Strategy For Young Families Launched Without New Funding

A NEW Scottish Government strategy to support young families struggling with the impact of poverty, poor health and drug and alcohol misuse was launched yesterday – but no new money will be provided to fund it.

Under the new Early Years Framework, services such as social work, housing, health services, the voluntary sector and education will be asked to focus resources on preventing problems, rather than crisis management.

The framework will also see the implementation of a wide range of strategies, including greater focus on supporting vulnerable parents before and after childbirth, more use of play and outdoor learning in nursery and primary schools, and a better qualifications structure for nursery staff. The method of delivery for the framework – which will take a decade to roll out – is the concordat signed by the government and Cosla, which represents local authorities.

However, the framework documents explicitly state that these “high ambitions” come at a time “when there will be no new money available for implementation”.

“This framework can only be taken forward by realigning and prioritising resources to offer more effective support to all families and to enable help to be provided earlier to children and families requiring additional support,” it continues.

Yesterday, Adam Ingram, the Children’s Minister, said the new approach would tackle disadvantage and health inequalities, despite the lack of additional funds. “By helping to ensure support is in place early, we can offer better chances for those at risk, reinforce families, promote maternal health, tackle drug and alcohol misuse and strengthen communities,” he said.

“It’s time to end the culture of crisis management that leaves risks to fester, and this framework marks a new era with central and local government working together on the big issues facing Scotland.”

Isabel Hutton, education spokeswoman for Cosla, added: “This is an ambitious and long-term framework and it will take time to deliver the full extent of benefits and outcomes it sets out.

“With a 10-year horizon, the framework acknowledges the scale and complexity of the tasks we have set ourselves. Our job is only just beginning and we now have to turn our attention fully to successfully implementing this vision. We need to be clear that this isn’t a short-term quick fix.”

Tam Baillie, assistant director with Barnardo’s Scotland, welcomed the announcement but warned that, with no new funding, local authorities would face tough decisions in the future.

“Difficult decisions will have to be made at a local level because local authorities and health boards are going to have to decide where funding will be allocated,” he said.

“The nature of the change means that some services will cease to exist in some areas to free up money to invest in the most effective areas – which is early years.

“Everyone agrees it is important to focus on the early years, but it will be a major challenge to move services from crisis prevention to early intervention without new money.”