Issue - meetings

Report of the Corporate Director, Children and Education and the Corporate Director, Public Health and Wellbeing is circulated.

Cllr Lionel Grundy, Cabinet member for Children’s Services presented a report which sought Cabinet approval of a Reducing Child Poverty Strategy for Wiltshire and Delivery Plan.

The Child Poverty Act 2010 required central Government to produce a national strategy and reduce child poverty. It also required local areas to address child poverty through cooperation between partners, the production of a needs assessment and implementation of a child poverty strategy. Accordingly, a Wiltshire draft needs assessment and strategy was prepared by a multi-agency task group which included representations from the Council’s departments for Children and Education, Economic Development, Housing, Research and Intelligence; NHS Wiltshire, Police and Job Centre Plus.

The Strategy suggested 5 key strategic objectives, namely:

·         Keeping child poverty in the spotlight

• Providing support to the 0-5 year olds in the most disadvantaged families
• Narrowing the educational attainment gap
• Creating an inclusive Wiltshire with an appropriate job for everyone and economic opportunity for all
• Considering a consolidated, geographical approach to areas of concentrated child poverty.

Councillors welcomed the Strategy and the realistic and genuine approach to it. A number of Councillors commented that some areas including rural areas had more deprivation than others. Cllr Grundy added that it was important to work to break the cycle of deprivation and the Leader commented on initiatives to concentrate on economic recovery and attract higher value jobs into the County.

The Children’s Services Committee in considering the report at its meeting on 22 July noted and commended the report and recommended that Cabinet makes adequate funding available to fulfil the objectives described within the Strategy.

After a lengthy debate during which various questions were raised to which Cllr Grundy and officers responded it was

Resolved:

(a)             That Cabinet approve the Reducing Child Poverty Strategy for Wiltshire and Delivery Plan.

(b)             That Extended Services Steering Groups be supported in being involved to deliver the objectives of the Strategy.

Reason for Decision

To meet the statutory duty under the Child Poverty Act 2010 for the Local Authority to produce a needs assessment and local strategy.