Issue - meetings

Report CS15940

Agreement was sought to draw-down additional grant funding from central contingency for delivering the Tackling Troubled Families (TTF) Programme in the borough.

Phase 2 of the Programme was officially launched on 1 April 2015, L B Bromley having started the Phase early in September 2014 as a chosen early adopter of the phase.

To operate the TTF service for 2015/6, a sum of £661k was requested from Central Contingency to supplement a carried forward balance from 2014/5 already held in the TTF cost centre to cover operational costs.

In discussion reference was made to the success of Phase 1 of the Programme. The Portfolio Holder for Care Services offered to request that officers provide a report on the effectiveness of the Phase.

Acknowledging progress made, the Leader highlighted that ideally no children/young people in the borough should offend, unsocial behaviour being unacceptable. From families attached to Phase 2 of the Programme it was highlighted that officers were aiming for the highest outcomes - zero offending. The Leader asked that partners in the Programme are aware of the Council’s aspirations.

RESOLVED that draw-down from contingency of £661k for Tackling Troubled families be approved.

Report CS15940

The report set out expenditure on the Tackling Troubled Families Programme being delivered in Bromley and requested agreement from the Executive to drawdown additional grant funding from central contingency.The scheme was not a statutory requirement, but all local authorities were involved. Payment depended on certain outcomes being delivered, and there was a heavy burden of data returns to central government.

The scheme had achieved huge benefits for some families, and turned around attitudes to issues such as school attendance. However, the money available for Phase 2 had been reduced and the Council would have to work with more families. More data was available than was included in the report, and Members sought further information on the numbers of families who had not met the outcomes from phase 1 of the programme and fallen out of the scheme.

The Chairman noted that Bromley’s model for Tackling Troubled Families using Children’s Centres was now being copied elsewhere, and asked that the Committee’s appreciation of a well-run project be passed to Rachel Dunley, Head of Early Interventions and Family Support.

RESOLVED that the contents of the report be noted and the Executive be recommended to approve the drawdown from contingency of £661k for Tackling Troubled Families.