15 local areas to lead pathfinder projects supporting vulnerable families

London, 4 May/GNN/ -- CABINET OFFICE News Release (CAB/049/08) issued by The Government News Network on 4 May 2008 Children and Families Minister, Beverley Hughes today announced the details of a =A31

Each of the 15 areas has successfully bid to lead the way in testing and
developing a ground-breaking 'think family' approach to help their most
vulnerable families.

'Think Family' - an approach developed by the Cabinet Office's Social Exclusion
Task Force - aims to ensure that adults' and children's services join up to
respond to the needs of whole families.

Six of the Family Pathfinders will also receive additional funding to deliver
services for families with young carers. The aim is to help ensure that
children in these families do not have to take on inappropriate caring roles.

Outlining the need for joined up services at a speech to the National
Association of Head Teachers, Children and Families Minister Beverley Hughes
said: "We need to give disadvantaged children and families the extra support
they need.

"This is especially important for children from the most vulnerable families
where children are five times more likely to struggle with reading and writing,
eight times more likely to be suspended, and ten times more likely to get
into trouble with the law.

"When parents face multiple problems in their own lives the impact can be
severe and enduring for both themselves and for their children. Families at
risk need good children's services, but adult services also have a vital
role to play. Our Family Pathfinder programme is designed to develop our
understanding of how we can best offer the integrated provision these children
and families need."

Ed Miliband, Cabinet Minister with responsibility for social exclusion, said:

"To ensure children get a fair start in life, we must support the needs of
the whole family.

"When vulnerable adults turn to public services, there must be no wrong
door to the tailored support they need. Only by effectively co-ordinating
children's and adults' services to think family will we break the cycle of
disadvantage that exists for the most at risk families".

The successful areas are Blackpool, Bolton, Brighton and Hove, Durham,
Gateshead, Islington, Leeds, Salford, Somerset, Walsall, Warrington,
Southampton, Southend, Sunderland and Westminster.

The six areas who will receive additional funds for young carers services
are Islington, Gateshead, Sunderland, Bolton, Somerset and Leeds.

Source: Cabinet Office

2008-05-04 08:31:37 0351900 PRNEWSWIRE