Think Family initiative is bogged down by a lack of joint working

The Think Family Pathfinders: Research Update details the progress of the government's Think Family pilots, which are taking place in 15 local authorities.

The pilots were launched in May 2008 with a view to developing a more co-ordinated approach between adult and children's services when supporting disadvantaged families.

But the report found the progress of some pathfinders has been slowed by the lack of a senior leader or manager to drive them forward. The report also highlights that some areas view it as "a children's service initiative, with limited benefit for adult services".

Other challenges include a lack of shared understanding across services about what qualifies families for intensive support, and a lack of referrals from adult services.

Although the programme has been running for almost two years, the report cites only two examples of families who have benefited from the support provided.

Family Action, a charity that works with vulnerable families, is supporting the Islington pathfinder. Head of policy Rhian Beynon said: "Local authorities are under pressure to resource the immediate safeguarding of children, given concerns raised by cases such as Baby P.

"Our experience is that the thresholds for parents to be assessed as needing support are inconsistent and often set higher than those for neglect and abuse of children."

But the charity also says the government should have better presented the evidence of positive work, claiming it is successfully working with 17 families under the scheme.

Renuka Jeyarajah-Dent, director of operations at Coram, said the programme was still in its early stages but required "a renewed commitment from the top" within all pathfinder areas to ensure the projects take priority.

The report details some examples of emerging practice, including improved information sharing in Bolton and guidance for health professionals in Sunderland.

A Department for Children, Schools and Families spokeswoman said: "While all pathfinders have signed up strategically to implement Think Family, some challenges do remain and some agencies are taking longer to realise the benefits."

Challenges outlined in the Think Family update

• Lack of a senior manager to drive local development of the programme has slowed down progress in some areas
• Scheme is viewed in several authorities as a children's services initiative, with limited benefit for adult services
• Problems with staff recruitment and retention at managerial and practitioner level
• Inconsistency between adult and children's services on what requires intensive support
• Lack of referrals from adult services