As we ‘Build Back Better’ in response to economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, so also should we seek to ‘Build Better Brains’. Building Better Brains is about how experiences shape our brains, which in turn dictates our ability to achieve, to thrive and to withstand traumatic events.
Building Better Brains is a story about human relationships, because we depend on those around us for the experiences that build our brain architecture. As a community, when we identify how and when to support children and families in the course of development, we can change how the story unfolds so that all of us, regardless of background and life circumstances, have the chance to lead happier, healthier, more hopeful lives.
When a child’s brain fails to get what it expects and needs, especially during the most sensitive and rapid periods of development early in life (including in the last trimester in-utero), the amount of effort required to set it back on track later in life is enormous and optimal outcomes are far less likely. The extent and severity of problems in later life linked with early deprivation or sub-optimal care can be remediated through early intervention.
This proposal is for a Building Better Brains programme that will develop a long-term strategy to shift the mental models and practices among individuals, organizations, and systems, leading to policy and practice change within key systems that impact children and families. Investment into Building Better Brains will deliver multiple social and economic benefits including:
• Reduced risk of mental health problems and addictions
• Reduced demand for NHS services
• Reduced demands on the criminal justice system
• Better educational attainment
• More productive economy
• Stronger, more resilient communities
Existing policies and practices that seek to influence early years development and improve long term mental health are too patchy, not integrated well enough and under-resourced. Most services relating to this area are too reactive providing too little support, too late. One example of this would be the number of school-aged children being assessed and treated for ADHD by an incredibly over-stretched CAMHS. Research has shown a clear association between ADHD and attachment issues, which if addressed in the child’s early years would be so much more beneficial.
The aim of a Building Better Brains programme would be to bridge the gap between what we know scientifically about early brain development and what we do in policy and practice. Bridging this gap requires an understanding of how change occurs in the world, specifically how to foster cross-boundary, system-level, integrated change in policy, service provision, and on-the-ground practice.
The programme would aim to catalyse change by making scientific knowledge about early child and brain development accessible to a wide range of policy-makers, practitioners, and the public. It would also engage multi-disciplinary change agents working in numerous sectors and communities to apply Building Better Brains knowledge to their activities, strategies, and organising principles. A three-phase strategy would be required:
1. Creating a common story about Building Better Brains from an interdisciplinary body of knowledge about early childhood experiences, brain development, epigenetics, intergenerational factors, and outcomes. This would involve bringing people together across sectors to enhance their knowledge about early brain development and lifelong health. A key outcome would be the production and dissemination of a Building Better Brains Toolkit. The Toolkit would include high quality, accessible videos covering topics such as:
– How brains are built
– The importance of good attachment (serve and return)
– Executive functioning
– Resilience
– Toxic stress and adverse childhood experiences
– Addictions.
– A Building Better Brains certification course for professionals
2. Changing organisations by engaging and building relationships with strategically selected individuals in order to enhance their scientific knowledge about early brain development, addiction, and mental health. The aim will be for these individuals to incorporate this fresh perspective into their work, as well as into their personal beliefs and behaviours and apply their new knowledge to their organisations and disseminate it in their spheres of influence. The result would be shifts in programming, practice, and even culture that are in line with current science, helping to build momentum and shine a brighter spotlight on childhood development, adult addiction, and other mental and physical health outcomes. The aim would be for programmes, training and collaboration to be built around the Building Better Brains story, resulting in a more complete, accessible environment of support services for clients.
3. Supporting Policies. As organisations begin to shift their cultures, priorities, and practices, change begins to occur in policies, resource allocations, and institutional relationships at the system level. This requires a long-term view, recognising the benefits are not seen immediately and hard to quantify. Nevertheless, Government policy will need to be modified or created and sufficient funding allocated. Organisations and entire sectors must find new ways to work together and bring the Building Better Brains story to thousands of professionals in order to increase competency on the front lines.
A key role of the Building Better Brains programme would be to facilitate collaboration between key stakeholders and encourage, cross-sector working between social care, education, health care, and justice. The programme should also engage with the private sector and seek to lever in support and funding. For example, John Timpson and his late wife have done and given a lot to support children in care to achieve more.
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