Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to introduce a minimum guarantee of access to early years services.
Answered by Will Quince
The department is leading a cross government approach to champion the family hub model. The government is investing over £34 million to champion family hubs. This includes a National Centre for Family Hubs to provide expert advice, guidance and advocacy; a £10 million transformation fund to open family hubs in around 10 new areas in England; an evaluation innovation fund to build the evidence base; and work with local authorities to develop data and digital products that will support the practical implementation of family hubs. Further details are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/20m-to-provide-more-early-help-for-vulnerable-families.
Alongside this, the government is committed to delivering the action areas set out in the Early Years Healthy Development Review led by my right hon. Friend, the member for South Northamptonshire: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-best-start-for-life-a-vision-for-the-1001-critical-days.
One key action area was to champion Family Hubs as a place where parents and carers can access Start for Life services. To support delivery of this, the National Centre for Family Hubs will support councils to understand how best to build a Family Hub network and to take steps at a national and local level to reduce the stigma some parents or carers experience when asking for help. We will consider the recommendations in the Action for Children report as we take forward this work.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of Action for Children in their report, Barriers to accessing early years services for children, published 21 September 2021.
Answered by Will Quince
The department is leading a cross government approach to champion the family hub model. The government is investing over £34 million to champion family hubs. This includes a National Centre for Family Hubs to provide expert advice, guidance and advocacy; a £10 million transformation fund to open family hubs in around 10 new areas in England; an evaluation innovation fund to build the evidence base; and work with local authorities to develop data and digital products that will support the practical implementation of family hubs. Further details are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/20m-to-provide-more-early-help-for-vulnerable-families.
Alongside this, the government is committed to delivering the action areas set out in the Early Years Healthy Development Review led by my right hon. Friend, the member for South Northamptonshire: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-best-start-for-life-a-vision-for-the-1001-critical-days.
One key action area was to champion Family Hubs as a place where parents and carers can access Start for Life services. To support delivery of this, the National Centre for Family Hubs will support councils to understand how best to build a Family Hub network and to take steps at a national and local level to reduce the stigma some parents or carers experience when asking for help. We will consider the recommendations in the Action for Children report as we take forward this work.
Asked by: Jack Dromey (Labour - Birmingham, Erdington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the accessibility of early years services in the West Midlands.
Answered by Will Quince
The department is leading a cross government approach to champion the family hub model. The government is investing over £34 million to champion family hubs. This includes a National Centre for Family Hubs to provide expert advice, guidance and advocacy; a £10 million transformation fund to open family hubs in around 10 new areas in England; an evaluation innovation fund to build the evidence base; and work with local authorities to develop data and digital products that will support the practical implementation of family hubs. Further details are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/20m-to-provide-more-early-help-for-vulnerable-families.
Alongside this, the government is committed to delivering the action areas set out in the Early Years Healthy Development Review led by my right hon. Friend, the member for South Northamptonshire, more information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-best-start-for-life-a-vision-for-the-1001-critical-days. One key action area was to champion family hubs as a place where parents and carers can access Start for Life services. To support delivery of this, the National Centre for Family Hubs will support councils to understand how best to build a family hub network, and to take steps at a national and local level to reduce the stigma some parents or carers experience when asking for help. We will consider the recommendations in the Action for Children report as we take forward this work.
We have not made an assessment of the accessibility of early years services in the West Midlands specifically. The work that the government is doing to champion the family hub model and support parents and carers to access Start for Life services is national in scope, and applicable, with local nuance, in all regions.
Asked by: Jack Dromey (Labour - Birmingham, Erdington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the (a) proposal to introduce a minimum guarantee of early years services and (b) recommendations of the Action for Children’s report entitled Beyond reach: barriers to accessing early years services for children, published on 21 September 2021.
Answered by Will Quince
The department is leading a cross government approach to champion the family hub model. The government is investing over £34 million to champion family hubs. This includes a National Centre for Family Hubs to provide expert advice, guidance and advocacy; a £10 million transformation fund to open family hubs in around 10 new areas in England; an evaluation innovation fund to build the evidence base; and work with local authorities to develop data and digital products that will support the practical implementation of family hubs. Further details are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/20m-to-provide-more-early-help-for-vulnerable-families.
Alongside this, the government is committed to delivering the action areas set out in the Early Years Healthy Development Review led by my right hon. Friend, the member for South Northamptonshire, more information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-best-start-for-life-a-vision-for-the-1001-critical-days. One key action area was to champion family hubs as a place where parents and carers can access Start for Life services. To support delivery of this, the National Centre for Family Hubs will support councils to understand how best to build a family hub network, and to take steps at a national and local level to reduce the stigma some parents or carers experience when asking for help. We will consider the recommendations in the Action for Children report as we take forward this work.
We have not made an assessment of the accessibility of early years services in the West Midlands specifically. The work that the government is doing to champion the family hub model and support parents and carers to access Start for Life services is national in scope, and applicable, with local nuance, in all regions.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 25 May 2021 to Question 1148 on Early Years Healthy Development Review: Finance, whether the recommendations outlined in the Early Years Healthy Development Review are Government policy.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Early Years Healthy Development Review, published The Best Start for Life: A Vision for the 1,001 Critical Days on 25 March 2021. This sets out a vision for ensuring families with babies are supported in the period from conception to age two. The vision is Government policy and the Department is currently working towards implementation of the commitments made in the Review.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of the funds needed to implement the recommendations in the early years Leadsom review have been secured.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The implementation phase of the Early Years Healthy Development Review is being funded by the Department. During this phase the team will work with local leaders and HM Treasury to understand efficiencies and to build the economic case for further investment in the Start for Life. The vision document and the areas for action it describes, do not pre-empt any future spending events.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the review by the Early Years Health Advisor on the lessons learned from the covid-19 outbreak and the effect on very young children.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
‘The Best Start for Life: A Vision for the 1,001 Critical Days’ was published on 25 March. This was the report from the first phase of the Early Years Healthy Development Review, led by the Early Years Health Advisor and includes lessons learned from the experiences of the coronavirus pandemic. Officials will now start implementation of the action areas set out in the document.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how he plans to use the Government’s response to the Early years’ healthy development review consultation to help improve health outcomes for children with (a) cerebral palsy and (b) other neuro disabilities.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
NHS England and NHS Improvement will be meeting in due course to consider the recommendations to improve early detection and treatment pathways for cerebral palsy set out in the report.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government’s publication, The best start for life: a vision for the 1,001 critical days, published on 25 March 2021, when the Cabinet Minister is planned to be appointed to oversee implementation of the agreed actions from the Early Years Healthy Development Review Report.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Prime Minister recognises the importance of the start for life period being considered and advocated for at the heart of Government. Parents and carers need to know that someone is advocating on their behalf and who that person is.
The Prime Minister will nominate a Cabinet Minister who will ensure that ‘Start for Life’. A decision on who fulfils this role will be made in due course.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of expediting publication of the Early Years Healthy Development Review.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
While the exact date of publication is not yet confirmed, we expect to publish the Review shortly.