New Supporting Families Outcomes Framework

In 2011 the Troubled Families framework was introduced using payment by results, to fund early help systems across the country. It focused on three key areas: employment; offending and education attendance. Then from 2015, a new approach was introduced, but using a wider set of indicators with a strong focus on multi-agency collaboration and whole family support, identifying all problems and acting early to prevent issues escalating. All Local Authorities were set challenging targets for success, which Hertfordshire achieved.

The approach continued from 2020, but the programme name was changed to Supporting Families and from October 2022, a new Supporting Families Outcomes Framework came into effect for early help and some of the key headline changes are:-

• Pre-determined family needs and sub-outcomes with success determined six months after case closure
• Consistent framework  across England
• Removal of Continuous Employment as a payment by results indicator

Supported through a whole family approach.

To qualify for a claim the family’s needs must be from at least three headline indicators, all families must have been supported by a lead practitioner, there must have been a whole family assessment and an action plan to address all the problems faced by the family, and the family must have received relevant support.

Outcomes achieved against each and every identified family need.

For a successful claim, all identified family needs must evidence a positive outcome that is sustained for at least six months after closure. What qualifies as an outcome is set out in the National Supporting Families Outcome Framework.

Example:

How this works in practice e.g. A family may be identified for support as one child has low school attendance and there are Police reports of the same child going missing from home. Additionally, the parents are struggling to manage their finances. (3 out of 10 family needs (headline indicators) identified). Further exploration finds that dad has unmet mental health needs and has a problem with the amount of alcohol he uses. (now 5 out of 10 family needs (headline indicators) identified).

However, if for example, a family require support with their finances, where there is also a child in the family who is NEET and an adult in the family who is workless, then the family will not be eligible if there are no other needs. This is because all three of these needs fall under the financial stability headline outcome.

Find out more about the background to the framework and you can read more detail on the Outcome Framework Presentation