Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Troubled Families Programme.

The Troubled Families Programme, launched in 2012, was the first national and systematic attempt to help families with multiple problems to improve their lives. We have published an overview (attached) of the first programme here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-first-troubled-families-programme-2012-to-2015-an-overview

More than 116,000 families in the first programme have seen significant improvements; with children back in school for a year, reduced youth crime and anti-social behaviour, and over 18,000 adults into work. Recently published evaluation found that the first programme has positively changed the way local authorities assist families with complex problems and has been highly appreciated by families themselves. 86 per cent of families surveyed for the programme’s evaluation reported that the key worker’s involvement had been helpful. Overall, seven in ten (72 per cent) main carer respondents reported feeling better about their future than they had before the involvement of the key worker.

We are absolutely committed to continuing to help vulnerable families through the new Troubled Families Programme. We have already implemented a number of lessons from the first programme in the design of the new programme and a comprehensive national evaluation will report at intervals during its lifetime.