‘They know where to find us ….’ Service providers’ views on Early Support and minority ethnic communities

Abstract

In this article we examine the views of multi‐professional service providers on the provision of Early Support for disabled children 0–3 years old from minority ethnic communities. We begin with a description of national policies relevant to this field and of Early Support before describing a national evaluation of its impact. We discuss findings from a sample of service providers. The range of views on provision for disabled children from diverse backgrounds is examined under three approaches. These are related to policy and research on access to services for minority ethnic communities. We argue that some of the views expressed are of concern, particularly in relation to assumptions made about service provider responsibilities. We also point out that the views of users from communities should not be assumed and consultation with communities and organizations representing them should be wide ranging and inclusive and built in from the outset of service provision.

Keywords:

• Early Support
• service provider views
• cross‐language communication
• disability

Notes

1. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors. The evaluation team was appointed as a contractor for the DfES following a competitive tendering process. We wish to thank the DfES for their support.

2. The additional monitoring protocol that was developed with respect to children with a visual impairment and the developmental journal for babies and children with Down syndrome are not considered in the evaluation, as they were launched towards the end of the research study.

3. This article does not look at parents’ views of Early Support. These are discussed in the evaluation report.