Mission possible: ending child poverty

1. Mission possible:ending child poverty David Churchill Child Poverty Unit 16th November 2010

2. There is work to do to eradicate child poverty by tackling its causes of poverty

3. To do that, CPU has created a new governance structure to strengthen engagement CABINET SUB-COMMITTEE ON CHILD POVERTY Senior cross Gov input. Boards responsible for each policy area. AT RISK GROUPS PLACE AND LOCAL DELIVERY BOARD FINANCIAL SUPPORT BOARD LIFE CHANCES & FAMILIES EMPLOYMENT AND SKILLS BOARD DH DWP BIS CLG DfT HMT HMRC DfE Relevant policy leads will bring together work for Boards Employment and Skills working group Place and Delivery working group Financial support working group Life chances working group Policies should consider risk groups Local authorities & delivery partners Pilots Devolved Administrations Boards will consider delivery+ implementation

4. This approach should improve action across a number of areas • Early years – focussing Sure Start on the neediest families and recruiting extra health visitors (DfE) • Schools – pupil premium and targeting disadvantaged pupils (DfE) • Youth – policies aimed at at-risk youth groups to increase participation and attainment e.g. apprenticeships (DfE) • Families - good quality home environment to support learning and development e.g. Family Intervention Projects for families with multiple problems (DfE/HO/MOJ etc) DWP Work programme (DWP) – incentivising contractors to support additional costs of parents moving into work – supporting at risk groups through the work programme – supporting wider outreach activity through JCP Other policies (DWP and BIS) - flexible working; managing ill health/disability at work; in work progression and skills policies Life Chances Employment and Skills • Housing Programmes - Supporting People and Supply and Quality of Housing (CLG) • Regeneration Funding (CLG) and Transport Infrastructure (DfT) • Localism - Increased freedoms for Local Authorities and Partners and Community Budgets (HMT and CLG) • Structural Benefit Reform (DWP and HMT) • – Universal credit proposals could improve incentives to work and take up rates of benefits for some groups. • Design of childcare offer under the new benefit system. • Financial inclusion, debt, and capability(DWP, HMT, BIS) • Housing Benefit and Take Up (DWP, HMT) Place and Local Delivery Financial Support

5. But ending child poverty is also heavily dependent on action at local level • The vast majority of local areas have rates of relative child poverty well above the 10% (the 2020 national target) – a small handful have rates below, a number have rates of 40% and above, and the highest reported rates of nearly 70% (Inner London). • To meet the 2020 targets strong progress is needed across almost all local areas – however around 70% of all children in relative poverty live in under a quarter of all wards so the biggest inroads may be enacted through a targeted approach. • There is also massive variation by ward – areas with average rates of 10% still have wards and pockets with rates of over 45%; and areas with average rates of around 45% can have wards and pockets with rates below 10%.

6. Giving greater control over what happens locally can help address this • To enable local authorities to develop effective and efficient solutions to meet the particular needs of their areas, there will be: • de-ring fencing of local budgets and pooling of budgets on specific themes. • removal of bureaucratic targets, prescription, guidance, and controls. • greater ability to attract private and social investment and stimulate growth

7. And key to success will be how local areas take this forward • Local partnerships • Links in to other services and positive outcomes for families • Role of local employers and businesses • Engagement with voluntary and community sector, for example as challenge, as strategic planners, as service providers, and as champions of those most at risk of poverty