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. Estimate of 1,150 families in Suffolk • Estimated that these families cost £9bn per year - £8bn of which is reacting to the problems they cause rather then enabling them to solve the problems they have • 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 • 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 £6,000 ‘in kind’ match from the local system. finding

Family Intervention Factors

The DCLG publication ‘Working with Troubled Families’ (Dec2012) describes 5 Factors: • Dedicated workers, dedicated to families • Practical ‘hands on’ support • A persistent, assertive & challenging approach • Considering the family as a whole • A common purpose and agreed action See https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-with-troubled families-a-guide-to-evidence-and-good-practice

Suffolk Family Focus so far

• Suffolk Family Focus is Suffolk’s response to the Government’s Troubled Families Initiative.

• About redirecting and refocusing current resource and transforming the way we work. • We are already working with the vast majority of these families – this is a chance to work differently and enable real change with families whom the public sector has found it difficult to enable to achieve sustainable change  Multi-agency steering group set up and meets on a monthly basis to provide direction and oversight. Now reports direct to Health and Wellbeing Board  1190 Families identified

Major work undertaken

so far

– Extensive consultation with workers across Suffolk – from CYP to anti-social behaviour teams and social landlords – Lists of families per area – ‘sense-checked’ with practitioners and refreshed regularly – Practice framework with method of delivery – the ‘Lead/Key Contact’ role agreed – Early adopter activity in Lowestoft and Ipswich – Family Intelligence Hub being developed – Psychologically Informed Casework Management Approach commissioned – Suffolk has set up and is leading Eastern Region Group – VCS commissioned to provide extra capacity – consortium of local providers will deliver – Fieldwork teams incentivised to work with whole families with short term funding – Workforce Development Strategy being developed

Breakdown of families per district (124) 26% The number of criteria each family meets 12 13 122 (29) 6% 338 5 9 29 9 (30) 6% (27) 6%

0 1 2 3

(40) 8% (46) 9% (189) 39% 16 44 10

3 Babergh 3 Forest Heath 3 Ipswich 3 Mid Suffolk 3 St Edmundsbury 3 Suffolk Coastal 3 Waveney

Amount of families per district who meet all 3 criteria

Governance and Commissioning

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 - Families actively involved in plan - Truancy rate fallen dramatically - Police callouts down - ASB incidents down - Mother registered for college course - Tenancy Secure - Parenting concerns addressed - Housing issue resolved - Debt issues under control

What these families need partners to do

• To allow your staff to be involved and take an active interest yourselves • Actively encourage your staff to work differently and give them the time and space to do so • To give Troubled Families priority access to services • To respond swiftly when asked to do so

Contact details

Stuart Hudson – Troubled Families Coordinator [email protected] / 07718 100876 Allan Cadzow – Assistant Director – SCC CYP Services [email protected] / 07717 302280