Members of the Time to Act Reform Board, a group of leaders in the field of care and support, have come together to call for new investment in Earlier Action and Support interventions which enable more people to live the lives that they want. In a new briefing, they say that investing in earlier action and support will help to meet the Government’s promise to shift towards “prevention”, and to deliver its health and growth missions.
The briefing, “Earlier action and support: the case for prevention in adult social care and beyond” brings together on evidence on a range of interventions in a new Prevention Savings Model, which demonstrates that every £1 invested in earlier action and support interventions creates a social return on investment of, on average, £3.17.
The briefing, which is backed by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, the Care Provider Alliance, the Local Government Association, Mencap, Skills for Care, the Social Care Institute for Excellence, Social Care Future, and Think Local Act Personal, calls for investment in the budget in a programme of Earlier Action and Support Pathfinders to further build the evidence-base to support a longer-term shift towards investment in these interventions across local authorities in England.
The briefing defines “Earlier Action and Support” as including information, advice and advocacy services; connectors and navigators; technology to support day to day life; community and social groups; carers support services; and supported housing. It highlights the centrality of peer and mutual support to many of these models. It puts forward an assessment of the value of these interventions based on a sample of evidence-based interventions which can be built upon as more evidence emerges.
“Earlier action and support is not just about reducing future costs – this is an invest to save moment and also an opportunity to “invest to grow”. It’s about supporting people’s ability to live the lives they want and to flourish. By focusing on earlier action and support, we can build a system rooted in independence, resilience, and equity. This is our moment to align vision with action, empowering councils, communities, and people to co-create a future where everyone thrives.” Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE, Associate Director, Think Local Act Personal .
