Early intervention ''could save millions''

Friday, February 26, 2010

Shifting resources to early intervention could save councils hundreds of millions of pounds at a time when finances are being squeezed, Jackie Mould has said, writes Matthew George.

The director of Be Birmingham – the city's local strategic partnership – said new ways of delivering public services in the 21st century were needed and the government's Total Place initiative might provide some.

Birmingham is one of the 13 pilot areas, with the city focusing on early intervention, gangs, mental health, drugs and alcohol, learning disability and community demonstrators.

Mould told Capita's Total Place conference in London that the pilots had uncovered some startling facts and figures.

"We estimate there has been a £38m cost of gang crime over 20 years dealing with just two dynastic crime families," she said. "But if we start to work with families and young people earlier on, things could start to change – a more preventative approach. So intervention and working with families, rather than putting all our money into reacting to situations as we do at the moment."

Mould said that under Every Child Matters they could save over £400m over 15 years if they shifted resources to early intervention. And last year they spent about £6m dealing with people with alcohol-related admission to accident and emergency.

"We think if we take a different approach by intervening and offering advocacy services we could save 10 per cent of the costs," she said.