London’s fragmented early years support system means many
families are at risk from not accessing the right support at the right time, a
new report by Isos Partnership commissioned by London Councils has revealed.
The report, “Beyond Boundaries”, identifies a variety
of obstacles in the way of joined-up services for children, including capacity, cultural barriers, shifting landscapes including borough
boundaries for services and technical difficulties which include a lack of
information on sharing systems or rules locally.
London Councils’ Executive Member for Children and Young People, Cllr Ian Edwards, said: “Joined-up early years services have the potential to
transform lives at an important stage of child development, but this report
shows that there is still fragmentation in the system which means children and
families may not receive all the help they need.
“While we are not looking for one way of integrating the
early years system, as we know that each area is responding to different local
needs, more could be done at a local level to assist better join up of local
early years services.
“Boroughs and our partners in health and education must put
the lived experiences of children and families front and centre when discussing
how to join up these services. By fostering a good culture of working across
professional boundaries and helping to reduce the gaps by sharing information
in a useful, effective way, we can help to make sure every child has access to
the support they need and has the best start in life.”
