Eight contractors selected for £200 million troubled families fund

Published by Julien Tremblin for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Central Government, Communities, Local Government

The Department for Work and Pensions has today confirmed the eight companies that will deliver a new £200 million fund to help England’s most troubled families find work.

The scheme will be run in conjunction with local authorities and the organisations already delivering the Work Programme and is aimed at overcoming barriers to employment for the estimated 120,000 troubled families.

With a pay by result approach – the second such approach after the Work Programme – the scheme will reinforce work already being done by local authorities and the Department for communities and Local Government.

The organisations delivering the support will only be paid when they make real progress in turning round the lives of troubled families.

Using funding allocated to the UK from the European Social Fund, the Minister has appointed eight of the country’s welfare providers to work with local authorities and over 200 local organisations to identify and deliver the services and support needed.

The eight companies which will act as prime contractors are:

• Working Links
• The Wise Group
• G4S Care and Justice Service
• Reed in Partnership
• Skill Training UK
• PARAGON Concord International
• EOS
• Twin Training International Ltd

Minister for Employment Chris Grayling said: "This will be a big part of the work we do to tackle the challenge of troubled families. The organisations taking part in this programme are staking their own money on their ability to turn the lives of these people around.

"This is our second big payment by results project, and demonstrates clearly that there is a real commitment out there to deliver social change and to help people do much better with their lives. We now have a comprehensive programme, built on a partnership between national and local government, that I believe can make a real difference to these troubled families."

The new programme is being delivered by a mix of public, private and voluntary sector organisations, with the majority of the work being delivered on the ground by local charitable groups.