Agenda item

(CPP 1 & 2/CPT 8,11)

Purpose: To deliver the Council's statutory duty to produce a Child Poverty Strategy by 31/3/11.

Resolved that the Anti-Child Poverty Strategy be approved.

This decision is eligible to be ‘called-in’.  However, if the decision has not been ‘called-in’ by 5.00pm on 8 April 2011, then it will be implemented.

The Executive considered a report (Agenda Item 10) concerning the Council’s statutory duty to produce a Child Poverty Strategy by 31^st March 2011.

Councillor Gordon Lundie advised that this statutory duty was a requirement of the Child Poverty Act 2010 introduced by the previous Labour Government. This was an essential policy to have in place, but it was hoped that the Coalition Government would, in time, give a greater emphasis to addressing the root causes of child poverty.

Poverty in West Berkshire differed to some other areas of the country. West Berkshire was relatively affluent but there were some areas of deprivation in some Wards. 

One of the purposes of the Strategy was to improve the life chances of those from disadvantaged backgrounds through education, employment and good parenting in both rural and urban areas of the District. Work was needed to help identify at risk families and then offer support.

Councillor Tony Vickers raised a concern that the data used for the Strategy was not more recent than the 2001 Census. He felt that more recent data was required for such a sensitive subject. Councillor Lundie pointed out that population growth estimates were also used in the production of the Strategy, but he did accept that improved figures would be a benefit. Unfortunately it would take some time before data from the current Census could be used. 

Councillor Alan Macro questioned the decision to make the Teenage Pregnancy worker redundant when considering the reference made in the report to children of lone parent families (possibly teenage parents) being at the greatest risk of being poor and the poor outcome from growing up in poverty as being an increased likelihood of becoming a teenage mother. In response, Councillor Lundie explained that the Teenage Pregnancy worker was made redundant after the grant funding this post was cut. As this was felt to be a lesser issue than in many other parts of the country it was decided that the post would not be replaced by Council funding. In addition it was hoped that work within education and schools would help cover this gap, as well as the work of the Health and Wellbeing Partnership of which both Councillor Lundie and Councillor Julian Swift-Hook were Members.

Councillor Gabrielle McGarvey referred to the action to ensure that all families at risk of or living in poverty could access information and advice at the times and in the ways that they needed it most, and suggested that the ways this was measured and reported should be widened beyond Job Centre Plus.   Councillor Lundie advised that work would be undertaken in this regard.

Councillor Gwen Mason queried whether the Strategy would be presented to the Healthier Select Committee at its meeting on 7 April 2011. While Councillor Lundie was unclear on this point he informed Members that any comments from the Select Committee would be welcomed.  The Strategy had already been presented to the West Berkshire Partnership.

RESOLVED that the Strategy be approved.

Reason for the decision: The Council has a statutory duty under the Child Poverty Act 2010.

Other options considered: None.

(Councillor Julian Swift-Hook left the meeting at 7.18pm).