GovWire

The first annual report setting out how the current Troubled Families Programme has been supporting the most disadvantaged families shows how so far 185,000 families with multiple problems are receiving dedicated support to change their lives for the better.

Supporting disadvantaged families, Troubled Families Programme 2015 to 2020: progress so far sets out how the programme is changing the way councils work to be more effective in supporting those in need, including through a whole family approach and co-ordinated practical support. It also includes considerations for the new phase of the programme including which families are eligible for support, and how their progress will be measured.

The publication is part of the governments commitment to publish annual findings of the progress made through the Troubled Families Programme. It particularly draws on case studies of those who have been helped, and early independent evaluation reports.

The report also demonstrates the support for the involvement of a keyworker: 3 out of 4 families said they had made more difference to their lives than that made by previous levels of support, while 72% of main carers said they felt better about the future than they had before as a result.

Improving lives: Helping Workless Families

The programme will continue support for disadvantaged families with complex problems and will work with up to 400,000 families by 2020.

The new phase of the Troubled Families Programme supports the governments paper, Improving lives: Helping Workless Families. This sets out new evidence on the multiple and overlapping disadvantages experienced by workless families including parental conflict and problem debt.

As part of the next phase of the programme, the government will be conducting a review of the current paymentby-results funding model. This is to make sure that this model continues to help the programme meet its objectives, and to strengthen the programmes funding requirements.

Further information

The current Troubled Families Programme was rolled out in England in April 2015 and replaced the first programme which had been in place since 2012.

Families on the current programme will continue to have at least 2 of the following problems:

• parents or children involved in crime or anti-social behaviour
• children who are not attending school regularly
• children who need help; that is children of all ages, who need help, are identified as in need or are subject to a child protection plan
• adults out of work or at risk of financial exclusion or young people at risk of worklessness
• families affected by domestic violence or abuse
• parents or children with a range of physical and mental health problems

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