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Success for Family Intervention Projects - Initial Findings
Dated: 09/07/2008
Success for Family Intervention Projects - Initial Findings
New research published today by Beverley Hughes, Minister for Children, Young People and Families, shows that Family Intervention Projects are helping to change the lives of some of the most troubled families and providing real life chances for their children.
Beverley Hughes, Minister for Children and Families, said:
“These early results cannot be ignored. The reduced levels of anti-social behaviour and improved parenting for families involved in a Family Intervention Project are substantial.
“The Project involves assigning an individual key worker to work intensively with each family, and the persistent way in which the assertive worker deals with the entrenched problems of the whole family is a key factor in their success. By giving very intensive challenge and support, the key worker is able to tackle really effectively the root causes of the families’ anti-social behaviour, by not taking ‘no’ for an answer and showing families better ways of behaving and coping.
“Most families don’t choose to become anti-social. They do so because of underlying problems they do not know how to deal with. This research shows that FIPs are turning things around for some of the most disadvantaged families in our society.
“Not only do the families benefit but so do the communities in which they live. Families previously deemed as a lost cause by services are being offered the challenge, support and incentives to become decent members of their communities and give their children a real chance in life.”
Clare Tickell, Chief Executive, NCH, the children’s charity said:
“These findings show that by using a combination of challenge and intensive support for those families involved in the most anti-social behaviour, change can happen. The evidence proves that by supporting parents, helping children’s school attendance and building strong family relationships, the lives of the most alienated families can be dramatically improved.
“As innovators and leading provider of FIPs, NCH has seen how they create a win-win situation by positively affecting both the families and local communities involved. It is essential the extension of this model is replicated across the country to address the needs of the hardest to reach and the most vulnerable if we want to truly break long term cycles of anti-social behaviour.”
Based on the positive results of the first 90 families to complete the projects this research demonstrates that:
- 61% of families who were reported to have engaged in four or more types of anti-social behaviour when they started working with a FIP reduced their levels of ASB to 7% when they left the FIP. 35% were still engaged in some level of ASB when they completed the intervention.
- The proportion of families facing one or more ASB enforcement action(s) halved from 45% to 23%.
The projects also had positive results for children and young people:
- The number of 5 to 15-year-old children reported to have educational problems (i.e. truancy, exclusion and/or bad behaviour at school) declined from 37% at the start of working with the FIP to 21% when they left.
The projects also show a decrease in the number of families facing multiple risk factors such as:
- The number of families exhibiting poor parenting was halved from 60% to 32%
- The proportion of families to have issues with domestic violence reduced by two thirds.
- The proportion of families with child protection issues by the time they left the project was halved (21% to 10%).
The risk of families being evicted has also considerably reduced:
- 60% of families were subject to one or more housing enforcement action(s) when they started working with a FIP, but this reduced to 18% when they exited the project.
There are specifice features to the Family Intervention Project which are critical to their success.
- Recruitment and retention of high quality staff
- Small caseloads
- Having a dedicated key worker who manages a family and works intensively with them
- A whole family approach
- Staying involved with a family for as long as necessary
- Scope to use resources creatively such as helping families to decorate and improve their environment
- Using sanctions with support, and effective multi agency relationships
Baroness Andrews, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Communities and Local Government, said:
“We welcome publication of this encouraging research. Communities and Local Government continue to actively support the valuable work that FIPs do with some of the most challenging families. It is testimony to their efforts that so early on in their development they are already making a huge difference in turning lives around and protecting communities from the ravages of serious anti-social behaviour.”
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