Holistic approach needed for troubled families
Action for Children has welcomed a new report from the Government adviser Louise Casey on how to deal with 120,000 most troubled families in England.
Ms Casey, head of the Troubled Families Programme, interviewed 16 troubled families for her report in order "to listen directly to families about their lives, the problems they have experienced and caused and to begin to understand the sort of help that will enable them to really change".
The Government says 120,000 "troubled families" in England cost taxpayers £9bn every year and has made a pledge to "turn their lives around" by the end of this Parliament.
"Conducting these interviews has been an eye-opening experience - to hear first hand about the lives these families lead and the legacy of trouble that's often been passed down to them," said Ms Casey.
"It's clearer than ever to me now that we cannot go on allowing families to fail their children; none of the parents I spoke to wanted their children to repeat a life of chaos and trouble, but often they couldn't see how to put things right by themselves - they needed practical and persistent help to do so."
Action for Children Chief Executive Dame Clare Tickell said:
"This report recognises challenges faced by some of the most vulnerable families, and the impact this has on children, that we see every day in our own family intervention projects up and down the country. We have found that the whole family approach really works in turning these families around –they need the right amount of support and challenge to give them the skills they need help get back on their own two feet and overcome the challenges they face.
"This has long term benefits for society too. For every £1 invested annually in Action for Children’s targeted services designed to help catch problems early and prevent problems from recurring, society benefits by between £7.60 and £9.20."
Under the Troubled Families programme the Department for Communities and Local Government will pay upper-tier local authorities up to £4,000 per eligible family on a payment-by-results basis if they reduce truancy, youth crime and anti-social behaviour or put parents back into work.
The Government's £448m three-year budget is drawn from across seven departments in a bid to join up local services dealing with these families on the frontline. All 152 upper-tier authorities in England have committed to engaging in the programme.
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