Agenda item

1.      Mr Hill and Mr Hallett introduced the dashboard and explained the two changes which had been made to the performance targets since last reporting to the Committee:-

·        the requirement that all deaths be registered within five days had been replaced by a requirement that everyone wishing to report a death should be offered an appointment to do so within five days.

·        a new performance indicator had been added, to measure satisfaction of users with the KCC website.

Officers responded to comments and questions from Members on the dashboard and the following points were highlighted:-

          a)           one Member confirmed that he had indeed been offered an appointment within five days to register a relative’s death;

          b)                       the number of civil wedding ceremonies at KCC premises has increased since November 2012, going against the national trend.  Officers undertook to include information in the next report on the number of other ceremonies (eg funerals) taking place, as well as data on the number of church weddings compared to civil ceremonies;

          c)           the new performance indicator which measures net satisfaction of users with the KCC website surveys 2% of users, across all areas of KCC services.  The survey is worded very carefully so it is anonymous.  The Society of IT Managers has increased KCC’s website’s star rating from 2 to 4 stars in the last three years;

          d)           patterns of use of the library service are changing, with increasing use of virtual ‘visits’ and e.books, and data on these types of use will be included in future dashboards; and

          e)           concern was expressed about reduced contacts with young people, but officers explained that this was not related to the way in which services are commissioned.  Youth work activity can be presented district by district in future dashboards so Members can see the patterns in their local areas. 

2.         Mr Weiss, Mr Algar, Ms Slaven and Ms Honey then introduced the deep dive report on the Kent Troubled Families programme and highlighted the following key points:-

·        the programme is part of a national project, targeted at families who have may have some or all of the following identifying characteristics; intergenerational worklessness, involvement in youth crime, anti-social behaviour and children who have more than 3 unauthorised absences from school in any one year. The Programme aims to change the lives of the families and the way in which they are supported.

·        2,560 families have been identified in Kent, and in the first year Kent aimed to work with 1,082 families.  12 Family Intervention Project (FIP) workers have been recruited to work across the county.

·        KCC has a strategic lead with 12 locally-based projects.

·        KCC works with partners to deliver the Programme, but controls the funding.

·        the programme aims to develop a key professional role working with each partner agency to establish a single point of contact for families.

·        a maximum of £4,000 of government funding is currently available per family. This is phased within a Payment by Results model and KCC must make the best use of this opportunity.

·        the Government is taking a keen interest in Kent’s approach to the project, and the issue is high on the political agenda.

3.         The Committee then discussed the Troubled Families programme at some length. Officers responded to comments and questions from Members and the following points were highlighted:-

            a)         in the first year most of the funding has been paid to KCC from the Department for Communities and Local Government as upfront ‘attachment fee funding’, reflecting the national formula;

            b)         concern was expressed that a three year project was not long enough. Progress made must be sustainable in the longer term, and must not stop when the money stops.  Families must demonstrate the required outcomes before full government funding can be received.  Focussed, intensive short-term intervention can break the cycle of long-term dependency and drift.  Families will continue to be tracked at the end of their involvement with the programme;

            c)         families who have benefitted from the programme could act as role models and mentors to other families.  This may be more acceptable to future families than the intervention of a professional, eg a social worker.  Dartford Borough Council has proposed a mentoring scheme, which was commended by a Dartford Member;

            d)         the establishment of a key worker role was welcomed, as the relationship between the key contact person and a family is vital to the success of the programme. Four Job Centre Plus officers have also been seconded to Troubled Families teams;

            e)         the Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority is keen to be involved and have a key role in making contact with families by visiting homes to check fire safety;

            f)          some families with long-standing problems have built up hostility to intervention, often over many years, and the programme seeks to inspire behavioural change for the community as well as the family itself;

            g)         debt is a major problem for many of the families who will be helped by the programme, and the impact of the new welfare reforms may result in worsening financial pressures.  Addressing debt is a major part of the programme. It brings an opportunity to support families to maximise their income by ensuring that they are receiving the correct level of benefits to which they are entitled and supporting families to return to work where possible;

            h)         in the first year, the Troubled Families team used database information to identify families and checked these records with partner agencies. In year two, the team is working with partners to seek nominations of families known to agencies; 

            i)          the programme has already engaged 75% of the year 1 cohort of  eligible families identified in Kent.  There are different ways of engaging families, e.g. ensuring that the changes required reflect the issues experienced by the family and are agreed with the family.  New opportunities can be presented via sport activity and work training, and those who do not seek involvement immediately after initial contact may seek contact later.  The programme should encourage their involvement by offering them something they want, e.g. help and advice with debt;

            j)          concern was expressed about the involvement of Community Safety Partnerships, as in some areas their practice is to ring the police.  Kent Police are committed to the programme, with engagement at different levels, and officers undertook to advise the questioner about this engagement;

            k)         support for issues relating to domestic abuse can be built into the programme, where this is identified as a key issue.  The approach taken in each area will be tailored to address the issues which prevail in that area.  If domestic abuse is identified, a business case can be made for more financial support to be built in to address it. The programme will work with victims and perpetrators, and seek to get the latter into a support programme without the need for a Court Order. Business cases are built and judged at a local level; and

            l)          the programme and its progress were warmly welcomed as a challenge but also a major opportunity to change the culture of, and approach to, family support, and its holistic approach was praised.

4.         RESOLVED that:-

a)         the performance dashboard be noted, and the next report include the number of funerals and other ceremonies taking place (to balance data on wedding ceremonies), and data on the number of church weddings compared to civil ceremonies;

b)         in the meantime, Members be advised of the various youth work activities, broken down by electoral division;

c)         the work being done with troubled families be welcomed and supported, and future reports include more detailed feedback, broken down by district, and anonymised example case studies; and

d)         in the meantime, Members be advised of the police involvement in the Troubled Families initiative, and the range of engagement possible.