Agenda item

The Panel are asked no consider the presentation from the Connecting Families Manager.

A copy of the presentation is attached to the agenda. 

Please contact Jack Latkovic (Democratic Services Officer) if you require presentation in any other format.

The Chairman invited Paula Bromley (Principal Youth Officer and Operational Lead for Connecting Families) to give the presentation.

Paula Bromley highlighted the following points in her presentation:

• Overview
• The way we will work
• Degrees of the Family Intervention Services
• Purpose of Connecting Families
• Map of households matching >=2 Criteria
• How we will work with our families
• Family Intervention
• Measures of Success

A full copy of the presentation is available on the Minute Book in Democratic Services.

The Panel made the following points:

The Panel commented that for some of the methods in the scheme will require co-operation and positive participation of all people involved and asked if there is active participation and/or resistance and how the service will deal with those issues.  The Panel asked if benefit payments will be affected with this scheme.  The Panel also said some families have been known in the system for a number of years and asked how this new scheme will make the difference.  The Panel also asked if there is intention to work together with the housing associations.

Paula Bromley reminded the Panel that the team have not started to work yet as the plan is to start with the scheme from 1st February this year.  The team is still working on methodology of the scheme.  Paula Bromley said that it is good to have sanctions for those families who do not participate in the scheme though we also have to have rewards.  This scheme is about making an approach to those families with an offer and taking that offer to them explaining that this is to help them, their future.  If they don't accept that offer then sanctions will be enforced.  There will need to be clear understanding on what the offer is and what the sanctions will be.  Skilled workers will be working alongside families and they will be their advocates and best friends.  The difference from previous schemes is that even the social services don't have very often a real feel for the whole family.  They tend to work with mum, dad, etc but not the whole family.  The proposal here is that families will have skilled worker who will spend 2,3,4 hours a day providing the support to them.  The Government feels that this scheme does work and there are lot of positive trials across the country and the evidence from those trials will be looked at. 

The Panel asked how the team will be able to demonstrate that the efficiencies had been made in order to continue the financial support from the Central Government.

Paula Bromley responded that this will be crucial for the service to prove these to the Central Government.  Staff will be looking at data mapping in order to focus on families and also to work with the housing associations and the Police in data exchange (i.e. do housing repairs go down or up, is there reduction in Anti-Social Behaviour).  All these information will then be used to calculate financial implications of the scheme.

The Panel asked about the number of families in the scheme.

Paula Bromley replied that at the moment there are 117 families and the number for three years is 210 families in total.

The Panel commented that these families are quite difficult to get back to work, in terms of the reliability,  though the easiest way for them to find their feet is voluntary work.

Paula Bromley agreed with this comment from the Panel and said that some organisations are much more flexible with volunteers than with the paid staff (i.e. delays for work, etc.).

It was RESOLVED to note the presentation.  The Panel also requested further update at one of the future meetings.