Early years’ services are on a ‘burning platform’ with UK outcomes among the ‘worst in the civilized world’, a leader has warned.

Alison Morton, chief executive, Institute of Health Visiting, issued the warning during evidence to the Health and Social Care Committee this morning.

Morton said: ‘When we look at children's outcomes across England they are some of the worst in the civilized world. There is a burning platform that we need to do better. The remit is too small. We need to think bigger and be ambitious for children.'

The committee heard evidence on local authority provision of early services through the family hubs model.

In January, the Government announced £22.4m funding for expansion of the programme across the country but has faced calls to extend family hubs to all English local authorities in the Spending Review.

Morton added: ‘The family hub model is wonderful and there's some great work that's been happening but there's a whole raft of priorities that are missing.'

The chief executive said family hubs should be used to augment the healthy child programme which provided a blueprint for preventative public health in England.

There are 75 family hubs in the UK serving around 224,000 children.

The family hubs and start for life programme was announced by the Conservative Party as part of the 2021 autumn budget with 75 pre-selected local authorities taking part.

The programme aimed to provide families with the integrated support they need to care for their children from conception, throughout the early years and into the start of adulthood.

Family hubs superseded the Sure Start initiative launched by the Labour Government in 1990s.

Christine Farquharson, associate director, Institute for Fiscal Studies, which has recently published a 10-year report on the impact of Sure Start, said the programme had prevented around 13,000 hospatilisations for 11 to 15-year-olds each year and had provided a £2 return to society for every £1 invested.

Cllr David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association's Community Wellbeing Board, said: ‘Family hubs represent an important opportunity for councils to support families and to help them gain access to a range of vital services in their communities.

‘In the Spending Review, we urge the Government to extend the scheme to all councils so these transformative benefits can be felt across the country. Sustained, multi-year funding would give councils the stability they need to plan ahead and work with partners to deliver services that are both effective and sustainable.'

Lee Peart is editor of Hemming Group’s Healthcare Management magazine.