Decision details

To update members on the latest developments with the Early Help Services (formerly the Troubled Families Programme).

Arising from a report * of the Head of Communities and Governance, the Community Well Being Policy Development Group had made the following recommendation: that Cabinet approve the Working Practice Agreement for the sharing of information to support Early Help Provision.

The Cabinet Member for the Working Environment and Support Services outlined the contents of the report explaining that the Troubled Families Programme was set up by Central Government in 2011 to ‘turn around’ the lives of ‘the most troubled families’ in Britain. The three-year funded programme was extended in 2014 for a further 2 years with the intention that the ‘new approach’ should be mainstreamed as part of the preventative services available to support children and families in need.

In Devon over the last two years, the Troubled Families Programme had evolved into ‘Early Help’. Early Help described a range of multi-agency support services offered to children, young people and families in response to their emerging needs.  ‘Early Help’ aimed to prevent the multiple and often complex needs of families escalating to a degree where they required more expensive specialist support or legal intervention. In this way the service had the dual objectives of protecting children and of reducing the costs of multiple interventions.

Discussion took place regarding:

·         Housing Services were working with the multi agencies to identify those at risk;

·         Links with Safeguarding;

·         Current levels of staffing and whether they were sufficient.

RESOLVED that the recommendation be approved.

(Proposed by Cllr C R Slade and seconded by Cllr P H D Hare-Scott)

Note: - *Report previously circulated, copy attached to minutes.