Suffolk Family Focus
How do we transform our approach to
challenged and challenging families?
Troubled Families Initiative
•
Launched by Government in April 2012. Seeks to turn around the lives of
120,000 ‘troubled families’ by May 2015.
•
What is a ‘troubled family’?
– Education – Persistent Truancy & Exclusion
– Crime/ASB – Youth Crime and ASB Interventions
– Worklessness – In receipt of out of work benefits
– Local Discretion – Extra local concerns + two of above
•
Estimate of 1,150 families in Suffolk - We will already be working with the
vast majority. High/med/low intensity.
•
No national blueprint for delivery – Freedom to innovate locally and do what
works for us
•
£4,000 per family (mix of up-front and PbR) with an expectation of finding
£6,000 ‘in kind’ match from the local system.
Suffolk Family Focus so far
• Suffolk Family Focus is Suffolk’s response to the Governments
Troubled Families Initiative.
• About transforming our approach and redirecting and refocusing
current resource. We will already working with the vast majority of
these families – this is a chance to do something different and
enable real change with challenged and challenging families.
• Multi-agency steering group meets on a monthly basis to provide
direction and oversight. It includes all major agencies: SCC CYP,
SCC ACS, Police, Probation, District/Borough Councils, JC+,
Health, VCS…
Where are we now?
• TFI is the only Government social programme in town
• Families will need to meet at least 2 of the Governments national
criteria
• Agreed:
– Psychologically Informed Case Management
– VCS commissioning
– Lead Agency Payments
– Workforce development
– Some micro-commissioning
The numbers (so far…)
Your feedback so far
A good idea
at a bad
time
We need 1
professional
for 1 family
We already
do this
through
CAF
We need more
paid hours for
professionals – not
programmes!
Not enough
time to do
what we really
want to do
We haven’t done
enough for these
families – great
chance to really
help them change
Better
communication
is the key
What works? The Lowestoft pilot
Family A:
High crime/ASB
Truancy
Father in prison
Historic Domestic Abuse
School exclusion
Child/Adolescent Mental
Health
Family B:
Crime/ASB
Mental health
Bereavement
Poor school attendance
Substance misuse
Family violence
What Works? The Lowestoft pilot
•Pilot led by Waveney District Council ASB Team
•Feedback from Worker
…Hard work but rewarding to see families move on
…Reviews and support of manager important
…Works with family on their terms and what they want to achieve
…Practical help when necessary
…Honesty
•Results achieved:
- High levels of engagement
- Truancy rate fallen dramatically
- ASB incidents down
- Tenancy Secure
- Housing issue resolved
- Families actively involved in plan
- Police callouts down
- Mother registered for college course
- Parenting concerns addressed
- Debt issues under control
The Key Challenge
How do we move from
‘long and thin’
to
‘short and fat’
(…. with a tail)
Haverhill - a ‘Whole System’ approach?
Haverhill - a ‘Whole System’ approach?
?
Practical next steps
Assistance undertaking research project with families –
mapping out service involvement across the system
Is this realistic?
Using this information to enable a ‘brokered’ approach in
Haverhill where possible
Longer-term approach to Suffolk Family Focus in Haverhill
which utilises strong local partnerships in One Haverhill?
Keep in touch
• We distribute a regular electronic briefing to anyone who is
interested – speak to us afterwards if you want to receive this.
• Keep in touch!
Andy Hollingsworth – National Management Trainee (NMT)
andy.hollingsworth@suffolk.gov.uk / 07703469130
Nicki Cooper – Project Manager: Suffolk Family Focus
Nicki.cooper@suffolk.gov.uk / 07718100005