The issue of so-called ‘troubled families’, who place an ever-growing and disproportionate pressure on public services, is never far from the news these days.

With continual strain placed on budgets, there is a vital need for service providers to transform how their services are delivered. Ultimately, it falls to local authorities to provide the community leadership to navigate this complex issue and to come up with real solutions.

Manchester City Council provides an outstanding example of how to address the issue head-on. It has identified and gained support for potential reconfigured and integrated services for troubled families, forecasting savings of approximately £45m to the public sector over the next 10 years.