Council get half a million cash boost for “Yob families”

THURROCK Council is preparing to “support and challenge” families in the borough to improve their circumstances with a three-year government-funded programme.

Aimed at families where, according to the council: children have poor school attendance; where there is anti-social behaviour; and where the parents are out of work, the programme will support and challenge families to “change their circumstances”.

Thurrock Council chief executive, Graham Farrant, was invited to Downing Street on Wednesday (28 March) evening for a reception marking the launch of the programme nationwide.

He said “These families cost society money in many different ways and this is an opportunity to invest now, to save costs in the longer term as well as maximising the potential for families — our residents — to have a better life.”

From April Thurrock will have nearly £400,000 to work with partners to deliver a focused and targeted programme of intervention tailored to the specific challenges facing each individual family.

The cash comes on top of over £250,000 already given to a number of organisations in the borough to deal with problem families.

One organisation, given over £150,000, was charged with dealing a Grays ‘family-from-hell” of fourteen. Despite the massive cash injection, most of the children ended up being taken away from the family and being placed in care.

Future funding is performance-related and will depend on the success of the programme.

Mr Farrant said: “The money will be used to co-ordinate the efforts of all partners to drive real and sustainable change for the families who need support and challenge to get their lives back on track.”