MILLIONS of pounds per year could be saved by tackling problem families in Burnley, Pendle, and Rossendale, at an earlier stage.

Supporters of a new problem-solving scheme called MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub) say it can slash the cost of arresting miscreants, or employing social workers to deal with their dysfunctional home lives.

County council leaders are set to invest almost £100,000 in bringing the MASH initiative to Pennine policing division, and other areas, this year.

Police chiefs hope the MASH scheme would also tackle areas such as child sexual exploitaion, domestic abuse, vulnerable adults, honour violence, and ‘missing from home’ cases.

Burnley Family Intervention Project has already been working on a similar model – and this year has helped 12 of the worst-affected households.

Project leaders claim the benefit to the community, from preventative work, is between £30,000 and £230,000 for each family assisted.

Phil Halsall, the county council’s chief executive, said in a report: “The project will deliver a process whereby referrals to children’s social care for statutory assessment can be reduced by between 30 and 50per cent, whilst ensuring that those who do not reach the threshold are diverted towards the appropriate service provision.”

County council leader Geoff Driver has released the cash from the authority’s £5.17million performance reward grant allocation.

Children at risk of harm would be protected, he told county councillors, but those who do not require direct help would not be ‘escalated’ to more serious levels of intervention.

The hub for Burnley, Pendle, and Rossendale, would feature involvement from Lancashire Police, NHS East Lancashire, Lancashire’s youth offending team, and county youth workers.

Last year a pilot scheme, based at the Globe Centre, in Accrington, but covering the Preston district, was considered a success.