Intensive intervention helps families reduce poor parenting and antisocial behaviour

The statistics analyse the results of the 3,675 families that have left intervention projects since January 2006. The data is based on figures recorded by staff in a system developed by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen).

On average, there was a 47 per cent reduction in the proportion of families with chaotic home lives that included poor parenting, relationship breakdowns, domestic violence or child protection concerns.

The projects resulted in a 34 per cent reduction in the number of families with health risks, including mental or physical health and substance abuse problems. Families experiencing problems with education also saw some positive outcomes with a 53 per cent reduction in the number of families with problems with truancy or bad behaviour at school and a 14 per cent reduction in the number of familes with no adult in education, employment or training.

Commenting on the statistics, children’s minister Tim Loughton: "The statistics show an overwhelmingly positive picture of how intensive family intervention can successfully turn around the lives of families that have many complex problems, often present for generations within the same family.

"More than 80 per cent of local authorities have told the department that they have kept a family intervention service, showing that they still see this work as a priority.

Intervening early and services working more efficiently with vulnerable families is central to the government’s commitment to unlock social mobility and tackle child poverty. That’s why we are supporting local areas to expand family intervention services with the roll out of community budgets, which help local areas to pool funding into one central pot."

The number of families working with an intervention projects in 2010/11 was 5,461, a 55 per cent increase on the 2009/10 figure of 3,518.

Anne Longfield, chief executive of charity 4Children, said: "These latest statistics provide further evidence that intensive family support can both break the cycle of disadvantage for many of our young people and result in huge economic savings for the country."

Meanwhile, research into 27 local authorities involved in the Family and Young Carer Pathfinder programme found that for every £1 invested nearly £2 was saved.