National accolade for Melton family project
MELTON Council’s pioneer-ing Family Intervention Project has been held up as a beacon of excellence for others to follow.
It took centre stage at the recent Conservative Party conference in a session entitled ‘Turning Communities Around’.
Melton Council leader Byron Rhodes spoke in the debate about the authority’s work with around 100 problem or troubled families over the last five years.
He said: “We had our share of problems with a relatively small number of families which resulted in anti-social behaviour, truancy, squatting, vandalism and so on. In many cases the parents could just not cope and lacked the motivation and skills to live a normal life.
“In 2007 we set up the Family Intervention Project and adopted a multi-agency approach.
“We now have a team of five dedicated officers who get close to the families, listen to their issues and get them motivated to sort out their problems. We show them how to cope.”
In the past four years the number of anti-social behaviour incidents has fallen by 58 per cent and youth offending is down 62 per cent.
Mr Rhodes added: “The scheme costs £200,000 a year to run and finding the money is a challenge but we reckon that crime and anti-social behaviour was costing the borough in the region of £4.5m a year when we started and it is well down on that now.
“This early intervention approach works, saves money in the public purse and improves communities and people’s lives.
“Melton Council is committed to keep it going - it is public service at its best.”
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Weather for Melton
Tuesday 21 May 2013
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Temperature: 7 C to 14 C
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