It doesn't take much to tip a vulnerable family over the edge into full scale crisis. The early signs of difficulty – unemployment, anti-social behaviour or truancy from school – can all too easily escalate into more deeply-entrenched problems which call for intensive support.

In common with many local authorities which have embraced the principles of early help, Stockton-on-Tees BC has sharpened its focus on those families which are showing signs of concern with the aim of catching them before they fall.