Child Poverty Strategy for Scotland Alex Young

1
Child Poverty Strategy for ScotlandAlex
Young
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Scottish and UK Parliament responsibilities

• Scottish Parliament
• Health
• Education
• Skills
• Housing
• UK Parliament
• Fiscal, economic and monetary
• Employment legislation
• Social Security

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Early intervention and prevention

• Three key social policy frameworks address the
  causes of poverty and inequality
• Achieving our Potential - tackling poverty and
  income inequality
• Early Years Framework - giving children the best
  start in life
• Equally Well Report of the Ministerial Taskforce
  on Health Inequalities

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Universal entitlements

• Commitment to the Social Wage
• Free prescriptions
• Free personal care
• Free tuition
• Living Wage
• (Free School Meals)

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Child Poverty in Scotland

• Relative poverty decreased substantially in the
  90s and continues to fall, albeit at a lower rate
• However, The IFS estimates the relative child
  poverty rate in Scotland will increase
  significantly by 2020, rising to 22.7. This
  would account for an additional 50,000 children
  in Scotland living in poverty.

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Welfare Reform

• There have been significant delays to the roll
  out of Universal Credit and Personal Independence
  Payments
• Do not anticipate any roll out beyond Inverness
  in Scotland before the UK General Election
• However, cultural changes, sanctions, claimant
  commitment, have been progressed

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Welfare Reform impacts

• Scottish Government analysis published on 7 April
  2014  estimates that the cumulative impact of the
  UK Governments welfare reforms over the six
  years to 2015-16 could result in the Scottish
  welfare bill being reduced by around 6 billion
  it is estimated that over 1 billion relates
  directly to children in Scotland.

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Ministerial Advisory Group

• In 2012 Ministers appointed the Ministerial
  Advisory Group on Child Poverty to advise on the
  strategy and annual reporting
• It meets two to three times a year, chaired by
  DFM, and includes the Minister for Housing and
  Welfare, Minister for Children and Young People,
  representatives of local authorities, health
  boards, childrens and anti-poverty organisations

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Child Poverty Strategy revision

• Three key outcomes
• Maximising household resources. (Pockets)
• Improving childrens wellbeing and life chances
  (Prospects)
• Children from low income households live in well
  designed sustainable places (Places)

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Prospects

• Best place in the world to grow up
• Focus on early intervention and prevention
• Early Years Framework emphasis on giving
  children, particularly those who are most
  disadvantaged, the best possible start in life

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Prospects

• Children and Young People Act
• Single planning approach for children need
  additional support
• Single point of contact
• Childrens Services Plans
• Increase amount and flexibility of childcare

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Prospects specific actions

• 272 million (with local authorities, the NHS and
  other partners) Early Years Change Fund to
  improve childrens life chances
• Over 130,000 receive free school meals and from
  January 2015 P1-P3 children have the option of a
  free meal at school. Saving of around 330 per
  child if the pupil takes a meal every day

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Prospects specific actions

• Expanding nursery provision from 475 hours to a
  minimum of 600 hours. Expanding to 2 years olds
  in workless households from 2014, and to 2 year
  olds who would have been eligible for free school
  meals from 2015
• STV Child Poverty Appeal match funded between
  2011 and 2014 with 3.65m

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Prospects specific actions

• Communities and Families fund - 6 million in
  funding over 3 years (with Big Lottery) to help
  groups working with children aged under 8
• 30m to support work with children, young people
  families and communities through 20m Third
  Sector Early Intervention Fund and 10m Strategic
  Funding Partnerships

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Outcomes Framework

• MAG and stakeholders have consistently requested
  more robust reporting on impact of activities
• Outcomes framework focused around 3 Ps map onto
  3 long term outcomes
• Maximising household resources (Pockets)
• Improved life chances for children (Prospects)
• Children grow up in sustainable places (Places)
• Articulates how we expect our activities will
  lead to outcomes
• Provides framework for monitoring and evaluation
  and structure for future annual reports

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Intermediate outcomes
Outcome
Policies
Universal entitlements (social wage)
Maximised financial entitlements of families on
low incomes
Welfare reform mitigation
Scottish Welfare Fund
Reduced household spend of families on low incomes
Fuel Poverty Programmes
Free School Meals and funding for school
activities
Households have the skills and motivation to
access advice and manage finances and knowledge
about products, welfare rights and support
services
Maximising financial resources of families on low
incomes
Families on low incomes are managing finances
appropriately and accessing all financial
entitlements
Financial capability and welfare rights
advice/support
Economic growth policies
Good quality employment is available
Living Wage
Parents are in good quality, sustained employment
in line with skills and ambitions
Individuals have the skills and motivation to
find and retain work
Employability/Skills Strategy
Affordable, accessible and flexible childcare is
available
Childcare for employment and education
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Policies
Outcome
Intermediate outcomes
Emotional wellbeing
Children from low income households have
improving levels of physical and mental health
Healthy lifestyles
Health Inequalities
Early and high quality treatment
Participation in positive activities/hobbies
Early Years Collaborative and Change Fund
Children from low income households experience
social inclusion and display social competence
Children feel valued
Improved life chances of children in poverty
Resilient, stable, strong families providing
supportive home environment
National Parenting Strategy
Cognitive and emotional skills
Children from low income households have
improving relative levels of educational
attainment, achieving their full potential
Parents engaged in childrens learning
Educational Attainment, including FE/HE
High quality teaching and support targeted to
needs and abilities
Young people from low income backgrounds are in
good quality sustained employment in line with
skills and ambitions
Motivation/aspirations
Youth Employment Strategy
Skills and qualifications
Modern Apprenticeships
Availability of suitable work, inc
apprenticeships and highly skilled work
Access to professions
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Intermediate outcomes
Policies
Outcome
Affordability, availability and security
Housing
Children from low income households live in high
quality sustainable housing
Sustainability and quality
Fuel Poverty
Housing that meets needs
Homelessness
Supportive, inclusive and engaged communities
Children from low income households live in well
designed sustainable places
Children from low income households grow up in
places that are socially sustainable
Accessible, effective local social services
Communities protected and safe
Children from low income households grow up in
places that are physically sustainable
Accessible, affordable and high quality
facilities and amenities
Regeneration Strategy
Quality buildings and spaces
Access to high quality affordable public transport
Transport links
Children from low income households grow up in
places that are economically sustainable
Strong local economies
Learning opportunities and support in accessing
economic opportunities
Quality housing and amenities reduce household
costs (pockets) supportive communities, healthy
homes, healthy and safe environments, quality
services and facilities, and local economic
opportunities improve physical and mental health,
attainment, social inclusion and employment
(prospects) outcomes
Infrastructure, inc digital, that supports
economic growth
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Todays event

• Very keen to learn more about the impact of
  health inequalities on the outcomes in the
  strategy
• Interested in views on how best to deliver on the
  outcomes in the strategy
• Would appreciate specific examples of your
  activities which relate to the outcomes