Supporting Families

The Supporting Families programme is a way of targeting help and support to those families who need it most.

Supporting Families focuses on the whole family, and unites the skills and expertise of all our frontline partners, rather than support one family member in isolation and tackle one problem at a time.

Often Families have complex needs. They are households who have at least two of the following (full list of indicators can be found in the Families Outcome Plan):

• Parents and children involved in crime and anti-social behaviour;
• Children who have not been attending school regularly;
• Children who need help;
• Adults out of work or at risk of financial exclusion or young people at risk of worklessness;
• Families affected by domestic abuse;
• Parents and children with a range of health problems.

If you are working with a family that meet the criteria above you can access additional support and resources to help your family achieve positive change.

• For this phase of supporting Families identification is through our Internal Vulnerable Children's Meetings.

Once workers are allocated to the case they can submit a Family Nomination form with details of support being provided. The forms can be generated within LCS/EHM and attached to the family.

If the family meets the criteria, the following additional support may be available:

• List of providers and services.
• Request support using the Integrated Early Help Framework;
• Help from Supporting Families Employment Advisor (SFEA).

Patrick Doherty – SFEA: patrick.doherty@dwp.gov.uk.

When Supported Families progress to the stage where they can be closed or stepped down, the following form should be completed:

• Supporting Families Outcome & Closure form in LCS/EHM with evidence of positive progress against all indicators.

This will enable the team to track progress and claim for Payment By Results.

If you have any further questions please contact the Case Support Officer allocated to your locality or Supporting Families team (Supporting.families@derby.gov.uk).