Hodgson attacks coalition's record on early intervention
Janaki Mahadevan
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Shadow children's minister Sharon Hodgson has launched a scathing attack on the government's record on early intervention, saying that slow progress on increasing health visitor numbers and reductions in early years special education needs co-ordinators (SENCOs) must be addressed urgently.
Speaking at the 10th National Sure Start conference, in Manchester, Hodgson questioned the government's “commitment in investing in early intervention”, citing cuts to the early intervention grant and the removal of ringfences. She also challenged the government’s record on Sure Start.
“One of the things I find most galling about [children’s minister] Sarah Teather, my opposite number, is that she regularly talks about the priority that this government gives to early intervention, including repeated protestations that the government has protected Sure Start,” Hodgson told delegates.
“Everyone here knows that this is utter rubbish. Nearly £1.5bn has been taken out of the early intervention grant over three years – with some of the most deprived areas getting the biggest cuts.
“If that doesn’t demonstrate the government’s commitment to investing in children and early intervention, I’m not sure what does.”
Hodgson conceded that with less money to spend on Sure Start there must be a focus on delivering evidence-based programmes and that government must commit to supporting communities to improve services.
She added that the government was no closer to realising its ambition to secure an extra 4,200 extra health visitors.
Hodgson extended her criticism to the support available for providers and local authorities to meet their duties on the expansion of the offer of 15 hours of free childcare to disadvantaged two-year-olds.
“Their new favourite shield to our criticisms is that they are expanding the two-year-old offer,” she said.
“But then they said that ramping up towards the first phase next year needs to be paid for out of the early intervention grant – despite the fact that many local authorities have seen their grant have a real-terms cut or freeze this year.
“And what neither of them said was how qualified those extra early years workers needed to be, which is crucial to the success of this entire endeavour. Yet around the country early years SENCO posts are being deleted, along with other specialists who provide support to early years settings.”
In response to Hodgson’s comments a DfE spokesperson said: "We know how crucial early intervention is to a child's development. That's why, in the face of an extremely tough financial climate, we are introducing free education for the most disadvantaged two-year-olds.
"We're committed to strengthening the early years workforce because we know that high quality childcare can make a huge difference to a child's learning and development, and to success in later life."
