Figures from the Department for Communities and Local Government released today (Thursday 1 May, 2014) showed that 2 years into the 3 year scheme, agencies in Wolverhampton are working with 582 families through the city's Families in Focus programme.
And as of the end of March, 2014, a total of 100 had been successfully "turned around", with children back in school, levels of youth crime and anti social behaviour cut and adults from some of the hardest to help households now either in work or on the path back to employment.
In addition, 44 families have achieved continuous employment as a result of the help they have received, while another 9 are on their way to securing work.
Troubled families are defined as those who are involved in youth crime or anti social behaviour, have children who are regularly truanting and have an adult on out of work benefits.
In total, 710 families have been identified by Wolverhampton City Council as requiring the help and support of the troubled families programme, and the city is on track to reach its target of helping over 800 families by 2015.
More than 20 agencies, including the city council, housing associations, JobCentre Plus, the police, health services and voluntary and community sector organisations, are working with families.
Sarah Norman, Wolverhampton City Council's Strategic Director for Community, said: "I'm really pleased with the way that agencies across Wolverhampton have come together through our Families in Focus programme to offer help and support to some of our most under pressure families.
"We're already starting to see impressive results, with children going back to school, anti social behaviour falling and parents getting back to work - indeed in one family, 4 adults have either found work or training as a result of the support they have received through the programme.
"We are on track to identify and support more than 800 families by the end of the government's 3 year programme, and we've worked hard to put a framework in place which has embedded this new way of working into our processes - meaning we'll be well placed to continue this work from 2015 onwards."
Prime Minister David Cameron said: "Getting some of our country's most troubled families' lives back on track is a key part of our long term plan - it saves the taxpayer money, gives people the chance to get on in life and secures a better future for these families, their communities and for our country."
Head of the national Troubled Families programme Louise Casey CB said: "This programme works because it is about dealing with all members of the family and all of its problems, being tough but supportive and providing intensive, practical help.
"Councils have changed the way they work with troubled families to make sure that one team or worker is providing that support, not a dozen different public services. In doing so they are now seeing results which mean that more families will be able to be helped in the future."
- released: Thursday 1 May, 2014