‘Ending child poverty everybody’s business’

1. The Child Poverty Strategy: setting the national context NAVCA Newcastle Event – Child Poverty: everybody’s business Melanie Duffield, Head of Implementation, Child Poverty Unit 12 October 2010 ‘Ending child poverty everybody’s business’

2. What I want to cover today • The scale of the challenge – the Child Poverty Act and the National Strategy • The Local Picture • The role for VCS – how we can build the agenda ‘Ending child poverty everybody’s business’

3. The scale of the challenge

4. Making a legal commitment to end poverty by 2020 • The Act sets out four targets to eradicate child poverty by 2020 and beyond: • Relative low income – less than 10% in 2020 • Combined low income and material deprivation • Absolute low income target – less than 5% in 2020 • Persistent poverty target • Low income is defined as below 60% median income before housing costs. • It also requires government to minimise socioeconomic disadvantage for children • The Act also sets out how government will be held accountable, by publishing: • A strategy every three years to 2020 and an annual report.The first strategy must be published by March 2011, and will cover the first 3 years of the strategy. The Government must consulton the national strategy. • Part 2 of The Act requires local authorities and their delivery partnersto produce local strategies, based on local area needs assessments ‘Ending child poverty everybody’s business’ 4 4

5. 22% 26% <10% 25% = Percentage of UK children in households with Income below 60% of median income in 2008/9 = percentage of UK children in households below the relative poverty line in 1998/9 The relative income target for 2020 is for less than 10% of children to be in poverty in 2020 Projected percentage of children in poverty in 2020, on current trajectory Thescale of the national challenge Where we are: Where we have come from: Where we need to get to: Where we will be in 2020 without further action: 5

6. Development of the strategy is being structured around the building blocks, plus cross-cutting issues It will also need to assess: which groups are most at risk of poverty and disadvantage; & consider the impact of policy measures for each group AT RISK GROUPS EMPLOYMENT & SKILLS FAMILY and LIFE CHANCES (Education, health, early years) The Strategy will need to: (a) propose the action needed in each area in order to meet the targetsandminimise socio-economic disadvantage, and (b) assess what progress needs to be made by 2014 Meet 2020 targets and reduce socio economic disadvantage PLACE (Communities, housing, local areas) FINANCIAL SUPPORT ‘Ending child poverty everybody’s business’ 6

7. Spending Review Timeline for developing the UK, Devolved and Local Strategies and work of other key bodies 2010-11 MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR Evidence review and analysis of poverty impact Policy evaluation: Ensuring cost effectiveness and value for money Monitoring Progress: establishing interim measures & indicators Drafting of strategy & development of Implementation Plan Developing the UK child poverty strategy Deadline for CP Strategy Timing and scope of the Consultation to be decided Child Poverty Consultation Indicative timing for needs assessment Consultation on the Welsh Strategy Deadline for DA Strategies Development of local and DA strategies Local authority needs assessments Local child poverty strategies Deadline for local strategies Graham Allen Review of Early Intervention Timeline for work of other Bodies Frank Field Review of Life Chances Independent review commissioned by Number 10 Report of Frank Field Review Budget & Spending Review 7 Budget 2010 Budget 2011

8. The local picture

9. Supporting all local areas to tackle child poverty • The Child Poverty Act requires Local Authorities and their Named Partners to: • Cooperate to reduce, and mitigate the effects of, child poverty in their local area. • Produce local child poverty needs assessments. • Prepare joint local child poverty strategies. • The Guide produced on the duties signals the importance of local authorities engaging with voluntary and community organisations – both to support consultation around the needs assessment but also to consider contribution to the local area strategy. • The emphasis is not on areas meeting the national targets at a local level – but on developing local strategies across the building blocks and driving action that makes a difference to the deprived communities in their area. Therefore all local areas should be making a contribution. ‘Ending child poverty everybody’s business’

10. Massive variations across the country • NI 116 (income data) allows us to see the variation that exists between Local Authorities. • Least deprived authorities have NI 116 rates of around 10%. Most deprived have rates of over 40%. • Other indicators (e.g. educational attainment) have the same variation. ‘Ending child poverty everybody’s business’

11. But there are pockets of deprivation everywhere • By looking at data at ward level we can see the variation within authorities. • It shows that even authorities with low levels of deprivation overall can have pockets where deprivation is well above the national average ‘Ending child poverty everybody’s business’

12. Just a handful of examples of what is going on… • The Child Poverty Unit has funded pilots including a suite of innovation pilots. • These include: • Tyneside have set up a model of community entrepreneurs – now considering • how that model can be sustained and expanded. • Knowsley have set up a model of family mentors in the community who provide • peer support to struggling families. • Sefton have worked with the sector to share local community hubs to provide • services around employment and childcare. • Examples of where the sector can contribute are broad and varied – likely to be growing scope for delivery, and potential new routes for funding… ‘Ending child poverty everybody’s business’

13. Research CPU updates C4EO C4EO LGID C4EO Sector website Data Tool Specialist The Child CPAG active Poverty Unit Gov Child Offices Poverty personalised website Toolkit support Online Resources: C4EO Child Poverty Community of Practice (CoP) Validated Beacons Local Take Up Practice Taskforce Report & Good Practice Materials Examples The Core Offer of Support Child Poverty Unit’s website and CoP CWDC RIEPs Child Poverty Pilots StC NCL ‘Ending child poverty everybody’s business’

14. The role for the VCS

15. The Government’s new approach to the Big Society • ‘The Big Society is about a huge culture change, where people, in their everyday lives, in their homes, neighbourhoods and workplace, don’t always turn to officials or government for answers to the problems they face, but instead feel both free and powerful enough to help themselves and their own communities’ • - Prime Minister, Liverpool, July 2010 • Three Themes • Social Action • Public Service Reform • Community Empowerment • Three Techniques • Decentralisation • Transparency • Building capacity ‘Ending child poverty everybody’s business’

16. Child Poverty Unit response so far… where can we and the VCS engage more? • National Consultation • Engage in CP strategy • Work with VCS reps • Ministerial visits • Voice of CYP • Shaping Services • Lessons Learned • Local Delivery • Local Needs Assessments • and Strategies – what can you bring to the table and how foster LA engagement? • Championing role of VCS for local communities • Demonstrate Good Practice e.g. Local Pilots and Projects • Big Lottery Fund - innovation • Cross-Govt Policy • Embed child poverty thinking – everybody’s business • Community Budgets – scope for stronger VCS role • Commissioning White Paper • Localism White Paper ‘Ending child poverty everybody’s business’

17. Thank you How can we work together to involve and engage the VCS in tackling child poverty? • What can you tell us about the policy and delivery issues that impede progress on child poverty? • Where are the barriers to working together with Local Authorities and other partners? • Where across the Building Blocks is there greatest scope for the sector to influence and drive delivery? Where across vulnerable groups (against a backdrop of spending cuts) can the sector best lend support? • What examples of good practice and innovative delivery can you share and how can we support this? ‘Ending child poverty everybody’s business’

18. If you would like to stay linked into national developments and the work the CPU and ‘Core Offer’ group are developing… Register at the LGID community of practice (we will be ramping up activity on this site): http://www.communities.idea.gov.uk/reg/sp.do Have a look on our website and in particular at the guide and materials on the local duties we are loading up this week on the ‘tackling child poverty locally’ pages: www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/childpoverty ‘Ending child poverty everybody’s business’