To approve the Child Poverty Strategy 2011-2015

THAT Cabinet: 

(a)          approve the Child Poverty Strategy; and

(b)          approve the approach to the delivery and accountability / governance arrangements of the strategy and the approach to updating the strategy and needs assessment

2.            Child poverty matters because:

·         Children and young people are experiencing the effects now, they are often excluded from many of the things that other children and young people enjoy and that society would aspire to

·         Children within families who are poor tend to have lower educational attainment.  Low skill levels and consequent productivity is seen to stunt economic growth, limiting the UK’s ability to compete in the global economy.

·         There are strong links between child poverty and poor outcomes.  Poorer outcomes for children and families place extra burdens and costs on public services, such as health care and children’s services and affect everybody’s day to day experiences of safety and well-being.

·         Communities suffer through increased deprivation and inequalities which reduce social cohesion. The costs of child poverty fall on individuals, families, communities and the taxpayer.

·         Many people believe there is very little child poverty in the UK today. This is not the case: over a fifth of children are in poverty (taken from Ending Child Poverty:  Everyone’s Business March 2008).  This figure is widely recognised to have worsened over the past three years.

·         The economic crisis from 2008 has fundamentally affected the opportunities and life chances of many people in the UK.  Arguably the poorest have been the worst affected, along with young people as recent national and local figures for people under the age of 25 not in education, training or employment have illustrated

3.            The Herefordshire Child Poverty Needs Assessment provides a clear summary of the issues involved in child poverty.  National data is released two years in arrears and relates to a snapshot date of 13 August each year.  2010 data suggests that 4,370 children under the age of 16 were living in poverty in Herefordshire at the snapshot date in 2008.  From data released in 2011, this figure had risen to 4,685 at the snapshot date, a 0.9% increase.  It is a multi faceted problem for society and for all statutory and non-statutory services working for the interests of communities.  The Child Poverty Needs Assessment is now an embedded part of Herefordshire’s Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, ensuring that child poverty needs are identified and integral to a holistic needs assessment across HPS.

4.            The Child Poverty Strategy 2011-2015 was produced through a working group, working on behalf of the then Children’s Trust and Herefordshire Partnership.  Two workshops were held involving the voluntary sector to develop both the needs assessment and the strategy.  It is a requirement of the Act to publish it by April 2011.  Given local elections and subsequent developments regarding partnership approaches, it was agreed with the interim Director of People’s Services to seek approval for the strategy and approach in the autumn of 2011.

5.            The Child Poverty Strategy contributes to the work of the Health and Wellbeing Board in Herefordshire and also strategic intentions captured within the Economic Development Strategy.  It is not a distinct approach, but one that provides a clear focus, a multi agency approach, and an opportunity for others to consider needs and activity and decide what they can do to align their own work.  This has taken place with representatives of the South Wye Partnership and could be replicated in other localities in Herefordshire, potentially with the assistance of the Assistant Directors.

6.            The Strategy contains proposals for governance, monitoring and refresh (page 11 of the Strategy).

There are no alternative options as it is a requirement that the local authority have a Child Poverty Strategy

A multi-agency working group has been developed and consulted over the last six months (March to August 2011) on the Child Poverty Strategy.