Reducing Child Poverty Action Plan
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Aberdeenshire Reducing Child Poverty – Update Report April 2020 Reducing Child Poverty Overarching goals: A. Preventing children on the margins of poverty falling into poverty B. Reducing the number of children living in poverty by moving those in poverty out of poverty C. Protecting Children living in poverty from its most adverse effects D. Enabling children to live a poverty-free adult life Key themes: 1. Participation and Engagement Link to drivers of child poverty: Reducing Household Costs Action Action Description Due Date Partners and Latest Latest Note Code Services Note Date A.01 Engage and recruit people with 30-Apr- Third Sector 02 March Poverty Engagement Worker appointed and has experience of poverty in 2022 Agencies 2020 recruited families from across Aberdeenshire. The establishing appropriate families represent the target groups highlighted within mechanisms such as an online Aberdeenshire the Local Action Reports. The breakdown of the expert panel to ensure their voices Council employment status of those involved is below. are heard in developing programmes, policies and Tackling commissioning services. Poverty & Inequality Group 1 Online forum now live and hosted within Our Aberdeenshire. Community based engagement sessions will take place in the more remote areas of Aberdeenshire to ensure a wide range of parents can have their voice heard. Early stages of developing an Energy Summit as a result of one of the issues families have raised. 2 Action Action Description Due Date Partners and Latest Latest Note Code Services Note Date A.02 Improve practitioner awareness of 30-Apr-2022 Aberdeenshire 27 Feb Senior Community Learning and Development Child Poverty in Aberdeenshire Council – 2020 Workers have started to deliver Cost of the School and action to address Child Community Day events in their areas. These events focus on Poverty through the development Learning & understanding what poverty is and, not only, costs and delivery of a range of Development linked to school but also costs in the community and Continuous Professional (CLD) the impact of these. The session also discusses good Development (CPD) opportunities, practice, challenges and barriers. The events are including Cost of The School Day open to practitioners, elected members and members sessions. of the community. Events have so far been held in Marr, Formartine and Kincardine and Mearns. Kemnay Network events in February. Further dates to be confirmed. A Citizens’ Panel survey will be repeated in 2020 to obtain data to see if there has been a change in perception of those experiencing poverty. (Previous survey was undertaken in 2018). Key themes: 2. Health & Wellbeing Link to drivers of child poverty: Maximising income from social security benefits Action Partners and Latest Action Description Due Date Latest Note Code Services Note Date A.08 Develop mechanisms and 30-Apr-2022 NHS Grampian 12-Mar- Antenatal financial inclusion pathway appropriate care pathways within 2020 Generic email and has been set up with Midwifery, Health Visiting and pre- Third Sector Aberdeenshire Citizens’ Advice Bureau, there is an school childcare services to agreement regarding data that will be exchanged 3 provide signposting for pregnant Tackling between the respective organisations. NHS women and families with young Poverty & Grampian (NHSG) Information Governance have children to specialist money and Inequality Group provided guidance on the data governance aspects welfare advice. of this development. NHSG will ensure that appropriate information is recorded on the BadgerNet system for Best Start. Health visiting and Midwifery teams will have access to support tools and training. It is anticipated that the pathway will be launched early in 2020/21. Action Partners and Latest Action Description Due Date Latest Note Code Services Note Date A.09 Ensure the Universal Health 30-Apr-2022 NHS Grampian 12-Mar- Neonatal Expenses Fund – All parents whose baby Visiting Pathway, the further 2020 has been admitted to the Neonatal Unit are provided extension of the Family Nurse with the information they require in regard to the Partnership, Making Every Neonatal Expenses Fund. NHSG have liaised with Opportunity Count (MEOC), the the clinical management structure, a form has been Neonatal Expenses Fund and included within the universal information pack Parenting Programmes maximise provided on admission. The aspiration for the future opportunities to provide support is to build this within the wider programme. Work is and appropriate signposting to ongoing to further improve uptake of this fund. mothers/families in or at risk of poverty. Healthier, Wealthier Children Funding – Income maximisation funding allocation 2019/20 Directors letter has been received confirming North of Scotland will receive £65K which is roughly expected to translate to £8k this year for NHSG. This funding allocation was used to support food poverty work with families with you children in collaboration with CFINE. 4 Making every Opportunity Count (MeOC) – The aspiration is that MeOC be the framework by which will provide the context for conversations about Financial Inclusion, Best Start, Healthy Start etc. Key themes: 3. School and Community Link to drivers of child poverty: Reducing Household Costs Action Partners and Latest Action Description Due Date Latest Note Code Services Note Date .A.05 Maximising the uptake of free 30-Apr-2022 Aberdeenshire 12 Feb The Aberdeenshire Support & Advice Team directly school meals (FSM) and school Council 2020 populate the SEEMIS system with the Free School clothing grants to eligible families Meals (FSM) entitlement flag reducing the need for by regularly reviewing uptake and Tackling each individual school to update their own records. reducing barriers to accessing this Poverty and This has ensured that the relevant credit is available support. Inequality Group on the pupils online account / catering system promptly. Head Teachers handbooks were updated Pupil Equity Fund (PEF) funding is Social Security with the process as it was established some schools funding which is allocated to Scotland were unsure about how the scheme operates. In schools to close the poverty- addition, all key admin staff were advised about the related attainment gap. Some of Education and process and options for applying. the activities and programmes that Children’s are funded using PEF within Services Potential families eligible are picked up when an schools can also contribute to application for Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax reducing child poverty. CLD Reduction is made. In addition, applicants who are not eligible to claim for Housing Benefit of Council Tax Reduction can make a stand-alone application. Fraserburgh Local Plan - Booster Project With the help of CLD and Academy staff recruit 5 pupils to take part in a mini public process and recruit parents with pupils entitled to FSM to participate in the mini public process. Raise awareness among parents and academy students of the breakfast allowance and lunch vouchers. To raise awareness of the FSM offer to pupils and increase the number of pupils making use of the breakfast allowance and lunch voucher. To break down barriers the FSM system creates for some families. Outputs from project: 1. Increase in the uptake of FSM – breakfast and lunch 2. Decrease in the number of pupils arriving late for school Action Partners and Latest Action Description Due Date Latest Note Code Services Note Date A.06 Consult with schools to identify a 30-Apr-2022 Aberdeenshire 06 Feb Aberdeenshire Council has agreed initial priorities range of effective measures that Council 2020 supported by the Northern Alliance and linking to our can be implemented in Reducing Child Poverty actions to their closing the Aberdeenshire to reduce the Tackling poverty linked attainment gap outcomes: inequalities gap which is felt by Poverty and low income families. Inequality Group We aim to better define the poverty within Aberdeenshire that prevents children and young Education and people achieving their full potential. This will require Children’s a better understanding of rural poverty as well as Services promoting the issue of child poverty across all 6 communities within the local authority control and Northern beyond. We aim to demonstrate that any barriers to Alliance children’s learning once fully understood can be eliminated/reduced by a strategically planned and locally delivered, partnership approach We will measure the impact of our work both informally (by regular feedback from all stakeholders) and formally by measuring attainment data including; attendance and exclusions data, BGE progression by Quintile, Breadth and Depth by end of S5 by Quintile, average tariff scores by end of S5 by SIMD, leavers with more than 1 level 6 qualification by Quintile, and leavers entering a positive destination by Quintile. We will also formally evaluate PEF interventions. Aberdeenshire Council have initially accepted the Northern Alliance supporting aims 1&2 and partial of aim 4. https://www.ouraberdeenshire.org.uk/our- priorities/reducing-child-poverty/ Action Partners and Latest Action Description Due Date Latest Note Code Services Note Date A.07 Review promotion of Education 30-Apr-2022 Aberdeenshire 17 Jan New minimum school clothing grant payment has Maintenance Council 2020 been set at £100 per child and is paid directly to Allowance which provides financial families by Aberdeenshire Council. support to eligible young people Education and from low income