Issue - meetings

10 minutes / 4.45 – 4.55pm.

The Trust considered a report that set out how the recently established Family Intervention Project (FIP) would operate.

The Trust was advised that the Family Intervention Project (FIP) formed part of the Government’s Think Family Strategy, which was aimed at reforming the systems and services provided for vulnerable children, young people and adults, to secure create better outcomes for children by coordinating the support given by the agencies providing services to families.

It was noted that there were three types of FIP based around the following areas:

• Anti Social Behaviour
• Child Poverty
• Youth Crime

In terms of the resources available to fund the FIP the Trust was advised that the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) would provide funding until 2011. It had been indicated that there was a strong possibility that this would be extended.

In addition the Government had recently announced that further funding would be made available to Local Authorities to bid from to establish a Housing FIP. The Council’s Strategic Housing Team was currently in the process of putting a bid together.

The Trust was advised that the key intention of the project was to pull together a range of services around families with persistent Anti Social Behaviour problems. By working with families in a very focused and intensive way the project aimed to changed ingrained patterns of behaviour.

In response to a query it was clarified that approval was being sought for the Assistant Director to develop governance and structural arrangements required to facilitate that project. There was agreement that the Head of Stronger, Safer Communities should also assist in establishing arrangements for the project.

The Chair noted that there were existing pathways and working being carried out that could feed into the FIP and expressed his support for this type of joined up working.

RESOLVED:

1. That the report be noted.

2. That the Deputy Director of the Children’s Network, in ? with the Head of Stronger, Safer Communities, be tasked to develop the structural and governance arrangements necessary the facilitate the FIP.