Ending Child Poverty: Everybodys Business

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Ending Child Poverty Everybodys Business?

• Caroline Kelham
• Child Poverty Unit

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Agenda
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• The overall picture on child poverty

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The local role
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Making it everybodys business
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• The latest figures were disappointing and show
  just how much of a challenge lies ahead

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Relative poverty figures have risen
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Stark differences in risk of being in poverty for
different groups (05-07)

• Couples both FT or 1FT

• Lone parents non working
• Couples no working or p/t work
• Large families
• Children lt5
• Disabled adult or disabled child

Getting worse

• Lone parents FT or PT work
• Couples 1FT/1PT
• Older children (11)

• Self employed
• Minority ethnic groups
• Disabled adult and disabled child

Getting better
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Risk gt than average
Risk lt than average
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Stark differences in risk for different regions
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The disappointing trend hasnt played out
everywhere
Change on risk of being in poverty since 03/04
05/06
North West East Midlands Outer London South
East Wales
North East Yorkshire and the Humber West
Midlands South West
East of England Inner London Scotland Northern
Ireland
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• Growing up in poverty is not inevitable
• We can do something about it
• .but theres a long way to go

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• Tackling child poverty depends on every local
  service playing their part in raising incomes and
  improving outcomes
• but what does this actually mean in practice?

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Poverty means so much more than a technical
definition of income

Absolute/relative income poverty
Cultural poverty
?
?
Poverty
Emotional poverty
Social poverty
?
?
Material poverty
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Our 2020 vision
Working families should see a clear path out of
poverty
Life chances Every child, whatever their
background can achieve the five ECM outcomes
Income
Outcomes
Those who cant work receive the practical and
financial support they need to lift them out of
poverty
Communities Families live in safe, cohesive and
prosperous communities where children can thrive
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Working with ADCS we have identified some key
themes
A vision that is widely shared
Data used to drive activity and partnerships
Practice based on thorough understanding and
testing of what works
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What is the local role?

• Services
• Individual professionals what we cant do from
  the centre
• Relationships with other professionals
• Relationships with service users
• Innovation

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Local delivery is key to supporting parents to
enter and progress in work
Employment

• Childcare
• Skills and confidence
• Opportunities
• Public sector as employer

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We need local support alongside national
investment
Financial material support

• Benefit take-up
• Financial management
• Housing

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Stronger take up of tax credits but much more to
do
Financial material support

• Around 200,000 families on incomes below 20,000
  not claiming around 800m in tax credits
• Large rise in number claiming help with
  childcare, though from a low basebut over a
  million eligible families still not claiming
• Some minority ethnic groups have lower tax credit
  take-up than whites
• Indian, Black, Chinese or other
• Take up of in-work Housing Benefit is low
• important following Budget 2008 changes to
  increase generosity for families with children

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Childrens services play a critical role in
breaking the cycle
Life chances

• High quality early years education
• Supporting parents
• Education

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Tackling deprivation in communities requires
wider involvement
Community deprivation

• Physical space
• Regeneration and planning to stimulate economic
  growth
• Tackling crime

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Practitioners will need support to maximise their
contribution

• Partnership working getting better but a long
  way to go
• Practitioners are moving beyond traditional silos
  but need more training and resources
• Co-located services are very much valued
• A need for integrated strategies ECM and child
  poverty
• Importance of stability of targets and sustained
  funding

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Above all, we need innovative solutions to
persistent problems
Police officer
Nursery nurse
GP
Social landlord
Midwife
Health visitor
JCP adviser
Town planner
Teacher
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Work with us on national policy

• Defining the vision and local role
• Improving our indicators and data sets
• Child poverty pilots
• Inputting to national policy e.g. consultation on
  tax credits

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• Communication is key to emphasise the relevance
  of child poverty and facilitate better
  partnership working

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The language we use can be a barrier

• Practitioners do not always immediately
  understand the concept of child poverty
• Or relate it to their individual role

I dont know much about child poverty its not
my job
Its not the nicest term to be usingits quite
negative
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How do we get practitioners to the lightbulb
moment?
I can make a difference to the wider goal of
eradicating child poverty I see where my job
fits and I know what more I can do
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How do we get leaders to the lightbulb moment?
RDAs
Regional Directors
MPs
Policy directors
DCSs
Child Poverty Unit
Local Directors
Regional Ministers
Lead members
Perm Secs
Chief Execs
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• We need to work together to address these
  challenges and provide strategic leadership on
  tackling child poverty

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Over to you.
Caroline.kelham_at_dcsf.gsi.gov.uk