Additional funding announced for Troubled Families Programme

It has recently been announced that the project, launched in 2012, is to receive £165 million in additional government funding to ensure that it continues for a further year.

Troubled Families aims to help families with complex health and social issues, such as unemployment, mental health problems and domestic abuse. Local Authorities identify families who require additional support and a Troubled Families keyworker is assigned to carry out work with the whole family, coordinating support from a range of sources.

It is said that the project has seen much success in stepping in to assist families before their situation reaches crisis point. Government ministers have commented on an evaluation published last April, saying that it demonstrated that the programme had reduced the proportion of children going into care by a third, reduced the proportion of adults going to prison by a quarter and had cut the number of adults claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Children’s Commissioner for England, Anne Longfield said the government announcement was “welcome” but needed to be followed by “long term and extended funding commitments” in this year’s spending review.

We can provide expert advice and representation if the Local Authority are involved with your children. You can contact us by calling 0191 263 6200 to speak to one of our specialist Family Law lawyers or to make an appointment.  Contact us as soon as the Local Authority become involved with your family; we can help you. Further advice on the Public Family Law services we provide can be found here.

Sources: bbc.co.uk, 5 January 2020, ‘Troubled Families programme gets £165m cash boost’, familylaw.co.uk, 13 January 2020, ‘Government confirms extra support for Troubled Families programme to succeed’.