How is the Council working to tackle child poverty in St John Ward?
Minutes:
How is the Council working to tackle child poverty in St John Ward?
Our Strategic Approach
The Council (and its partners) strategically addresses its anti-poverty responsibilities through the Powys One Plan as opposed to having a distinct and separate Anti-Poverty Strategy. The 2014 – 17 One Plan has poverty as a cross cutting issue for all partners in Powys for citizens of all ages. This allows for the impacts of poverty to be considered and addressed in a collaborative and strategic way rather than in isolation.
The Anti-Poverty Champion and the cross party Anti-Poverty Social Research Group
As recommended through the Tackling Poverty Action Plan, part of Welsh Government’s Programme for Government the Leader appointed Councillor Joy Jones as the council’s Anti-Poverty Champion.
To support the work of Cllr Jones, the former ‘Anti-Poverty Strategy Group’ has re-visited its remit to place a greater emphasis on engagement and gathering evidence of poverty and the impact of poverty within our communities.
In measuring delivery of the anti-poverty agenda implicit within the One Powys Plan 2014-17 together with Welsh Government’s requirement for reporting against its Poverty Action Plan, it is recognised that further work is required to capture, more effectively, the various actions and improvements undertaken by the council across its services, in meeting the anti-poverty agenda across the County.
To help achieve this, a ‘Tackling Poverty Accountability Framework’ is in development and will provide a co-ordinated work-plan for the Anti-Poverty Social Research Group to evaluate and challenge the effectiveness of the council’s activities, and providing assurance to members.
Child Poverty
Interventions specifically aimed at reducing the impacts of child poverty are planned and delivered though the Children and Young Peoples Partnership.
The Families First Plan sets out our priorities for tackling disadvantage and poverty for children and their families until 2017. It includes a range of commissioned services/projects that provide support and early intervention for children, young people and families for whom poverty is likely to be a key factor affecting their lives.
These include services for Mental Health and Well-being, Family and Behaviour support and Disability. The plan also outlines the key infrastructure building blocks we are putting in place to ensure families’ needs are identified and assessed as at early a stage as possible and that they get access to services at the right level, at the right time for them.
Powys also has the Flying Start Service in the most deprived wards in Ystradgynlais, Brecon (including the St Johns Ward), Llandrindod, Newtown and Welshpool. This service offers additional support and free childcare for families in these areas with children under the age of 4 years.
The Children & Young People’s Partnership (CYPP) monitors is performance on a quarterly basis via its work plans and its Results Based Accountability (RBA) report card.
This report card contains key indicators in relation to poverty in Powys including;
· Proportion of children living in poverty
· Low Birth weights
· Numbers of Year 11 leavers Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET)
· Key stage performance of Free School Meal (FSM) eligible pupils against their peers
· School Attendance of Free School Meal eligible pupils
· Numbers of 18-24 Year olds on Job seekers Allowance
The CYPP commissions a range of services and interventions to address the impacts of child poverty across the whole County. The include;
- The Flying Start programme in Ystradgynlais, Brecon, Llandrindod, Newtown and Welshpool – our most deprived areas
- The NOVUS project (replacing Genesis 2) which provides support for individuals, particularly single parents and those Not in Education, Employment or Training to get closer to the labour market.
- The Youth Intervention Service supporting young people at risk of homelessness and with other disadvantages.
- The Childcare Strategy and action plan to ensure that we have sufficient high quality, affordable and accessible childcare available to support parents to work and train and provide high quality experiences for children.
- An assisted places scheme to provide financial assistance to support families in poverty with the high costs of childcare.
- The Team Around the Family programme (TAF) including the Common Assessment Framework (CAF), Local Resource Solution Panel's (LRSP’s), which provides early intervention and preventative solutions for disadvantaged children and their families. This also includes the step up and step down of families between the TAF and Social Services to ensure they get support at the most appropriate level when they need it
- A Family Information service providing free information and advice to Young People and families.
- An integrated and holistic response to supporting families with a disabled child through the Integrated Disability Service (IDS). This Service provides improved co-ordination of support for children and young people with disabilities and their families who are more likely to experience poverty.
- The Referral Scheme to support access to childcare and leisure activities for Children and Young People with additional needs.
- Services to provide support, information and advice, respite and social opportunities for young carers who at a greater risk of experiencing poverty.
- Where obesity and dental carries can be indicators of deprivation, the Mind Exercise Nutrition Do it! (MEND) or Fresh / Ffres programme aims to try and improve the health and emotional well-being outcomes of children and families who are or at risk of being obese.
Wider Council Delivery
The Council’s Leisure services have historically offered the following interventions;
- Free Swim initiatives for Children and Yong People and Over 60’s
- Access to Fitness Schemes for Individuals on low income
- Free swimming for carers when caring for individuals with a disability in the pool
- iCare Card scheme – free access to swim and Gym for carers for their own leisure
- Cardio Rehab and GP Referral Scheme – subsidised access for the first 16 weeks
The Schools Services Offer the following Interventions;
- Free school Meals to low income families
- The Pupil Deprivation Grant – 100% devolved to Schools to help improve the literacy, numeracy and attendance of Free School Meal eligible Pupils
- The Pre School Pupil Deprivation Grant ( new in 2015/16)
- The School Uniform Grant (via Revenues and Benefits dept)
- The Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for post 16 learners
The Council also has a range of services and projects under the Regeneration agenda to build employment and economic activity as well as community development and sustainability.
Delivery in the St Johns Ward.
Families in the St Johns ward are able to access any of the above services dependant on meeting any pre-set eligibility criteria (which is not required for every service).
For those families with Children under the age of 4 years they are also able to access additional support through the Flying start service in the Brecon area.
There was no supplementary question.