Troubled families programme

The troubled families programme is a government initiative to reduce the £9 billion spent annually on an estimated 120,000 of the most troubled families nationally.

• Policy - Helping troubled families turn their lives around
• Guidance - Working with troubled families: a guide to evidence and good practice

The programme uses a multi-agency approach in developing new ways of working with the families to:

• improve outcomes for the families
• reduce costs for the agencies

It is a 5-year programme. Thurrock will work with 1,260 families over this time. The programme works on a payment by results (PBR) basis. Up to £4,000 per family is paid if:

• each child enrolled with a school has fewer than 3 exclusions or achieves less than 15% authorised absences in the last 3 school terms
• each child enrolled with a school achieves 90% attendance at school, with no further fixed term exclusions over 3 consecutive terms
• there is a 33% reduction in offending by all members of the family during the previous 6 months, with successful completion of licence
• adults who don't enter work achieve 'progress to work', or at least 1 adult in the family had moved from out of work benefits into continuous employment during the previous 6 months
• there are no further police call-outs for domestic violence, and the family has engaged with programmes
• the family has engaged with physical and mental health programmes
• the family places less demand on the police, and the frequency of referrals to Thurrock MASH is reduced

How families can be nominated to the programme

The Prevention and Support Service (PASS) will work with families if 2 of the following criteria apply:

• parents and/or children involved in crime and anti-social behaviour
• children have not been attending school regularly
• children at risk of child sexual exploitation
• adults are out of work or at risk of financial exclusion, or young people are at risk of being our of work
• they are affected by domestic violence and abuse
• parents and/or children have a range of health problems

If you think a family you are working with may meet as above then please request a nomination form from PASS, below.