Child Poverty: The London Picture and the Child Poverty Bill

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Child Poverty The London Picture and the Child
Poverty Bill

• Mary Hill
• Child Poverty Officer, London Councils

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• Child poverty in London - why it became a high
  priority
• Progress across London so far
• Different approaches among London boroughs
• The Child Poverty Bill and what this means for
  local authorities.

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Child poverty in London
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The London wide response
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Child poverty across London
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Progress across London
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Progress across London
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Borough approaches

• LB Islington
• Corporate approach senior commitment
• Re-aligning services
• Getting buy-in from a range of front-line
  professionals
• Data sharing within the council
• Council as a major employer

• LB Tower Hamlets
• Key priority in Community Plan for 2020
  cross-cutting priority in Children YP Plan in
  other strategies
• Integrated into all team plans
• Clear outcomes
• Starting strategic commissioning model

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Whats working in London

• Tailored employment schemes drawing on a range of
  support services e.g. Southwark, Kingston,
  Lewisham, Ealing, HF
• Targeted work with the most vulnerable families
  e.g. KC, Waltham Forest
• Training and awareness raising for front-line
  workers in different services e.g. Merton,
  Islington, Harrow
• Improving access to childcare and employment
  support Greenwich, Croydon, Hillingdon, Bromley

• Joint working with other key agencies services
  such as Jobcentre Plus, PCT, housing/RSLs, VCS
  e.g. Camden, Enfield, Redbridge, Wandsworth
• Promote financial inclusion using key services
  and outreach e.g. Barking and Dagenham, Lambeth,
  Haringey, Hackney, Brent
• Development and roll-out of core offers e.g.
  Westminster, Newham

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The Child Poverty Bill

• Has been through Committee stage in Parliament
  and is now going to the Lords for approval.
• Is expected to gain Royal assent by Spring 2010.
• Each local authority will have a responsibility
  to promote co-operation amongst key partners to
  reduce, and mitigate the effects of child poverty
  in their local area.
• Local authorities must prepare and publish an
  assessment of the needs of children living in
  poverty within their borough.
• Local authorities must develop a joint strategy
  with strategic partners for reducing and
  mitigating the effects of child poverty.
  Strategies should relate to the matters
  identified in the child poverty needs assessment.

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Support we would like from Government

• Give local authorities more control over key DWP
  employment programmes
• Commit to mainstreaming successful pilots,
  working with local authorities
• Acknowledge through CAA realistic timescales and
  measures for success

• Review targets for Government depts and what they
  measure
• Better local data to establish baseline and
  improve data sharing
• Review key benefits in relation to parents moving
  into work

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Contact

• Mary Hill
• mary.hill_at_londoncouncils.gov.uk
• 020 7934 9707
• www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/children/childpoverty/de
  fault.htm
• www.c4eo.org.uk