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<p>The National Institute of Economic and Social Research Impact Study was just one
of 6 reports comprising the independent evaluation of the first Troubled Families
Programme. The evaluation found that the programme had many positive achievements.
These include:</p><ul><li>Families feeling more confident and optimistic about being
able to cope in the future</li><li>Joining up local services for families by encouraging
a single keyworker approach to work with the whole family on all of its problems</li><li>Raising
the quality and capacity of local data systems</li><li>Better joint working with partners
such as Jobcentre Plus</li></ul><p>The data shows that nearly 120,000 of the families
on this programme saw their lives improve – more children attending school, youth
crime and anti-social behaviour significantly cut and, in more than 18,000 families,
an adult holding down a job. The evaluation does not dispute this fact.</p><p>Unsurprisingly,
the ambitious and innovative impact study which used national administrative datasets
to track changes in families circumstances over comparatively short time periods,
was unable to specifically attribute positive outcomes achieved in employment, youth
crime or school attendance to the Troubled Families Programme.</p><p>This was because
at that time the level of change achieved was not significantly different from that
seen in a group of families not on the programme with whom comparisons were made.
This is not the same, however, as saying that the evaluation shows family outcomes
did not improve, as some have wrongly inferred.</p><p>Of course, we will continue
to review all evidence of how the programme is working, to learn from it and see if
there's more we can do to help families facing such multiple problems. In fact, we
have already adapted the new programme in a number of ways, including extending the
length of time over which family outcomes will be tracked – from 12 months to 5 years.</p>
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