Transcript Slide 1

Child Poverty Strategy for
Scotland
Alex Young
Scottish and UK Parliament
responsibilities
Scottish Parliament
• Health
• Education
• Skills
• Housing
UK Parliament
• Fiscal, economic and monetary
• Employment legislation
• Social Security
Early intervention and prevention
•Three key social policy frameworks address the
causes of poverty and inequality:
o Achieving our Potential - tackling poverty and
income inequality
o Early Years Framework - giving children the
best start in life
o Equally Well: Report of the Ministerial
Taskforce on Health Inequalities
Universal entitlements
• Commitment to the Social Wage
–Free prescriptions
–Free personal care
–Free tuition
–Living Wage
(Free School Meals)
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.
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
Welfare Reform impacts
• Scottish Government analysis published
on 7 April 2014 estimates that the
cumulative impact of the UK
Government’s 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.
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, children’s
and anti-poverty organisations
Child Poverty Strategy revision
Three key outcomes:
1.Maximising household resources.
(Pockets)
2.Improving children’s wellbeing and life
chances (Prospects)
3.Children from low income households live
in well designed sustainable places (Places)
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
Prospects
• Children and Young People Act
– Single planning approach for children need
additional support
– Single point of contact
– Children’s Services Plans
– Increase amount and flexibility of childcare
Prospects – specific actions
• £272 million (with local authorities, the
NHS and other partners) Early Years
Change Fund to improve children’s 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
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
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
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
Policies
Intermediate
outcomes
Outcome
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
Financial capability and
welfare rights advice/support
Households have the skills
and motivation to access
advice and manage
finances; and knowledge
about products, welfare
rights and support services
Families on low
incomes
are managing finances
appropriately and
accessing all financial
entitlements
Economic growth policies
Living Wage
Good quality employment
is available
Employability/Skills
Strategy
Individuals have the skills
and motivation to find and
retain work
Childcare for employment
and education
Affordable, accessible and
flexible childcare is available
Parents are in good
quality, sustained
employment in line with
skills and ambitions
Maximising
financial
resources of
families on
low incomes
Policies
Emotional wellbeing
Health Inequalities
Healthy lifestyles
Early and high quality
treatment
Early Years
Collaborative and
Change Fund
National Parenting
Strategy
Outcome
Intermediate
outcomes
Children from low income
households have improving
levels of physical and
mental health
Participation in positive
activities/hobbies
Children feel valued
Resilient, stable, strong
families providing supportive
home environment
Children from low income
households experience
social inclusion and
display social competence
Cognitive and emotional
skills
Parents engaged in
childrens’ learning
Educational Attainment,
including FE/HE
Youth Employment
Strategy
High quality teaching and
support targeted to needs
and abilities
Motivation/aspirations
Skills and qualifications
Modern Apprenticeships
Access to professions
Availability of suitable
work, inc apprenticeships
and highly skilled work
Children from low income
households have improving
relative levels of
educational attainment,
achieving their full potential
Young people from low
income backgrounds are
in good quality sustained
employment in line with
skills and ambitions
Improved life
chances of
children in
poverty
Policies
Housing
Intermediate
outcomes
Affordability, availability
and security
Fuel Poverty
Sustainability and quality
Homelessness
Housing that meets needs
Supportive, inclusive and
engaged communities
Accessible, effective local
social services
Outcome
Children from low income
households live in high
quality sustainable housing
Children from low income
households grow up in places
that are socially sustainable
Communities protected
and safe
Regeneration Strategy
Accessible, affordable and
high quality facilities and
amenities
Children from low
income
households live
in well designed
sustainable
places
Children from low income
households grow up in places
that are physically sustainable
Quality buildings and spaces
Transport links
Access to high quality
affordable public transport
Strong local economies
Learning opportunities and
support in accessing
economic opportunities
Infrastructure, inc digital, that
supports economic growth
Children from low income
households grow up in places
that are economically
sustainable
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
Today’s 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