BURY is to pioneer a new initiative to prevent young children and adolescents becoming social outcasts.

Bury Metro's Social Services - with several other organisations - have put together the Home and School Support Project.

One of just eight pilot projects chosen from around the country, it will look at issues centred on children and social exclusion. £800,000 worth of funding, spread over the next three years, has been made available for the project, which is designed to tackle some of the serious problems which lead to social exclusion. Bury Social Services are working on the project with the Council's Education Services, Bury and Rochdale Health Authority, Bury Healthcare Trust and NCH Action for Children.

Bury Social Services and Housing Committee chairman, Cllr Kevin Scarlett, said: "This project is attracting a great deal of attention. The Department of Health themselves have highlighted it as being one of the most exciting new ventures of its kind across the country. The main focus will be in delivering packages of care direct to children of pre-school age, primary school and years seven to eight at secondary school together with their families.

"What we want to try and do is provide early intervention with young children and adolescents to identify those who, through displayed behaviour, are thought to be at risk of developing serious mental health problems.

"In the long-term this will hopefully help to prevent social and educational exclusion."

The project gets underway next month and a new team is to be established. It will include a psychologist, community psychiatric nurse and a play worker.

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