Integrated services key to meeting 2028 early years target, new research finds

New research has found that integrated services are key to meeting the national target of achieving 75 per cent of five-year-olds with a good level of development (GLD) by 2028, but that workforce shortages and limited access to high-quality early years education are restricting progress.  

The Local Government Association (LGA) commissioned research to engage with councils, stakeholders, and parents and carers from 60 local council areas in England. It identified effective approaches to achieve the national GLD target and a series of barriers which will affect local areas’ ability to achieve this, including deprivation and poverty, limited access to high-quality early years education and childcare, health visiting and childcare workforce shortages, limited data sharing, and gaps in support. 

Councils reported that integrating local health and education services was key to improving outcomes for children. Multi-agency working with data sharing enables early identification of children not accessing services, tailored interventions and prevents children at risk of poor developmental outcomes from falling through gaps in services.  

Local councils are developing models of working that are tailored to the needs of local families to ensure every child can access the support they need, through services including maternity and health visiting, social care, family help, libraries, public health and mental health services. However, disparities in funding provision for Family Hubs services is restricting the ability of councils to deliver integrated health and education provision.  

Currently, 78 councils are without Healthy Babies funding, (formerly known as Start for Life funding) for enhanced health programmes that would otherwise provide targeted early intervention support for perinatal mental health, parent-infant relationships and infant feeding. These gaps mean thousands of parents are without access to support that is readily available in other parts of the country. 

The research found that extending early intervention models to the wider early years age group – children aged nought to five – beyond the current age three-to-four-year focus is most effective for influencing GLD outcomes by ensuring access to support at the earliest opportunity. This includes extending contact with healthcare professionals beyond the standard two-to-two-and-a-half-year review where needed prior to starting school. 

Parents said they need reliable, consistent information and improved SEND provision for children. They also emphasised that affordable and high-quality childcare and flexible, play-based opportunities are critical for good child development. 

Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Chair of the LGA’s Children, Young People and Families Committee, said:  

“Child development is a health, care and education matter, and this research demonstrates how joined up working between councils and local services can help deliver the national ambition to give every child the best start in life and raise the healthiest generation of children. 

“It highlights the clear benefits of data sharing between local services to support earlier intervention and ensuring all children under five are supported. All this cannot be achieved without continued workforce investment and development, including health visitors and early years professionals, to build sustainable services that are equally accessible across all areas of the country.” 

Cllr Dr Wendy Taylor MBE, Chair of the LGA’s Health and Wellbeing Committee, said: 

“Councils are committed to delivering tailored and preventative services to support the needs of local children and families and overcome barriers to achieving GLD targets. 

“However, we have serious concerns that this is undermined by the Government’s decision not to extend Start for Life funding for enhanced services to councils newly joining the Best Start Family Hubs programme.

“It leaves thousands of parents without access to the integrated health and early years support already available in 75 councils across the country. 

“We are urging the Government to review funding decisions to ensure a level playing field for all councils so that every child, regardless of where they live, can access the support they need. Without equitable funding the promise of Family Hubs and achievement of our GLD targets cannot be fully realised.”