Families across Southport are to benefit from further Government support as part of an allocation for local authorities across England in 2023-2024.
As part its Supporting Families funding, the Conservative Government will provide Sefton Council with £1,201,300 to ensure skilled keyworkers continue to provide tailored support to the most vulnerable families.
Through the Government’s programme, vulnerable families are allocated a skilled local keyworker to help them tackle issues they may be facing across housing insecurity, poor education attainment, and substance misuse, giving them tailored support to turn their lives around.
This programme, supported by Damien Moore MP, comes on the back of Mr. Moore’s repeated efforts to stand up for Southport’s children, many of whom have been failed by Sefton’s children’s services. Last year, Ofsted again rated these services “inadequate”, its lowest possible rating, and so Mr. Moore has continued to raise the profile of these vulnerable children in Parliament, most recently to the Children’s Minister and to the Education Secretary when Sefton Council refused to rule out Pontins as a potential location for asylum-seeking families.
This new funding boost builds on the £1.9 billion already invested into keyworker support by the Conservatives over the last decade, which has reduced the number of children on the programme entering care by 32%, the number of juvenile custodial sentences by almost 40%, and the proportion of adults on the programme claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance by 11%.
Damien Moore, Member of Parliament for Southport, said: “Our town’s children only get one start in life, and it is right that the Government continues to do everything it can to give my younger constituents the strongest support throughout their formative years.
“This funding will go a long way towards rectifying the Council’s wrongs, and I will continue to champion this vital support for vulnerable children and families in our town, including the much-needed improvement of Sefton Council’s children’s services.
“It is a disgrace that they have not changed their ways, despite repeated ratings of “inadequate” by Ofsted, and I am sure that our town will make its views clear at the upcoming local election.”
Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak MP, said: “Since it began ten years ago, Supporting Families has provided vital help to thousands of families right across the country who face real challenges.
“The results are clear for all to see – the scheme has reduced the number of children entering care, cut the number of juvenile custodial sentences, helped many people into employment and reduced costs for the taxpayer.
“That is why we are backing the programme even further, with over £230 million this coming year to fund skilled keyworkers who help vulnerable and disadvantaged families turn their lives around.”
Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Felicity Buchan MP, said: “Through its ground-breaking whole-family early interventions, the Supporting Families programme has made a hugely positive impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of families.
“The last 10 years have seen significant positive changes, providing early access to better support from the right people at the right time – enabling families to overcome multiple and serious challenges.
“Everyone involved in delivering the scheme can be really proud that they have supported some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged families in our communities.”
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