What is the Stronger Families Programme?
The Stronger Families Programme aims to improve the lives of Knowsley families with multiple, high-cost problems, transform local public services and reduce public costs.
It was created in response to the Government’s Troubled Families Programme, which was launched in 2012. The £448m scheme was designed to encourage local authorities and their partners to turn around 120,000 troubled families across England by May 2015. This was known as phase 1 of the Programme.
In June 2013, the Government announced plans to expand the programme for a further five years from 2015 to 2020 to reach up to an additional 400,000 families. This is known as phase 2 of the programme, or the ‘Expanded Programme’. Phase 2 was extended for an additional year until end March 2021.
In March 2021, the Government announced a new phase of the Programme, including a change of name from Troubled Families Programme to Supporting Families Programme to better reflect what the programme does in principle and in practice. Currently the programme has been extended until the end of September 2022.
Who are the families?
For a family to be eligible for the programme, it must present at least two of the following six issues:
- Improving living standards: Families experiencing or at risk of worklessness, homelessness or financial difficulties
- Getting a good education and skills for life: Children who have not been attending school regularly
- Improving children’s life chances: Children who need additional support, from the earliest years to adulthood.
- Staying safe in the community: Parents or children involved in crime or anti-social behaviour
- Staying safe in relationships: Families affected by domestic abuse
- Living well, improving physical and mental health and wellbeing: Parents and children with a range of health needs.
What support and services do families receive?
Every family included in the programme will have a lead practitioner/case manager from a relevant service. Their role will be to lead, with the family and partners, on a whole family assessment, develop a whole family plan, and to draw in relevant services and interventions in a ‘team around the family’ model. We will work with partner organisations, including NHS and health providers, Department for Work and Pensions including Job Centre Plus, schools, social services, housing providers, community safety team, police, ministry of justice agencies and other service providers that we commission to support the programme. Locally we expect to see a reduction in the number of households suffering from multiple and complex issues and, as a result, fewer families requiring costly reactive measures. This will lead to less pressured services.
Why do we collect information about families and how is it used?
To see whether families are eligible for inclusion in the programme, personal information is shared between departments of the Council and between the Council and partner organisations. Only the minimum necessary information is shared on a ‘need to know’ basis.
What allows you to use my information?
Knowsley Council will collect the personal data from partner organisations to deliver and improve services to eligible families and will rely on public task and substantial public interest/health and social care as a lawful basis to process the data. Anonymised data will be shared with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), enabling them to fulfil their functions as a Government Department.
Please note that any information the Council provides will not be used to make any decisions about what benefits you get, or services you use, now, or in the future.
Why use my data?
Your data has been included because your family has been identified to have two or more of the six problems detailed above that local services hope to help families with. You may or may not currently be receiving a service to help you deal with your problems.
How will my information be stored?
All information collected about you will be kept strictly confidential and stored on a restricted access computer system. It will only be sent by secure email or uploaded to a secure portal.
For how long will my information be kept?
Your information will be stored for up to 25 years in line with the council’s retention guidance.
What happens if I object to my personal data being shared for these purposes?
You can talk to your lead practitioner or case manager if you have one, or Knowsley Council’s Data Protection Officer about whether your data is being used for this programme without it affecting your legal rights or routine care.
To request a copy of your data or ask questions about how it is used, please download a copy of our form from here and send it to: -
Data Protection Officer
Knowsley Council
Westmorland Road
Huyton
L36 9GL
Or email: [email protected]
If you are unhappy about your data being used you can complain directly to the Council’s Data Protection Team by writing to: -
Data Protection Officer
Knowsley Council
Westmorland Road
Huyton
L36 9GL
Or email: [email protected]
If you are unhappy with the way your personal information is being handled you can contact the independent Information Commissioner at:
The Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Telephone: 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45
Website: www.ico.org.uk/