Early intervention schemes risk being scaled back as dwindling budgets are focused on reactive spending, the National Audit Office warned today.
In a study examining ‘early action’ to tackle the root causes of health and justice problems, the auditors found funding cuts were putting departments under pressure to preserve their high-profile spending. Much of this was concentrated on responding to problems, rather than preventing them. This was making continued funding for early intervention a ‘challenge’, the NAO said.Early action: landscape review looked at early-intervention schemes in four government departments: the Department of Health, Department for Education, Ministry of Justice and Home Office. These initiatives ranged from universal interventions, such as Sure Start education centres, to risk-related ‘intermediate’ initiatives, such as screening programmes for people susceptible to certain illnesses and ‘targeted’ schemes, for example to cut youth reoffending.
The NAO concluded there was little evidence so far of the cost-effectiveness or benefits of early action. The report cited Labour MP Graham Allen’s 2011 review of early intervention, which found only 19 of hundreds of examples met the highest evidence standards. The auditors said that £377bn – about half of total government spending – was spent on individuals. But it was impossible to say how much could be saved from this ‘social spending’ by better early intervention.
However, the watchdog said there was potential for ‘better outcomes and greater value for money’. If the programmes were able to improve health outcomes or cut reoffending, the best examples could offer returns on investment of up to 4:1.
To overcome the ‘short-term thinking’ that could hinder programmes, Whitehall and local bodies should agree a consistent definition for early action, the report recommended.
The Treasury should attempt to quantify the potential for early action to reduce public spending, and the Cabinet Office should ensure there was sufficient capacity at the centre of government to support it.
Auditor general Amyas Morse said: ‘A concerted shift away from reactive spending towards early action has the potential to result in better outcomes, reduce public spending over the long term and achieve greater value for money.
‘Government has signalled its commitment to early action as a principle, and taken some tentative steps towards realising that ambition. There remains much room for improvement, however. Short-term thinking, a lack of integration in many areas and poor evidence-gathering are impairing effective adoption and implementation of early action across government.’
