Agenda item

To receive a report from the Director of Children and Families that presents an overview of Thriving: The Child Poverty Strategy for Leeds and the work that sits underneath the strategy.

The report of the Director of Children and Families provided an overview of ‘Thriving: The Child Poverty Strategy for Leeds’, and the work that sits underneath the strategy, including work that has occurred during the pandemic. The report also provided an update on each of the workstreams in terms of recent activities, outcomes and next steps.

In attendance for this item were:

·  Councillor Fiona Venner - Executive Member for Adult and Children’s Social Care and Health Partnerships

·  Councillor Jonathan Pryor -  Executive Member for Economy, Culture and Education

·  Julie Longworth - Director of Children and Families

·  Shaheen Myers - Deputy Director Learning

·  Ruth Terry - Chief Officer Social Work

·  Farrah Khan - Chief Officer Family Help

·  Dave Clark - Chief Officer Learning Improvement

·  Val Waite - Chief Officer Learning Inclusion

·  Julie Devonald - Head of Service, Workforce Development and Change

The Executive Member for Adult and Children’s Social Care and Health Partnerships and the Director of Children and Families gave a brief introduction to the report and particularly highlighted the following:

Ø  While the report reflects figures from 2020 showing that 24% of children (36,496) in Leeds were living in relative low-income families, it is anticipated that the updated statistics expected to be published by the end of March 2023 will show an increased figure.

Ø  The recently published Joseph Rowntree Foundation UK Poverty report acknowledges that the temporary £20 uplift to Universal Credit had helped some families. However, it also highlights that the subsequent removal of this at a time when the cost-of-living crisis was also having an impact, has resulted in more families now struggling.

Ø  The Joseph Rowntree Foundation UK Poverty report also showed that one in six (18 per cent) children were living in persistent poverty, which meant spending at least three out of the last four years in poverty. It was noted that for young children, that is nearly their whole life.

Ø  In Leeds the birth rate is fast growing, and the Council has a moral imperative to ensure that no child lives in poverty.

Ø  Leeds would continue to provide Breakfast Clubs and Healthy Holidays to ensure that children did not go hungry.

Ø  Under the workstream around providing financial health and inclusion support directly to families, particular reference was made to the positive work being undertaken through the Gypsy and Traveller Energy Support Pilot Project, particularly for those families living on LCC settled sites and engaging with the Gypsy and Traveller Exchange (GATE).

Ø  Reference was made to the workstream around housing and provision, with Children’s Services and Housing working together on various issues including support for renters.

Ø  The importance of maintaining the new workstream around improving access to green spaces for children to access and play.

Ø  The Barnardo’s report in October 2022 evidenced that families had cut back on food spending in the last 12 months with one in five parents saying they had struggled to provide sufficient food due to the current cost of living crisis. 26% of parents also said that their child’s mental health had worsened due to the situation.

Ø  It was noted that some groups such as children, lone parents, those with disabilities and people from ethnic minorities are more likely to experience poverty, to remain in poverty for longer and to experience deeper poverty than others. This caused feelings of exclusion and feelings of being ashamed and can affect young people for the rest of their lives. With this strategy, Leeds is working to ensure that individuals do not suffer for the rest of their lives. 

In response to questions from Members the Board was provided with the following information:

·  The use of the word ashamed was used to show the strength of feeling and impact poverty has on young lives.

·  Gambling had been included as an issue within the strategy due to the My Health My School Survey as it was considered important to focus on this growing issue. Gambling among young people has become worse since lockdown, and it was concerning the number of children who gambled and the age of those gambling. Gambling, unlike other addictions, is not easy to spot and there was a need for support in this area. Members also raised concerns about the increased pressures on children and families in relation to add on features in gaming products and requested that this be explored and reflected in future reports.

·  It was noted that while there was no data surrounding teachers gambling, this issue could be explored further with school leaders.  Reference was also made to the recent tragic death of Head Teacher Ruth Perry in Reading in terms of highlighting the need to address workforce stress within the teaching profession.

·  The Board discussed the importance of LGBT+ children having a supportive environment particularly within schools and welcomed that schools are continuing to look at ways of making this more impactful.

·  The Board requested definitions of Relative Poverty and Absolute Poverty:

o  Relative Poverty – Where households have less than 60% of contemporary median income

o  Absolute Poverty – Where households have less than 60% of median income as it was in 2010-11 uprated by inflation

·  Reference was made to the work undertaken with the Third Sector, faith groups and community leaders linked to the Strategy priority in tackling inequality in accessing services and support. This includes listening exercises to ensure that families voices and experiences are heard and generating greater awareness of the Leeds offer of Early Help.  It was also highlighted that an anti-racist offer had been developed with the local University that provides free support for schools to access.

·  The Board noted that Leeds was leading by example and had decided to have a Child Poverty Strategy when other authorities had chosen not to have one. It was the view that ‘moral imperative’ was a good use of language for this strategy.

·  Children’s Services had noticed an increase in use of online services such as the Baby Buddy App with a high percentage of fathers using this particular app. The Service was looking to increase online services.

·  The Board noted that the removal of the £20 uplift had impacted those working and not working with 22% of the Leeds population in relative poverty. It was also noted that the challenges of poverty were facing both professional and vulnerable families.

·  Children now recognise poverty and work was being undertaken to remove the stigma of poverty so vulnerable families can receive the help they require. Children are becoming increasingly aware of poverty and were becoming distressed and worried, with poverty forming part of the 12 wishes made by children. It was critical to do restorative work with a strength-based approach to deliver high quality and timely support. There was a need to have difficult conversations and a commitment to the approach to ensure children fulfil their potential.

·  Members were of the view there was a need to put mechanisms in place for Ukrainian families as they moved from sponsorship.

·  Leeds was proud of its work at the 56 children centres which offered Sure Start in the poorest areas of the city, the Leeds School Uniform Exchange, and Healthy Holidays provision.

·  Work would continue to reduce child deaths, some of which were a result of co-sleeping, with the Council signing up to be a bed poverty free city.

·  Future reports on the progress of the strategy would include further work within private lettings and a map of green spaces in the city showing the types of activities in each of the greenspaces. 

·  The Board was encouraged to hear that all schools in Leeds had signed up to the My Health My School survey this year compared to 181 in the previous year.

RESOLVED – To:

a) Acknowledge the ongoing strategic framework in place to mitigate the impact of child poverty, and the work being undertaken by the council and other partners in the key areas of activity.

b) Acknowledge the need to promote the work of the Thriving strategy across the city and across council directorates and through our wider city partnerships in order to highlight the impact of poverty on children and their families.

c) Note the responsible officer is the Chief Officer Family Help Children and Families.