Government awards £2m to projects supporting vulnerable children

The grant funding from the Department for Education, which will cover the period up to 2018, will support a range of projects including a programme in Dorset run by The Children's Society that provides intensive support for almost 200 children and young people facing issues relating to domestic violence and parental substance misuse.

Val Floy, chief operating officer at The Children's Society, said the charity's Reveal programme will support children living in families affected by both substance misuse and domestic violence.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to deliver a pioneering service and make long-term sustainable improvements to the lives of the most vulnerable children and young people in the Dorset area," she said.

Meanwhile, the Tavistock Relationships project, based in London and Harrow, will intervene with high-risk families experiencing repeated domestic violence, as well as training frontline workers in how to keep children safe.

And, in Kent, Home Start UK will run a project to tackle domestic abuse and substance misuse aimed at fathers in low-income families to help prevent abuse and improve their involvement in parenting.