Department for Communities and Local Government

• Communities and neighbourhoods
• Troubled families
• Case studies

Communities and neighbourhoods

Case studies

Case study 1: Shows how costly intervention with one family in Essex can be 

A large and complex family was made up of mum and two different fathers who between them had seven children.

The family was causing significant problems in the community and was constantly at risk of sanctions. As a result of their behaviour they were drawing in considerable local resources relating to child protection, domestic violence, truanting, offending problems and as a result were costing around £160,000 a year. The vast majority of the money (80 per cent) was on reactive spend and not addressing the underlying causes of the behaviour.

Case study 2: Shows how a Family Intervention Project helped turn round the lives of a Derby family and how effective properly targeted intervention can be

A single mother with six children had a history of domestic abuse and class A drug use, had lost control of her children. Before the intervention there were two children on the child protection register as a result of suspected neglect and sexual harm, another teenage child was pregnant and in care, and another was subject to a Supervision Order.

As a result of significant levels of anti-social behaviour and criminal damage, the family was facing eviction. It is estimated that costs to local services amounted to just over £150,000 in a year.

Following intensive family intervention support the mother was able to develop parenting skills, enabling her to impose boundaries on her children's behaviour. The school reported improved attendance, the children were taken off the child protection list and the whole family's behaviour significantly improved. The mother has had a number of job interviews.

The mother said that she would not have been able to make these changes if it was not for the support of Family Intervention Project, even in the early days when she found it hard, she recognised that with the intensive support and challenge she received she was encouraged and motivated to carry on.