A report on the On Track programme, originally devised by the Home Office as a crime reduction programme in England and Wales, concluded that it has had a positive impact on children and their families.
On Track: A Qualitative Study of the Early Impacts of Services, published last week by the National Foundation for Educational Research, said the programme's five core interventions - family therapy, parent support/training, home-school partnerships and support work, home visits, and pre-school education - had had a 'direct and positive impact' on children's behaviour, improving school attendance and reducing exclusion.
It also found that children were more confident and had higher self-esteem.
The On Track programme was set up in 1999 to test preventative services for children aged four to 12 who risked becoming involved in criminal or anti-social behaviour later in their lives. Tested in 24 neighbourhoods in England and Wales with relatively high crime and deprivation, it was based on evidence gleaned from previous research findings that the main risk factors in children becoming offenders could be identified at an early stage.
The report said, 'Even at this relatively early stage in the implementation of this long-term programme, On Track was reported as having a positive impact on children and their families.' It noted that because children and families were 'supported more closely (they) were thus able to articulate and cope with their multiple needs'.