FtSE Member News: Action For Children - Early intervention call to support vulnerable children

Responding to the BMA’s Growing up in the UK report calls for more early intervention to support vulnerable families. Policy Manager, Emma Scowcroft said:

“We know the number of vulnerable families facing multiple problems in the UK is growing. Our research with the Children’s Society and NSPCC predicts that the number of children living in families with five or more vulnerabilities is set to rise by 54,000 to 365,000, an increase of around 17% by 2015. 

“We strongly support the BMA’s calls for early intervention. From our own work with families and communities all over the UK, we know that it transforms lives and creates real savings in the long term – up to £1.3bn a year.”

*This figure was calculated using the SROI developed by NEF (2008) to primarily provide figures on Action for Children’s East Dunbartonshire Family Support service, assessing the programme’s success in preventing children from going into care. This figure takes into account the savings of £0.8 billion the Coalition Government would make from not providing family support services to every child across the UK at risk of going into care. Cutting these services would be a false economy, as many more children would be taken into care at a cost of £2.1 billion. This gives a net cost of £1.3 billion (£2.1 billion minus £0.8 billion). Commissioned by Action for Children, research was conducted by New Philanthropy Capital.

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