Council unveils plan to help tackle child poverty

Making home energy bills cheaper and increasing wages to the cost of living are just two of the ways Plymouth will tackle child poverty in a hard-hitting city-wide action plan.

Cabinet has agreed a three year strategy and action plan to reduce child poverty and mitigate its effects - pledge number 21 of its 100 promises made in May 2012.

The plan is split into four main themes: child poverty is everyone’s business, financial support and independence, family life and children’s life chances, and communities and neighbourhoods. Under each of these headings is a list of actions that need to be completed over the next three years if the city is to achieve its overall aim.

The plan includes lots of practical help for families, as well as some necessary strategic actions. One of the planned solutions will see the Council create and launch an energy cooperative in July this year which will provide a local alternative to the big national energy companies in a bid to reduce residents’ household bills.

The Council also plans to implement the living wage (£7.45p per hour compared with the national minimum wage of £6.19) to increase household incomes for those in employment and discussions with local employers will also take place to encourage others to follow suit where possible.

There are plans to work with landlords whose properties do not meet decent homes standards and to provide more free places at nurseries for two year olds from some of the city’s most vulnerable families. Work to ensure families take up free school meals will continue and crucial advice and support will be offered by Advice Plymouth so families struggling know where help can be found.

The plan also features on-going work seen to be having a real impact on child poverty now including the ‘Plan for Jobs’ with the 1,000 Club, the early intervention and prevention strategy with work such as Encompass (the early warning domestic abuse system for schools) and the city’s alcohol strategy.

Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Cooperatives and Community Development, said: “This is a very thorough and well thought out piece of work that makes a genuine attempt to tackle an exceptionally difficult issue. Key to our success will be our combined efforts across the city. The Council can’t do this alone. This plan has been created with our partners and will be delivered with them too.

“The need for us to tackle child poverty now is real and urgent. It matters because children don’t just suffer now but their future lives can also be blighted. The Government’s Welfare Reform cuts are impacting approximately 20 per cent of the city’s population, and will disproportionately affect some of Plymouth’s most vulnerable families. We must stop the cycle of poverty and that means ensuring the children of our poorest families are not disadvantaged. We don’t want a child’s opportunities in life to be determined by their family’s income or social standing. That’s how we’ll beat child poverty in the long-term.”

The child poverty plan has been put together with contributions from statutory and voluntary agencies across the city, following detailed consultation and an in-depth look at the needs of those living in the city through national and local statistics and gathering local information.

An official launch of the child poverty plan will take place at Full Council on 10 June, when children involved in its development will premier their DVD to inspire people to help tackle child poverty together.

Plymouth poverty facts and figures supplied by Plymouth CIty Council

• The 2010 Indices of Multiple Deprivation highlights that Plymouth is just above the bottom 20% of local authorities for levels of deprivation - ranked 72 out of 326.
• One in five Plymouth children are living in poverty based on household income levels. The highest rate of child poverty can be found in North Prospect with 57.6%. Five other areas have over 50% of children in poverty in Devonport, Stonehouse, the City Centre and North Prospect / Weston Mill.
• In-work child poverty poses a significant risk. Plymouth residents have a lower than average rate of pay and Plymouth has a high level of part-time workers.
• Overall, Plymouth has a lower qualified workforce, due in part to outward migration of people with higher qualifications in addition to a perceived lack of basic employability skills including literacy, numeracy and communication.
• Nearly 70% of children in poverty in Plymouth live in lone parent families with Barne Barton having by far the highest rates.
• There is a significant attainment gap at all levels tested between those eligible for Free School Meals and those not. Research indicates that, without effective intervention, this trend is established at a very early age and continues with the child into adulthood.
• There are inequalities in life expectancy with life expectancy lower in more deprived areas. For example the average life expectancy for people in Devonport is nearly 13 years less than those in Chaddlewood.
• Plymouth has high levels of families with children living in overcrowded housing.
• The number of homeless families requiring temporary accommodation remains stubbornly high despite intervention to prevent this from happening.
• 33% of Plymouth’s private sector housing is old and considered 'non decent' – this equates to around 30,000 private sector homes of which 9,500 are occupied by ‘vulnerable’ residents in receipt of qualifying benefits.