Survey warns of risks of using unproven early intervention programmes

Research by the National Education Trust says that maintained nursery schools working with children’s centres are best placed to provide early intervention programmes for children under five and their families.

But research carried out by the trust found that the quality of early intervention programmes varies widely.

A survey of 36 centres in London found that while every centre was involved in delivering early intervention programmes, only 13 per cent of them were evidence-based.

Centres were also using untrained staff and parent volunteers to deliver programmes. The report said that many centre staff were concerned about the increasing use of unqualified staff and volunteers to deliver intervention programmes and the inevitable risks to children and families.

It said the main barrier to effective delivery was the cost of training staff and need for flexibility for families. It said that staff preferred to access a ‘menu’ of intervention programmes and wanted the flexibility and knowledge to tailor programmes locally.

Louise Jackson, head of early years and national project leader at the National Education Trust said, ‘There was a huge concern  when we talked to children’s centres about early intervention programmes, that reductions in staff and using parents and volunteers to deliver these programmes poses real risks to children.’

She said that when children’s centres were asked why they did not use evidence-based programmes they cited the cost of training and problems due to the turnover of staff and cuts to centre budgets.

The report includes an example of a parent who complained to the researchers that an early intervention programme was delivered by untrained individuals. The report said, ‘His child had been selected without his permission and had been damaged because the programme was unsuitable and the adults had not understood the background.

‘Given the diversity of the early years workforce, and the increasing use of volunteers there is a serious risk of this happening.’