Stronger Families Programme

The Stronger Families Programme is Kirklees' name for what is known nationally as the Supporting Families Programme , which until April 2021, was known as the Troubled Families Programme.

Stronger Families was established in Kirklees in 2012 and is here to drive change for the families in Kirklees who have multiple disadvantages and sometimes complex needs, often repeatedly involved with services.

Supporting Families recognises that the systems that operate within services, can be difficult for families to navigate so it supports services to better work together in partnerships to understand the context of the 'whole family' and move away from just working with one individual family member.

We work with Early Help partners within the Early Help System, who work with families using a whole family approach to achieve family outcomes such as:

• Staying safe in the community
• Getting a good education and skills for life
• Improving children's life chances
• Improving living standards
• Staying safe in relationships
• Living well, improving physical and mental health and wellbeing

Since 2012, the Stronger Families Programme has successfully supported 5231 families to achieve sustained and significant progress and change in their lives, but we are ambitious and during 2021-22, we want to demonstrate working in a whole family way with at least 653 families.

Our Stronger Families Outcome Plan outlines how the Early Help Partnership will measure and demonstrate successful outcomes for families nominated on to the programme. Families may be nominated for inclusion on the programme if they meet at least 2 of the following criteria:

• Parents and children involved in offending
• Children not attending school regularly
• Children who need help (CIN, CPP and LAC)
• Adults out of work or at risk of financial exclusion and Young People who are "Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET)"
• Families affected by domestic violence and abuse
• Parents and children affected by poor mental health or substance misuse