The Supporting Families Programme is Torbay’s response to the Government’s Troubled Families Programme.

The Troubled Families Programme aims to do the following:

For families
  • To achieve significant and sustained progress with up to 400,000 families with multiple, high cost problems by 2020;
  • To make work an ambition for all troubled families.
For local services
  • To transform the way that public services work with families with multiple problems to take an integrated ‘whole family approach’;
  • To help reduce demand for reactive services.
For the tax payer
  • To demonstrate that this way of working results in lower costs and savings for the taxpayer.

Phase 1: 2012-2015

Phase 1 of the Programme ran from 2012-2015 and aimed to ‘turn around’ the lives of 120,000 families nationally, who were affected by the following:

  • Youth crime and/or anti-social behaviour
  • Poor attendance, truancy or exclusion from school
  • Worklessness

By May 2015 the Programme had successfully turned around more than 116,000 families.

Phase 2: The Expanded Programme – 2015-2020

Due to the success of Phase 1 the Government has expanded the Troubled Families Programme for a further 5 years, with the aim to support 400,000 families across the country to achieve significant and sustained progress.

Torbay Council and its partners aim to support 1180 families in Torbay to make significant and sustained progress by 2020 to contribute to the national figure. Families must meet 2 out of the following criteria to be eligible under the Expanded Programme.

Torbay Supporting Families Programme: A Guide for Families
Torbay Supporting Families Programme: A Guide for Organisations
  1. Parents or children involved in crime or anti-social behaviour
  2. Children who have not been attending school regularly
  3. Children who need help
  4. Adults out of work or at risk of financial exclusion or young people at risk of worklessness
  5. Families affected by domestic violence and abuse
  6. Parents or children with a range of health problems
STF - Outcomes Plan
The Family Outcomes Plan has been developed by the Supporting (Troubled) Families Programme. The Plan supports the identification of families in Torbay with multiple and complex needs within the 6 criteria.

Families are supported through a ‘Request for Support’ made to the Torbay Targeted Help Service. For a ‘Request for Support’ form and more information about Torbay Targeted Help support please visit the Torbay Targeted Help webpage.

In order to fulfill our obligations under the Troubled Families Programme and ensure effective delivery and evaluation of the Programme, it is necessary to share information between partner agencies. This includes sharing information for the purposes of the Troubled Families National Impact Study.

We ensure that all information held in relation to families on the Programme is stored and managed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and supporting legislation.

For more information or if you wish to opt out of the National Impact Study please contact the Supporting Families Team on 01803 208104.

Torbay Supporting Families Programme - Privacy Notice
In order to fulfil our obligations it is necessary to share information with critical partners. This is not only in delivering the programme but also in evaluating its effectiveness.