DfE offers funding for development of intensive interventions for vulnerable children

Local authorities and their partners will be able to apply for between £50,000 and £200,000 a year to test out new ways of delivering evidence-based intensive programmes for children and families with complex and challenging needs.

Interventions that will be funded are for multi-dimensional treatment foster care, Keeping Foster and Kinship Carers Safe and Supported (Keep) for looked-after children, multi-systemic therapy (MST) for children on the edge of care or custody and functional family therapy (FFT) for young people with offending behaviour.

A prospectus published today (18 March) sets out what will be expected of local consortia that get involved with the programme and how to apply for funding.

It states: "The government is committed to supporting local partnerships to sustain and develop evidence-based interventions that are cost-effective in tackling the needs of looked-after children and children on the edge of care or custody and their families. This prospectus explains the package of financial and other support that will be made available to support the sector to take forward these interventions at the local level."

Bids are invited from local authorities and partners that have not previously developed the intensive programmes outlined in the prospectus and those that are currently running one of the programmes but wish to develop new partnership approaches across a number of local authority areas.

Voluntary and community sector providers are also encouraged to explore with councils the potential for collaboration and perhaps leading the bid on behalf of the local authority and its partners.