Phase 1 of the Troubled Families initiative catalysed a cultural change in public services, with local authorities and their partners able to better support vulnerable families through a multi-agency, whole family approach.
In June 2013, the government announced plans for a second phase of the initiative, extending the programme to support an additional 400,000 families. Building on our experience from Phase 1, ILLY have collaborated with our partners to ensure the system meets the evolved requirements.
What are the main changes in Phase 2?
Whilst the two phases of the programme are bound by their focus on taking a family-based approach and a cultural transformation within services, there are two key changes.
Firstly, a localised approach provides each council greater flexibility to define their own outcomes framework, ensuring it reflects their local needs and priorities. Secondly, the criteria for inclusion has expanded and now includes:
- Parents and children involved in crime or anti-social behaviour
- Children who have not been regularly attending school
- Children in need of (early) help
- Worklessness and financial exclusion
- Families affected by domestic violence and abuse
- Parents and children with a range of physical and mental health issues
What are the consequences of the changes?
In Phase 2, local authorities will be working with a vastly increased number of households, which brings both its challenges and opportunities. A greater number of partners, including in healthcare, will need to be included through partnership working and service agreements. Delivery models will need to be adapted and the data requirements will be vastly increased. Councils will need to identify, monitor and claim for more households across a wider range of data-sets.
How are ILLY supporting these changes?
ILLY have been working closely with our existing partners to understand the changes and explore their impacts. After close consultation the LINKS Families system has been upgraded with the following goals in mind:
- Consolidate and import required data-sets to help with identification
- Support recording and reporting upon Phase 2 criteria
- Provide a chronological timeline of all activity per household/individual
- Help the nomination process by providing a “look up only” tool for selected partners
If you would like further information about how LINKS Families and ILLY Systems can support the Troubled Families initiative please get in touch on 0207 749 2222.