North West awarded £34,179,771 to support vulnerable families and build brighter futures
Over 11,000 families will be helped to resolve issues in the early stages before they evolve into significant problems
Submitted by Becky Pierce-Jones
Vulnerable families across the North West will receive tailored support and interventions through government investment in the flagship Supporting Families programme.
This week the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has announced that councils across England will receive a share of over £200 million in 2022/2023 to support nearly 11,000 families in their communities and help them build a brighter future.
Working jointly with the Department for Education and other departments, the extra money will help local areas tackle the challenges that vulnerable families face including those that put them at risk of neglect or harm.
Dedicated key workers work with every member of the family and bring local services together to resolve issues at an early stage before they develop into more significant problems.
Families are supported to leave abusive relationships, receive joined-up support for mental health issues and help people find work.
More than 470,000 families have been supported to build a brighter future since the programme was launched in 2015. Today’s announcement means councils will be able to support even more families combat problems
Minister for Levelling up Communities Kemi Badenoch said: “As a society we must help the most vulnerable in our communities and the government is focused on giving families the support they need to build a better future.
“Our Supporting Families programme in the North West plays an integral role as we recover from the pandemic, making sure children get back to school, helping those who have lost their jobs get back into work, protecting people’s mental health and stopping domestic abuse.”
Funding allocations for North West totals £34,179,771:
- Blackburn with Darwen £992,434
- Blackpool £992,434
- Cheshire East £957,100
- Cheshire West and Chester £1,053,234
- Cumbria £1,510,000
- Greater Manchester £15,173,134
- Halton £774,700
- Knowsley £1,098,100
- Lancashire £4,382,467
- Liverpool £2,981,267
- Sefton £1,037,300
- St. Helens £911,100
- Warrington £758,767
- Wirral £1,557,734
To date up to £1.2 billion has been invested in the programme since 2012.
Evidence shows the whole family approach taken through Supporting Families could prevent children in vulnerable families from ending up in the care system, reduce the likelihood of involvement in crime and support families back towards work and more fulfilling lives.
It also found that the proportion of adults receiving custodial sentences had decreased by a quarter; under 18’s receiving custodial sentences had decreased by almost 40%; and the proportion of adults on the programme claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance had decreased by 11%.
Full funding allocations can be found here.
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