Plan to help out troubled families

The proposals together with staffing requirements will be discussed at the next Children and Young People’s Committee at Notts County Council on Monday 16th July.

The county council will receive £2.3m over the next three years as part of the Government’s Troubled Families Programme.

During the first year 2012 – 13, 439 families will receive support through district teams of managers and co-ordinators and the Family Intervention Team.

Close links will be built with other agencies including the police, the probation service, health and the targeted youth support services.

Support will be offered to households that meet all of the following criteria - those involved in crime and anti-social behaviour, have children not in school and have an adult out of work on benefits.

Coun Philip Owen, chairman of children and young people’s services, said the support that will be on offer is aimed at children, young people and their families who are the most difficult to engage with.

“The programme is run on a payment-by-results basis so we’ll be looking to reduce criminal activity and anti-social behaviour, improve school attendance and encourage parents into work,” he said.

The annual cost to agencies in Nottinghamshire footing the bill for troubled families is £118.5m or £75,000 per family per year.

Truancy costs Notts County Council more than £44,000 during a child’s school life and a child being taken into care costs £36,653 a year.

Other agencies bearing the costs include the police, primary care trusts, citizen advice bureau and youth offending teams tackling issues such as mental health, drug and alcohol abuse, neighbourhood disputes and social care.

Coun Owen added: “The county’s youth justice service has had an excellent track record in getting results so we hope that working in conjunction with other agencies and organisations we can deliver a successful outcome for a vast number of these families.”