Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Children, and the Voluntary Sector

Forward Plan Ref: 2012/062

Contact: Lorna Caldicott, Thriving Families Programme Manager Tel: (01865) 328543

Report by Director for Children’s Services (CA12).

For several years, through the Family Intervention Project and the 'Breaking the Cycle of Deprivation' programme, the council has been working to help and support some of the most resource-intensive and vulnerable families in Oxfordshire.

Recently the government has announced a new Troubled Families programme that is being rolled out nationally, including in Oxfordshire.

'Thriving Families' is the term that we will use in Oxfordshire to refer to the work that will be done to support these families, building on the Family Intervention Project and our approach to Breaking the Cycle of Deprivation approach. We will also fully exploit the resources of the European Social Funding for Families with Multiple Problems.

It is intended that the additional resources now available through the government's Troubled Families programme will be used to create a sustainable model, mainstreaming our existing approach so that by April 2015 we have fully integrated our approach within the Early Intervention Service. This will mean that the programme becomes embedded as core council business, and ensure delivery over the longer term .

The attached report sets out the proposed approach in detail.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note and approve the Council's response to the Government's Troubled Families initiative.

Cabinet considered a report that set out the proposed direction of Oxfordshire’s Thriving Families programme in response to the Government’s Troubled Families initiative.

Councillor Janet Godden, Shadow Cabinet Member for Children & the Voluntary Sector referred to the negative position nationally and the positive efforts of the Council locally to maximise resources. It was also positive that the Council had gained the status of a Learning Laboratory. She was pleased that the Council had abandoned the Government’s title. She was concerned that locally we had missed an opportunity with regard to discretionary criteria and was concerned also that the programme was for payments by results when local people needed the help for the long haul to achieve positive results. The programme was for 3 years and she queried what would happen at the end of that period.

Councillor Chapman, Cabinet Member for Children & the Voluntary Sector in moving the recommendations stressed that the programme was excellent and the intention was to embed it in the way that the Council worked. It would build on the Family Intervention Service and she was confident that during the 3 years they would be able to make a difference to breaking the cycle of deprivation. Wider Oxfordshire would benefit and not just Oxford and Banbury.

During discussion Cabinet welcomed the approach and stressed their commitment to all families in Oxfordshire in need of help.

RESOLVED:             to note and approve the Council's response to the Government's Troubled Families initiative