We use cookies to ensure that we provide you with the best possible experience on our website. More information on the cookies we set can be found in our privacy policy.

I'm okay with this

Frequently Asked Questions

How many programmes are in the Early Intervention Framework?

  • The Early Intervention Framework currently has over 100 programmes included. To view all the interventions, go to the Filter Interventions page and select “Search”, and all interventions included in the resource will be returned.

Who is the resource for? / Who can access it?

  • The Early Intervention Framework is hosted on a website and has open access to any user. It is intended for used by anyone within the wider children and families services workforce. This includes health and social care, education, Third sector, local and Scottish Government, and other public bodies. It is not limited to use by mental health services or specialist services.

When should the resource be use?

  • The resource aims to support the effective implementation of evidence-based early intervention and prevention approaches to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. It has been designed to support services to make fully informed decisions about what intervention might be implementable and sustainable for their specific context. Therefore, it is appropriate to use the resource when:
    • a need in the local area/population your organisation serves has been identified, and you are looking to invest in a new intervention or approach; the resource can be used to identify what interventions are available, which best meet your needs and fit with your local context.
    • You want to review the appropriateness of current interventions or approaches you are implementing. You can use it to review whether they are still meeting your local needs and fit with the current local context. This can support decision making around whether to continue to invest in an intervention or approach. In this situation it may also help identify where the challenges of your current implementation may be and adapt your implementation to make it more successful.

How do I narrow my search to find relevant interventions?

  • Once you have identified your target population and need, you can search using the filters options on the Filter Interventions When entering terms into the ‘Search by Name’ section, only interventions with the searched term in the intervention title will be returned. To search for a specific need, use the Mental Health and Wellbeing Need filters. Further information on how to use the resource can be found on the How to use the resource page.

Should you choose developmental age in the age range filters?

  • As an initial filter, users should usually choose the chronological age of the children of interest. Interventions that are targeted at children where there are concerns about development have been classified according to the chronological age group that the intervention developers have stipulated. However, it is also noted that several programmes have adaptations available for children with different developmental needs, and so widening the age range of interest may increase the possible choices available.

Are all the interventions included available in Scotland?

  • The range of interventions included in the Early Intervention Framework are much broader than those currently being delivered in Scotland. Many approaches included in the Early Intervention Framework have not been implemented in Scotland, although some may have been implemented elsewhere in the UK. All interventions that are included have the potential to be implemented by services in Scotland.

Are any of the interventions free or do they all have a cost attached?

  • Most interventions do involve a cost; where this information was available, start-up costs have been detailed for each intervention. If further information is required regarding costs, please contact the programme developers directly.

How do I nominate an intervention or approach for inclusion in the resource?

  • New interventions will be considered for inclusion in the Early Intervention Framework going forward. Any nominations will go through a rigorous process to ascertain whether they meet the same inclusion and exclusion criteria that were used during the original development of the resource. Details of the inclusion and exclusion criteria can be found in Background Information section of the website in the Aims and Scope
  • Details of the nomination process and nomination form can be found here.

How and when will the Early Intervention Framework be reviewed / updated?

  • The Early Intervention Framework will be reviewed and updated on a bi-annual basis. This will be undertaken by the Early Intervention Framework team within NHS Education for Scotland, with support from members of the Technical Working Group that were involved in the original development. The process of reviewing and updating the resource will mirror the same rigorous Delphi Process that was undertaken during the development of the Framework, in order to maintain the consistent approach to achieving consensus about which interventions are included in the resource, and how the information for each intervention is gathered and reviewed. Fuller details about the nomination processes for new interventions can be found here.