A government tsar tasked with turning around the fortunes of 120,000 dysfunctional UK families will attend a conference in Maidstone.

Louise Casey will talk at the three and a half hour meeting in the Mercure Hotel, on the Ashford Road on Tuesday.

She is the Director General for Troubled Families, a government scheme designed to help households with deep-rooted problems such as youth crime, truancy and unemployment.

Kent County Council has identified 1,094 units eligible for support, the third highest in the UK after Birmingham and Lancashire. Eighty-two are in the Maidstone borough, 75 in Tonbridge and Malling and 49 in Tunbridge Wells. County wide the highest number, 158, can be found in Swale.

Kent County Council leader Paul Carter said: “This is an exceptional opportunity to do something radically different that has a real impact for them, as well as the communities they live in.

“We have worked with troubled families for many years, but despite the best intentions the entrenched cycles of dependency, criminality and anti-social behaviour have continued to repeat across the generations.

“This programme recognises the need to use a hands-on approach, rolling up our sleeves and getting on their case, with the right rewards and penalties to engage with them.”

The initiative was launched in 2011 and gives funding to local authorities on a payment-by-results basis.

Councils can receive up to £4,000 per family and a case worker will work with each family on an individual basis.

In order to get the money an observable improvement in the household’s situation must be shown.

About 400 people from various organisations such as district councils, citizens advice bureaus and the job centre will attend the conference, which starts at 9.30am.

Other speakers include KCC Community Services Cabinet member, Mike Hill and Cabinet Member for Children’s Special Services, Jenny Whittle.