A SCHEME costing taxpayers millions of pounds to improve the behaviour of Sussex's most anti-social families might have had no impact at all, a Government leak has revealed.

Thousands of families in the county have been receiving help and assistance under the Troubled Families scheme since its launch four years ago.

But according to a BBC news report this week, an unfavourable and unpublished report by the Government since last autumn suggested the programme had no discernible impact on reducing unemployment or criminal behaviour.

Council officials have defended the scheme, pointing to the hundreds of positive schemes achieved locally.

West Sussex County Council's own version of the Think Family programme has worked with almost 3,500 families since September 2014 and is set to work with an additional 500 from September.

This follows initial success of the scheme in 2014 which was named among the most successful in the country after "turning-around" 774 families and was fast-tracked for expansion with increased Government funds.

The first phase cost West Sussex County Council £2.8 million as well as almost £5 million from Government agencies.

A West Sussex County Council spokeswoman said: "We are still continuing to work with a number of these families and our figures show 82 per cent have seen a measurable positive change in their lives as a result."

The first 15 months of Brighton and Hove City Council's troubled families programme working with 675 households cost taxpayers £1.25 million despite only having a one per cent completion rate - far lower than the then national average of 12 per cent.

The first phase of the scheme was completed last year with the council rewarded for hitting Government targets with £540,000 of additional funding.

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokesman said: "The families we have worked with have faced multiple problems such as parents needing support; children being excluded from school; unemployment; mental illness; and alcohol or drug abuse.

"Our Stronger Families, Stronger Communities team has done a massive amount of outstanding work alongside partner agencies such as the local NHS, Sussex Police and the local community and voluntary sector to help these families."

An East Sussex County Council spokesman said: “We received Troubled Families funding from the Government for working with and ‘turning around’ a maximum of 1,015 families between 2012 and 2015 and we were able to demonstrate 100 per cent success.

"All of them showed improvements in school attendance and reduced criminality or employment.

“Families were also helped to improve their circumstances in other ways, with the biggest improvements seen in safer parenting, family wellbeing and better behaviour in school.”