To confirm the council and its key partners will continue to work with the national Troubled Families programme and join the extended programme which will run from 2015/16 to 2019/20.

THAT:

(a)       the council, as lead partner, joins the extended national Troubled Families programme

Being part of the national troubled families programme since 2012 has already helped to support 242 families in Herefordshire to achieve better outcomes; 204 families have reduced crime and anti-social behaviour and their children are attending school regularly, plus 38 adults are back into work and a further 57 adults are on a work programme which is helping them to progress towards work. In addition the programme has enabled additional funding to be brought into the county amounting to £1.13million which has been used to support families who need additional help. By the end of this phase of the programme in March 2015, the aim is to have “turned around” 310 families and secured £1.21million in grant funding.

The national Troubled Families team (part of the Department of Communities and Local Government – DCLG) has analysed significant amounts of data and performance from local authorities and now want the extended programme to significantly step up the fundamental system and service change that is required for these families. The extended programme will provide local authorities and partners across the country with much greater opportunities to help the most challenging and complex families in their areas, looking at breaking the cycle of intergenerational disadvantage and dysfunction that exists in some families. The new programme is much more open to local determination of the issues faced in our local families and what outcomes locally we would want to help them achieve. In addition there is significant support, tools and funding available by agreeing to be part of the extended programme.

The council could decide not to continue with the national programme and not commit to the extension. This would impact negatively on our most challenging and vulnerable families in the county; the programme to date has improved outcomes for 242 families and during the next five years will support over 1,000 families.