25.11.13
More than 22,000 troubled families ‘turned around’ with intensive help
England’s troubled families are getting “back on track”, the government has announced halfway through the programme.
Over 62,000 families are being worked with, with more than 22,000 “turned around” so far. This success includes getting children back into school, reducing youth crime and antisocial behaviour, with 1,400 adults now in continuous work.
Councils have identified 92,000 families as meeting the criteria for the payment by results programme. Local authorities are paid up to £4,000 per family on the basis of supporting change.
Wandsworth council is working with 90% of its troubled families and Newcastle is working with 80%; while Wakefield has already turned more than half of its 930 troubled families around and Leicestershire almost half of its 810.
The data comes from all 152 upper tier local authorities in England submitted to the troubled families team.
Head of the programme, Louise Casey, said: “This programme is getting to grips with families who for too long have been have been allowed to be caught up in a cycle of despair. These results show that a tough, intensive but supportive approach has a big impact; giving hope and opportunity to the families and respite to the communities around them.”
Communities secretary Eric Pickles said: “Councils are making great strides in a very short space of time, dealing with families that have often had problems and created serious issues in their communities for generations. These results show that these problems can be dealt with through a no nonsense and common sense approach, bringing down costs to the taxpayer at the same time.”
Danny Alexander, chief secretary to the Treasury, added: “I am pleased to see that the Troubled Families programme is delivering results and helping thousands of people turn their lives around. This radical programme demonstrates how, by spending a bit more in certain areas, we can save much more in others and by doing so create a stronger economy and a fairer society.”
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