Up to 100,000 children and young people in the UK would benefit from early intervention support, according to estimates. Of this figure, roughly 30,000 individuals in the hardest to reach groups are thought to be missing out on the support that they need.
With a significant proportion of children and young people reportedly not able to access early intervention services, Sarah Smith, Learning & Development Senior Advisor at Cambridgeshire County Council, says it is of utmost importance that workforce development activities align with service demand.
“The continued delivery of impactful early intervention services requires a multi-agency approach, ensuring that timely, targeted mediations can safeguard individuals’ physical, cognitive, behavioural, and emotional development.”
The recent launch of the approved Early Intervention Practitioner apprenticeship standard is an important milestone in this regard, Sarah continues.
“Having an apprenticeship standard approved for delivery is a massive step forward. Nevertheless, when it comes to opening up career pathways and upskilling the workforce, we need a comprehensive learning offer that gives flexibility to non-specialist and multi-agency partners.”
The SFJ Awards Professional Certificate in Early Interventions Work, which was pioneered at Derbyshire County Council, is the forebear to the apprenticeship standard and has been widely adopted by local authorities, policing and more. It continues to offer an entry route to the Early Intervention Practitioner apprenticeship, in addition to grounding multi-agency partners in the delivery of early intervention services. Taken together, these complimentary learner pathways support the development of the early intervention workforce as a whole, which ultimately supports the improved delivery of frontline services, says Sarah.
The Level 2, 3, 4 qualifications in early interventions offers learners the underpinning knowledge and skills to provide person-centred, early intervention approaches and services to support individuals across all age ranges, from pre-birth to end of life. To find out more visit: https://sfjawards.com/qualifications/community-and-social-justice/early-interventions/
