THREE charities and community groups have started up early help services for troubled families in Wyre Forest months after winning a contract.

The group, called 10:32, is made up of children’s charity Barnardo’s, Vestia Community Trust and the ContinU Trust.

They won the contract in March and following a period of contract negotiation the consortium is now able to take on early help services, which will include the district’s children's centres and family support provision.

Hannah Needham, Worcestershire County Council’s strategic manager for early help, said: “We are using what’s called an ‘outcomes-based’ approach to commissioning early help services.

“This means that rather than telling an organisation what services they should be delivering, we are focused on what difference we want them to make for families and it’s up to them what services they provide.

“In Wyre Forest, we are looking for 10:32 to achieve specific outcomes for families. These include increasing the number of families in the area receiving early help to nip their problems in the bud, improving school attendance across the district and increasing the number of 16 and 17-year-olds in education, employment or training.”

Hugh Sherriffe, director of Barnardo’s Midlands, added: “The aim is to deliver the right service, at the right time, in the right place and for as long as it takes to ensure children, young people and families in Wyre Forest flourish.

“We will be investing in the area’s six existing children centres developing them as vibrant meeting places to support a range of activities for children, young people and families and provide a platform for the service to reach out across Wyre Forest.”