UP TO £3 million of Government money is being made available to turnaround problem families in Worcestershire.

As many as 900 families could benefit after Worcestershire County Council signedup to the Government’s Troubled Families Programme.

The scheme will see problem families get support to get children off the streets and into school, reduce youth crime and anti-social behaviour and help adults back into work. Families will be allocated a social worker to give them targeted support.

The programme operates on a payment-by-results basis, with £4,000 available for every family successfully turned around. This means that up to £3,000,000 will be available to Worcestershire over its threeyear duration.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has welcomed the county’s decision to sign up to the programme.

He said. “We cannot go on spending so much taxpayers'

money on such a small amount of families without turning their lives around once and for all.”