Child Poverty Strategy: Addressing Inequality in Scotland

1. Child Poverty Strategy for ScotlandAlex Young

2. Scottish and UK Parliament responsibilities Scottish Parliament • Health • Education • Skills • Housing UK Parliament • Fiscal, economic and monetary • Employment legislation • Social Security

3. Early intervention and prevention • Three key social policy frameworks address the causes of poverty and inequality: • Achieving our Potential - tackling poverty and income inequality • Early Years Framework - giving children the best start in life • Equally Well: Report of the Ministerial Taskforce on Health Inequalities

4. Universal entitlements • Commitment to the Social Wage • Free prescriptions • Free personal care • Free tuition • Living Wage (Free School Meals)

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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.

8. 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

9. Child Poverty Strategy revision Three key outcomes: • Maximising household resources. (Pockets) • Improving children’s wellbeing and life chances (Prospects) • Children from low income households live in well designed sustainable places(Places)

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. Intermediate outcomes Policies 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 Households have the skills and motivation to access advice and manage finances; and knowledge about products, welfare rights and support services Maximising financial resources of families on low incomes Families on low incomes are managing finances appropriately and accessing all financial entitlements Financial capability and welfare rights advice/support Economic growth policies Good quality employment is available Living Wage Parents are in good quality, sustained employment in line with skills and ambitions Individuals have the skills and motivation to find and retain work Employability/Skills Strategy Childcare for employment and education Affordable, accessible and flexible childcare is available

17. Policies Outcome Intermediate outcomes Emotional wellbeing Children from low income households have improving levels of physical and mental health Healthy lifestyles Health Inequalities Early and high quality treatment Participation in positive activities/hobbies Early Years Collaborative and Change Fund Children from low income households experience social inclusion and display social competence Children feel valued Improved life chances of children in poverty Resilient, stable, strong families providing supportive home environment National Parenting Strategy Cognitive and emotional skills Children from low income households have improving relative levels of educational attainment, achieving their full potential Parents engaged in childrens’ learning Educational Attainment, including FE/HE High quality teaching and support targeted to needs and abilities Motivation/aspirations Young people from low income backgrounds are in good quality sustained employment in line with skills and ambitions Youth Employment Strategy Skills and qualifications Modern Apprenticeships Availability of suitable work, inc apprenticeships and highly skilled work Access to professions

18. Intermediate outcomes Policies Outcome Affordability, availability and security Housing Children from low income households live in high quality sustainable housing Sustainability and quality Fuel Poverty Housing that meets needs Homelessness Supportive, inclusive and engaged communities Children from low income households live in well designed sustainable places Children from low income households grow up in places that are socially sustainable Accessible, effective local social services Communities protected and safe Children from low income households grow up in places that are physically sustainable Accessible, affordable and high quality facilities and amenities Regeneration Strategy Quality buildings and spaces Access to high quality affordable public transport Transport links Children from low income households grow up in places that are economically sustainable Strong local economies Learning opportunities and support in accessing economic opportunities 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 Infrastructure, inc digital, that supports economic growth

19. 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