A new project has been launched to explore how improved data sharing between public services could better support young children.
The “Early Years Kickstarter” aims to work towards eventually giving professionals such as GPs, education practitioners and speech and language therapists a more holistic view of a child’s development through shared data, allowing them to better coordinate support. The project has initially been rolled out in Leeds City Council, the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham and Councils in the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
This comes as nearly a third of children (32%) start school lacking basic developmentally-appropriate skills, with many services which support them operating in isolation and through paper-based processes.
Liz Kendall, technology secretary, said that the system parents are currently confronted with is often “complex” and “disconnected”, making it difficult for them to access the best support for their children.
She said: “We are determined to change old fashioned public services where assessments are recorded by paper and children’s needs are missed.
“Parents, carers and children deserve better and our hard-working early years and healthcare professionals deserve the tools they need to do their jobs – not blockers. The more connected we make our services, the greater the difference we can make for children and families.”
As part of the project, parents are being encouraged to share their thoughts on where improved data sharing could have helped them access crucial support faster, and their experiences of accessing early learning support more generally.
A new collection of data related to early years support may also be developed from the information collected from local authorities, health visitors, and education practitioners. This would be hosted on the National Data Library, with the government emphasising that they would follow best practice on data sharing, with appropriate safeguards being put in place.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of Liverpool City Region, said: “When services aren’t properly connected, things can get missed and families can end up waiting longer than they should for help. We can do better than that.
“By bringing information together safely and responsibly, we can spot issues earlier, get support to families sooner and make sure children don’t fall through the gaps. I’m proud that councils across our region are helping lead this work.”
The measure is part of a broader government drive to ensure that 75% of five-year-olds possess what is considered a good level of development by 2028, up from the current 67.7%. To this end, over 200 “Best Start Family Hubs” - “one-stop shops” where families can access a range of health, education and support services - have been opened so far in areas that were not previously funded.
The “Early Years Kickstarter” is one of a number of Government Digital Service projects investigating how public sector data can be better connected to improve public services.