Published: 

01 January 2010

WAVE Trust was commissioned by C4EO to carry out a rapid review of international literature relating to early intervention.

We identified 47 candidate Practices which were worthy of inclusion in this report. To enable readers to choose the level of detail that best suits their purpose, we have taken a handbook approach and reported in up to four layers of detail on the selected 47 practices:

• The Key Messages section highlights examples of practices we found most relevant to the particular Message;
• Section 1 provides both a single paragraph description and a longer overview of each practice; 
• The Appendix expands the single paragraph and ‘brief overviews’ by summarising the source material

C4EO is interested in interventions which enable effective identification of vulnerable children and families and assessment of their needs; successfully engage families at the early signs of a child or young person's problem and works in partnership with them to address this; support a strong culture of prevention; and may lead to possible cost savings. The 4 specific questions contained in the brief were: 

Question 1: Identify up to 30-50 examples of good international practice of early intervention for children and families which will be useful for UK policy-makers to consider. 

Question 2: What are the key messages from and implications of this international experience in terms of improving governance, strategy, processes and front-line delivery in England? This relates to both direct and indirect effects. 

Question 3: What key messages from international experience will contribute to the policy framework in England, such as deregulation? 

Question 4: What are the key messages on the efficient focus of early intervention and its cost-effectiveness/value for money?

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