Vulnerable families in East Sussex to receive better support

Vulnerable children and families in East Sussex are set to receive earlier and better support from local services through a new fund.
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The fund, which was announced on Friday, September 3 by rough sleeping and housing minister Eddie Hughes, will aim to improve how data is shared between local partners.  

The region has received £280,000 to improve data sharing between local services, improve the understanding of families’ needs and help identify those who need early support to prevent problems escalating.

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East Sussex County Council and Waltham Forest Council will work together to share information across public services, so families receive joined-up support.

East Sussex County Council offices SUS-210823-124341001East Sussex County Council offices SUS-210823-124341001
East Sussex County Council offices SUS-210823-124341001

The £7.9 million Data Accelerator Fund will also see 10 councils work more closely with police forces, local NHS services and schools and share data to ensure children and families receive the right help at the right time.

By sharing information across schools, health, housing, police and social care, frontline workers can get a full picture of an individual family’s needs and the often interconnected challenges they face, such as mental health issues, employment, and substance misuse.

Having the complete information means tailored, wraparound support can be put in place as early as possible.

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Mr Hughes, said, “By local services sharing data, expertise and knowledge we can build a more complete picture of what is going on in a family’s life and use this to put in place tailored, wraparound support at an early stage.

“This fund will give local areas the tools to identify and support vulnerable children and families as early as possible and help them to live more positive, fulfilling lives.”

The announcement builds on previous work as part of the Government’s Supporting Families programme where data sharing was used to identify children at risk of exploitation.

The areas in England that have been allocated funding are: Nottingham, Leicestershire and Doncaster; Avon and Somerset; Reading, Portsmouth, Wokingham and West Berkshire; Sunderland; Leeds and Bradford; Doncaster and Wakefield; London; East Sussex; Greater Manchester; and Hertfordshire, Essex and Suffolk.   

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Funding for the data projects will run up until 2023 and is divided over two years.  

The Data Accelerator Fund is part of the Government’s wider approach to supporting vulnerable people and is alongside the £165 million latest phase of the Supporting Families Programme. 

This forms part of the Data Improvement Across Government programme – funded by the £200m Shared Outcomes Fund to deliver projects across Government.