Evidence from practice urgently required!

[Guest guest]

DfE Under 2s Special Interest GroupDear AllWAVE Trust, expressed concern to DfE when the Graham Early Intervention review came out as in their view (and that of many others) it was not really addressing early intervention. Clearly this should refer to prevention and getting in really early during pregnancy and before 2 if we are to really make a difference to long term health outcomes. As a result of that challenge the DfE have set up a working group to look at the issues for practice, with respect to infant mental health. I am sitting on that group. It has a very short life and a call for evidence from practice has just gone out: http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/2012/01/news-from-the-department-2/This is an opportunity to really influence to say what the big issues are for you in practice when wanting to deliver effective early intervention, particularly in relation to supporting infant mental health – that is with the exception of workforce numbers! We know that that is number one, but what else? Are the issues with multi-professional working, do you have trouble accessing the right training etc. etc. We have all felt that in the past DfE policy suggests that children are born at age 2, this is their attempt to really rectify that complaint.It would be enormously helpful if some of you could respond to this call for practice evidence, your contributions will be really influential and its crucial that health takes up the baton to influence policy generation through the Department of Education, our voice has infrequently been heard in that Dept. Great efforts are being made to improve that situation and this is one of them. Please look at the link above and send in, perhaps just your top 3 or 4 issues, it will only take 10 minutes but could really make a difference to the thinking which will come out in a policy document. If anyone has been involved in writing papers, or reports, in that arena send them too, the more evidence of what a good service should look like the better.Thanks everyoneKind regardsCheryllDr Cheryll , D(Nurs), MSc, BSc(Hons), RN, RHV, Dip ManIndependent Adviser, Health Visiting and Community Health Policy and PracticeProfessorial Fellow, Royal Society for Public HealthCheryllMA@...01243 430545