Families at risk of losing their homes because of anti-social behaviour are being directly helped by Intensive Family Support Projects (IFSPs). The projects attempt to keep families from facing the damaging consequences of eviction and homelessness. They also aim to break the cycle of poor behaviour by both adults and children who are perceived to be out of control.
'We are working with families who are traditionally causing many police and community complaints,' explains Cheryl Baxter, project manager for Burnley and Blackburn with Darwen Family Intervention Projects, run by children's charity NCH. 'When we get involved we often find that they have complex needs around prioritising issues, previous or current domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse.'
'The most common complaints are about boys aged 13 to 15, but also mothers with teenage children or young mums who are being a nuisance because their partying all hours is disrupting neighbours, especially in summer when the drinking spills into the gardens. We often find there are young children in the households as well, who are also being adversely affected.'
At risk
An evaluation report of six of these pioneering projects, published in 2006 (see 'More Information'), highlighted how children involved with IFSPs were among the most disadvantaged in the country. For example:
- ADHD affected children in as many as one in five families, compared with the national average which figures that ADHD is likely to be prevalent in between 3 and 8 per cent of school-age children.
- Project workers assessed at least one child to be 'vulnerable' in 79 per cent of the families.
- In 20 per cent of the families, one or more children were on the child protection register, with children in 38 per cent of the families considered to be at a high or medium risk of being taken into care.
- In 94 per cent of families there were schooling concerns noted in connection with at least one child.
Ms Baxter says, 'We can assume that the children in these families were suffering significant harm. Certainly a large percentage of them were not going to school. They were also being disadvantaged by not having boundaries, structures or routines at home.
'One child asked me why he should go home after school when his mum never set a time and there was never any meal, so what did it matter? He had no purpose to go home, so only went when he was tired.'
Building trust
The package of intensive family support developed by NCH encourages people to address active citizenship. Support differs depending on the project and family, but there is never a time limit on the involvement, because they are often dealing with entrenched behaviour.
'It is has taken the families a long time to get into the position in which we find them. It is not just a case of them needing to learn parenting skills,' says Ms Baxter. 'Many of the families also need time to build trust with the workers. They often bury their heads in the sand and need to be brave to pull their heads out and face up to the situation.
'The workers need to be able to convince them that they are ready and able to make plans and make changes. Families need to be given the clear consequences of their actions - if they don't change they will lose their home or children.'
Project workers come from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines, including social workers, social care and early years practitioners. They see some families on an outreach basis for up to ten hours a week, while other families sign up for dispersed tenancy, which involves up to 20 hours a week. Dispersed tenancy families are accommodated by local social landlords and move into the property under strict conditions depending on their need. For example, it may be specified that visitors have to leave the house by 8pm so that children can settle into a bed and sleep routine that will enable them to attend school.
Positive change
The longer-term outcomes for families involved in IFSPs were revealed in a report published last month (see left). Unfortunately it was found that parents still experience difficulty in successfully dealing with their children's challenging behaviour despite stable tenancies, but there is a high success rate in reducing or ending anti-social behaviour.
For seven out of ten families surveyed, positive changes had been made and there were no significant further complaints about anti-social behaviour. They were at less risk of homelessness and the family home was secure when they left the IFSP.
MORE INFORMATION
The following reports are both available at www.communities.gov.uk:
- Anti-social Behaviour Intensive Family Support Projects: An evaluation of six pioneering projects. Published October 2006.
- The longer-term outcomes associated with families who had worked with Intensive Family Support Projects. Published January 2008.
