Hertfordshire Tories Fail Troubled Families

National figures announced by the Coalition Government have brought welcome news on the large number of "Troubled Families" being turned around by councils across the country, but reveal an exceptionally poor performance by Conservative controlled Hertfordshire County Council.

Troubled families are those that are struggling with multiple problems and need extra support, putting high costs on the public sector. Government funding is aimed at providing in-depth help to get them back on their feet.

The scheme, aims to:

• get children back into school
• reduce youth crime and anti-social behaviour
• put adults on a path back to work
• reduce the high costs these families place on the public sector each year.

This is achieved by:

• aligning local services to tackle each family's problems as a whole, rather than reacting to each problem or person separately
• appointing a single key worker to get to grips with the situation and work intensively with them to change lives for the better for the long term

Nationally, out of 118,000 families, 14,000 had been turned around by the end of July 2013 - a 12% success rate.

In Hertfordshire however, out of 1,284 families, only 10 had been turned around in the same period - a success rate of less than 1%.

Cllr Mark Watkin (Nascot Park), the Liberal Democrat Enterprise, Education and Skills Spokesperson on Hertfordshire County Council said: "These figures show the lack of joined up thinking by the Conservatives on Herts County Council. Not enough effort has been put in by the Conservative administration to tackle and resolve the problems of troubled families by giving them the necessary support."

Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst (Central Watford and Oxhey), Liberal Democrat Leader and said: "It is crucial that Herts County Council takes a integrated approach to supporting troubled families.

"Faced with over thirty different agencies, voluntary groups and official bodies, it's no wonder that families in difficulties sink into crisis. Yet, if the government's Troubled Families Programme is properly organised and managed - with each family having one dedicated support worker to see them through the complex maze of bureaucracy - it can work. This approach has been shown to work well in other counties. Why is Hertfordshire failing to match the success elsewhere in helping these families?"