Stuart Anderson MP has welcomed further support to empower local families facing multiple disadvantage achieve significant changes such as improved health, good early years development, financial stability, secure housing, and improved family relationships. The City of Wolverhampton has been allocated £1.6 million to provide co-ordinated support to help families with complex interconnected problems including domestic abuse issues, unemployment, poor school attendance, mental and physical health problems, involvement in crime and anti-social behaviour, domestic abuse, and children in need of help and protection. The funding allocated is based on deprivation and population figures.
The programme was launched a decade ago. Since 2015, it has achieved positive outcomes for more than 535,000 families and aims to help a further 300,000 families with multiple and complex needs make sustained, positive changes to their lives before 2025. The programme is delivered through a whole family approach by key-workers who bring together local services to resolve issues as early as possible before they develop into crises. In doing so, it drives strong multi-agency local partnerships, with the aim of ensuring that families only have to tell their stories once to get the targeted, whole family support that they require and empower them to overcome challenges.
The programme includes work to help people leave abusive relationships, access support for mental health issues and find work, for example. The interventions have helped reduce the number of children on the programme entering care by 32%, the number of juvenile custodial sentences by almost 40%, and the proportion of adults on the programme claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance decreased by 11%. The Spending Review 2021 announced around a 40% uplift in funding for the programme, taking total investment to £695 million.
Stuart Anderson MP said: “For over a decade, the Government’s Supporting Families programme has been helping our most disadvantaged families overcome multiple and complex challenges. Since last April, it has achieved positive outcomes for more than 50,000 families. I am pleased that Wolverhampton has been allocated £1.6 million to ensure local families can continue to benefit and achieve positive, sustainable outcomes.”
The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “Since it began ten years ago, Supporting Families has provided vital help to thousands of families right across the country who face real challenges. The results are clear for all to see – the scheme has reduced the number of children entering care, cut the number of juvenile custodial sentences, helped many people into employment and reduced costs for the taxpayer. That is why we are backing the programme even further, with over £230 million this coming year to fund skilled keyworkers who help vulnerable and disadvantaged families turn their lives around.
Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Felicity Buchan said: “Through its ground breaking whole-family early interventions, the Supporting Families programme has made a hugely positive impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of families. The last 10 years have seen significant positive changes, providing early access to better support from the right people at the right time – enabling families to overcome multiple and serious challenges. Everyone involved in delivering the scheme can be really proud that they have supported some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged families in our communities.”