PROBLEM families are to be assigned full-time “supernannies” in the government’s latest attempt to curb antisocial behaviour.

Ministers are to send disciplinarians to impose order on chaotic households, in an echo of the television reality show, Supernanny.

Specially trained social workers, using similar techniques to those of the Channel 4 series, will be assigned to individual families for up to 15 months.

The Home Office will not officially call them “supernannies”, but ministers say there will be “no escape” from them as they spend “morning, noon and night” with parents and their youngsters.

They will arrive early each morning to ensure the household is out of bed and youngsters sent to school. Their tasks will include ensuring children are properly fed and dressed, and encouraging layabout parents to find a job.

Hazel Blears, a senior Home Office minister, said: “What makes this project distinctive and different is that a lead person ‘grips’ the household and the range of services and professionals that are involved with the families.”

The scheme will, however, be seized on by opposition politicians as the ultimate expression of the nanny state. David Davis, the shadow home secretary, ridiculed the move and said the money would be better spent on other measures.

The scheme is aimed at antisocial families who can bring misery to their neighbourhoods. It is the latest phase of the government’s respect agenda.

Ministers have been impressed by a project in Dundee in which “intensive rehabilitation” work with problem families had high success rates.

Those targeted in the scheme were taught parenting skills, cookery, budgeting and anger management. They were also coached in “roles and responsibilities within the family” — a technique used by Jo Frost, the star of the Supernanny show.

Antisocial families are currently monitored by up to 10 different local authority agencies — allowing those determined not to change their ways to play different bodies off against each other.

Under the plans, such families will be put under the full-time supervision of a single case worker, who will only move on when there is evidence that households are responding.

Case workers will be ordered to do whatever it takes, within the law, to gain access to the family home every morning. They will stay until any young children are put to bed in the evening and until they are confident any older children are off the streets.

A Home Office source said: “These workers will be with the family morning, noon and night. If they have to shout through the letter box and bang on doors to get through the door, that is what they will do.”

Blears said: “Our aim is to help people change their behaviour to stop the damage they cause to communities.”

The case workers are likely to be social workers with extra experience in healthcare, nursing or child protection. They will be expected to win the confidence of their family by helping them to solve a simple problem, such as a gripe about their housing.

Ministers say the scheme, which will cost about £15,000 per family, will pay for itself because councils will not have to take the children into care. The Dundee scheme saved youngsters from being sent to foster homes in 85% of cases.

Davis said: “Less than 12 months ago Tony Blair said, ‘I cannot raise someone’s children for them.’ Now it appears he is trying to do just that.”

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Science News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Sarah Brown says 'no thanks' to veal at G8 - twice
• Stockton-on-Tees is obesity capital of Britain
• Stores blame poor sales on Murray factor