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Social care professionals need to play a central role in plans to tackle antisocial behaviour, according to the co-ordinator of the government's Respect Unit.

Louise Casey criticised organisations that tried to keep intervention with problem families to an "absolute minimum".

She urged professionals to be persistent when working with families and use sanctions if their behaviour did not improve, including forcing people to attend parenting or family support projects.

"Compulsion is controversial but necessary," she told delegates. "The approach is tough and it works."

She also questioned the value of several agencies being involved with single cases and warned that they could be "played off against each other" by individuals.

Casey said: "Despite the multiplicity of service involvement, professionals are not getting to the bottom of the problems or the behaviour."

She announced that 50 intensive family support projects targeting challenging families would be put in place by the end of the year.