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| Councils back troubled families scheme | Councils back troubled families scheme |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Every eligible council in England is to take part in the government's programme to tackle the problems of "troubled families", ministers are due to say. | Every eligible council in England is to take part in the government's programme to tackle the problems of "troubled families", ministers are due to say. |
| The news represents an expansion of a scheme under which local authorities get financial incentives to tackle some of the 120,000 families said to cost the taxpayer £9bn every year. | The news represents an expansion of a scheme under which local authorities get financial incentives to tackle some of the 120,000 families said to cost the taxpayer £9bn every year. |
| Ministers have said they want to turn around these families' lives by 2015. | Ministers have said they want to turn around these families' lives by 2015. |
| Labour says government cuts limit the impact of family intervention schemes. | Labour says government cuts limit the impact of family intervention schemes. |
| The government says the 120,000 families are to blame for a significant share of social problems because the adults are usually on benefits for life, their children are often absent from school and the police are regularly called to their homes. | The government says the 120,000 families are to blame for a significant share of social problems because the adults are usually on benefits for life, their children are often absent from school and the police are regularly called to their homes. |
| The estimated £9bn they cost the public purse each year relates to spending on them with regards to the NHS, the police and social services. | The estimated £9bn they cost the public purse each year relates to spending on them with regards to the NHS, the police and social services. |
| Under the government programme, councils are being encouraged to join up the efforts of the various agencies involved with these families - from social workers to teachers, police officers and doctors. | Under the government programme, councils are being encouraged to join up the efforts of the various agencies involved with these families - from social workers to teachers, police officers and doctors. |
| Social work 'fluency' | Social work 'fluency' |
| The government is diverting £448m from existing departmental budgets over four years to help pay for a network of people who will identify families in need of help, make sure they get access to the right services and ensure that action is taken. | The government is diverting £448m from existing departmental budgets over four years to help pay for a network of people who will identify families in need of help, make sure they get access to the right services and ensure that action is taken. |
| But the money will cover only 40% of costs, and councils who want to use it will have to agree to fund the other 60% themselves. | But the money will cover only 40% of costs, and councils who want to use it will have to agree to fund the other 60% themselves. |
| However, if a local authority manages to cut a family's level of truancy, anti-social behaviour, or benefit dependency, it will receive extra money. | However, if a local authority manages to cut a family's level of truancy, anti-social behaviour, or benefit dependency, it will receive extra money. |
| Communities Secretary Eric Pickles told the Independent on Sunday that 152 councils in England would be incentivised to send in troubleshooters to confront the difficult families in their area. | Communities Secretary Eric Pickles told the Independent on Sunday that 152 councils in England would be incentivised to send in troubleshooters to confront the difficult families in their area. |
| Mr Pickles, who is expected to announce later that all of them have agreed to take part, told the paper there would be "a little less understanding" and a tougher approach to the families who are "fluent in social work". | Mr Pickles, who is expected to announce later that all of them have agreed to take part, told the paper there would be "a little less understanding" and a tougher approach to the families who are "fluent in social work". |
| 'Important work' | 'Important work' |
| Under the government's measure, families need to meet five out of seven criteria - including truanting children, parents with addiction and anti-social behaviour - to be classified as "troubled". | Under the government's measure, families need to meet five out of seven criteria - including truanting children, parents with addiction and anti-social behaviour - to be classified as "troubled". |
| Speaking at the launch of the initiative in March, Prime Minister David Cameron said some "deeply troubled families", who were "deeply chaotic", were responsible for "a huge amount of social problems, for themselves but also for the wider community". | |
| "I am very proud of the fact that this government has decided to roll up its sleeves and really try and deal with these problems, it's a hugely important area of work," he said. | "I am very proud of the fact that this government has decided to roll up its sleeves and really try and deal with these problems, it's a hugely important area of work," he said. |
| But, when this initiative was first proposed, Labour MP Gloria De Piero said there was only so much troubleshooters could do when cuts were hitting family intervention projects. | But, when this initiative was first proposed, Labour MP Gloria De Piero said there was only so much troubleshooters could do when cuts were hitting family intervention projects. |