Early intervention and tackling inequalities are key priorities for East Lothian Council and the East Lothian Partnership. The Council and its partners recognise the need to deliver a step change in how services are provided; moving from a model of public services that focuses on crisis intervention, to a model that concentrates on preventing failure at the earliest opportunity.The shift in emphasis towards prevention and early intervention has been underway for some years. Many activities that can be described as ‘prevention’ or ‘early intervention’ are now core activities, which are embedded in the way the Council and its partners work.

Key examples of this include:

• Shifting the balance of care for older people from hospitals and care homes to services such as the Hospital at Home service and telecare that allow people to remain in their homes
• Interventions such as diversionary activities for young people to reduce anti-social behaviour
• Programmes aimed at improving skills and employability to improve positive destinations for school leavers
• Delivery of 600 hours entitlement to free early learning and childcare and support for eligible, priority 2 year olds
• Sports development, the Active Schools programme and active travel initiatives that encourage and support people to be more physically active
• Targeted home fire and home safety activity by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
• Establishing a multi-agency Public Protection Unit which covers both East Lothian and Midlothian
• The new waste collection service that has increased household waste recycling to over 50%, thereby reducing our use of landfill.The Council and key partners including the NHS, Police Scotland and third sector organisations have collaborated in the Musselburgh Total Place Project which has culminated in the establishment of a new Family Focus Service which will use an early intervention and prevention approach to working work with the most vulnerable families in the Musselburgh East area.