingram added:
"This new focus could mean identifying young or vulnerable pregnant women and making sure they have access to a range of supports straight away, instilling positive health and lifestyle messages in young children and engaging better with families, especially those at risk.
"By building resilience in the early years and stopping inequalities being passed from one generation to the next we will help create a better quality of life for everyone in Scotland."
Councillor Isabel Hutton, COSLA's Spokesperson for Education, Children and Young People Spokesperson, said:
"There is a growing consensus that early intervention is the way forward for tackling Scotland's long standing social problems. We have been deliberately ambitious in our aspirations for the early years framework, as we believe that inequality in Scotland is such that we need to be bold.
"However, we are also realistic about what can be achieved, especially in the short term. Even though it is common sense to do everything possible to prevent problems before they occur, we can't simply stop dealing with the problems that are with us today.
"This is the challenge which, as partners, local and national Government have agreed to address in the long term. We are jointly committed to early intervention and the early years and I believe that together we can deliver real improvements to the lives of Scotland's children."
Dr Harry Burns, Scotland's Chief Medical Officer, said:
"Research is now clearly indicating with that children born and brought up in difficult and deprived circumstances are more likely to experience physical and mental health problems in later life.
"By supporting their parents and by providing a range of services which increase stability in their lives, children are more likely to perform better at school, become more resilient in their response to challenge and develop into healthy adults.
"This strategy is a new and radical approach to building capacity in the Scottish population. It offers a real prospect of narrowed health inequalities in the future and it will provide real opportunities for a better life for Scotland's children."
Detective Chief Superintendent John Carnochan, Head of the Violence Reduction Unit said:
"Research has shown that the first few years of a child's life are the most important. This is when they learn skills like empathy, compromise and negotiation from the people who look after them, skills that will help them negotiate life successfully.
"Intervention in the early years is crucial to helping everyone achieve that success and avoid life's pitfalls. That is why it forms a key part of our work in helping to prevent violence in the long term.
"We cannot expect the success of these interventions to be seen overnight. It may take years before we see the fruit such interventions can yield. But as a solution to some of Scotland's long standing social problems, intervention in the early years is the closest thing to magic."
A month-long consultation on the policy statement begins today. Contributions to the can be sent to EarlyYearsFramework@scotland.gsi.gov.uk. Further development work will be done with partners before the Early Years Framework is launched in the autumn.
The Early Years Framework was specifically identified for joint development in the Concordat the Scottish Government signed with COSLA on November 14, 2007.
The Scottish Government has already announced that every child in pre-school will have access to a teacher, delivered 475 hours of free nursery provision for three and four year olds, agreed with local authorities that nursery education will increase to 570 hours per annum by 2010 and delivered £9 million for an extra 300 teachers to support education in the early years.
The Scottish Government is moving to reduce class sizes in primaries one to three to 18, put more than 20,000 new teachers into training by 2011 and is funding pilots of free nutritious school meals for some of the country's youngest pupils.
The last annual report from Scotland's Chief Medical Officer highlighted how a child's early development impacts future life chances.
The Scottish Government's Ministerial Taskforce in Health Inequalities has identified support for families and children in the very early years as a key priority.
The Scottish Government recently announced an additional £32 million to improve access to specialist health services for children and young people and ensure care is better, quicker, safer and closer to home.
The Scottish Government recently announced £5 million to target health inequalities.