Troubled families

• Five London councils commission programme to keep troubled youngsters out of care

  Five London boroughs have jointly commissioned a new programme to help vulnerable young people stay out of care.

  

• First annual report into Troubled Families scheme is published

  Unemployment and parental conflict are key causes of problems for disadvantaged families, work and pensions secretary Damien Green has said.

  

• Keeping kids out of care

  Safe Families for Children is hoping to reduce the number of children going into care by 10% through early intervention. William Eichler finds out how.

  

• No ‘evidence’ Troubled Families programme works, MPs say

  The Government has ‘overstated’ the effectiveness of the program designed to deal with disadvantaged families and has been ‘evasive’ in its dealings with MPs, committee report says.

  

• Troubled Families programme had no 'significant impact'

  There is little evidence that the government’s flagship Troubled Families programme had any ‘significant or systematic impact’, new analysis has revealed.

  

• Troubled Families scheme had no 'discernible impact' claims 'suppressed' report

  A leaked report has claimed the government’s flagship Troubled Families programme has had ‘no discernible impact’ on employment rates, offending or benefit take-up.

  

• Social services staff criticised for ‘cover up’ by judge

  Social services staff at Hampshire County Council have been criticised by a judge for attempting to ‘cover-up’ failings in a family custody case.

  

• Government urged to expand Troubled Families initiative

  Expanding the Troubled Families scheme to target a quarter of a million people most in need would help to reform local services and offer more effective support, according to a leading think tank.

  

• Cameron to promise more devolution

  David Cameron will promise more devolution in a speech today outlining the Government’s approach to the autumn Spending Review.

  

• Innovation in inertia – the cultural barrier

  Why councils need to overcome cultural barriers and the skills gaps to achieve transformational change.