The government is to give £2.3 million from the Troubled Families Programme to help more than 900 vulnerable families across Brighton and Hove.
The funding was announced today (Tuesday 27 March) by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
It comes with fewer strings attached, members of Brighton and Hove City Council were told at a meeting this afternoon.
The council is one of just 11 in the country to be given a greater say over how it spends the money.
Pinaki Ghoshal, the council’s executive director of children’s services, said that this would mean less money spent on bureaucracy and more on directly helping vulnerable families.
He told the council’s Audit and Standards Committee that the freedom was hard won but worthwhile.
A national report on the Troubled Families Programme said: “Brighton and Hove will use ‘earned autonomy’ to address the high level of mental health support needed in vulnerable families with complex problems.
“They will embed mental health specialists for children, young people and parents into family support teams.
“They will deliver a two-year programme of training and interventions to reduce parental conflict and improve parenting capacity.
“They will extend the successful programme of family support delivered in partnership with primary schools to the wider school population targeting vulnerable families below the social work threshold.”
The council said: “A programme providing support for families in Brighton and Hove who are vulnerable and facing complex problems has secured £2.3 million of government funding over the next two years.
“More than 900 local families are expected to receive support as a direct result of this funding.
“The city’s ‘Stronger Families Stronger Communities’ programme involves support for families from the council, Sussex Police, the Department for Work and Pensions, the local NHS and the local community and voluntary sector.
“The funding will enable the programme to focus on the high level of mental health support needed by vulnerable families.
“Specialist staff working in family support teams will work to improve people’s parenting skills, reduce parental conflict and its impacts on children and provide additional support to vulnerable families with children in primary school.”
Councillor Dan Chapman, who chairs the council’s Children, Young People and Skills Committee, said: “This is really excellent news. It demonstrates our ability to help vulnerable families change their lives for the better and help prevent small problems escalating.
“It’s a win-win scenario, as families are supported earlier and it also potentially saves money in the long run.”
