Agenda item

To consider the report of the Director of Children and Families which provides an overview of, and a further update on the Child Poverty Strategy for Leeds and the work that sits underneath the strategy. This includes the range of work that has been done to address ongoing post pandemic and cost of living priorities. This item follows an update received in the 2023/24 municipal year and continuing interest from the Board in the impact of poverty on children and families in the city.

The Board considered a report from the Director of Children and Families which provided an overview of, and a further update on the Child Poverty Strategy for Leeds and the work that sits underneath the strategy. This included the range of work that has been done to address ongoing post pandemic and cost of living priorities. This item follows an update received in the 2023/24 municipal year and continuing interest from the Board in the impact of poverty on children and families in the city.

In attendance for this item were:

·  Councillor Helen Hayden, Executive Member for Children and Families

·  Julie Longworth, Director of Children & Families

·  Farrah Khan, Deputy Director Social Care

·  Julie Devonald, Head of Service Workforce Development & Change

The Executive Member for Children and Families introduce the report highlighting the links between child poverty and reduced mental health, physical health, poor financial health, life expectancy and lower grades in education. Therefore, it is important to tackle the issues highlighted and ensure a better future for children and young people in the city. It was also noted that children and young people had been consulted on the refreshed strategy and had inputted into it.

In response to questions and comments from members the following issues were discussed:

·  Members emphasised the challenges faced by families in Leeds in dealing with poverty when housing costs are factored in at an average of £250 per week for a private sector property in the city. The impact of poverty is significant with 79% of school staff dealing on a daily basis with issues linked to poverty such as school readiness and uniforms, referrals to food banks and provision of key household appliances such as washing machines. The impact of hunger was also noted as a key area of concern. The Board acknowledged the clear links between poverty and increased rates of children looked after and statutory interventions.

·  The Board discussed the impact of shame that can lead from living in poverty and how it can stay with children into adulthood, impacting on self-esteem, confidence and ability to fulfil potential.

·  Members were informed of the successful uniform exchange programme which has been a real success with over 4,000 winter coats provided through the programme. The overall approach to tackling shame linked to poverty is a focus across the service. In December there will be a focus on poverty awareness on a multi-agency basis to raise awareness and enable families to access support.

·  The Chair highlighted a recent report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation that highlighted that child poverty has fluctuated but only to a small level going back 30 years to 1994.

·  The Board asked about free school meal take up and why 8,435 children are not receiving free school meals even though they are entitled to claim them. In addition, take up of free nursery placements was also highlighted as a concern. In response the Board were informed that the directorate is looking at successful schemes operated in other areas on auto-enrolment to free school meals which would be a straightforward way of addressing the statistics and those not claiming them. On free nursery places a scheme is being rolled out to encourage take up both to encourage parents to take up work opportunities and to provide early access to childcare which can be a protective and educational factor. In addition, targeted work is underway to ensure that issues such as mistrust or concern about handing children over to carers are tackled. The Board heard of the work going on with NESTA to encourage take up of early years provision and re-imagining the provision the council offers, this included surveys and data gathering with parents and carers and also sharing best practice from areas that are doing well.

·  Members highlighted the healthy holidays programme and the hope that it continues in the future. In addition there was a question around how the funding is allocated with the hope that smaller organisations could access more of the funding that is available. On the funding allocations members heard that the Council awards the funding for schools to run the programme and working with the Leeds Community Foundation funding is allocated through a bidding process to third sector organisations a key principle is that each ward will have activity and activity is prioritised towards the wards that most need it, 37 organisations received funding through the programme in the last round.

·  The Board highlighted levels of destitution or deep poverty and that they are on the increase so children and young people missing out on essentials not just non-essentials. The Board heard that to tackle these issues the service is working in communities on a multi-agency basis to harness the support available. The Family Help approach was also highlighted to provide wrap around support and focus on early years to tackle issues and deliver long-term strategies to improve outcomes linked to the three obsessions in the Children and Young People’s Plan.

·  A board member raised a concern about the impact of the ongoing service review of Little Owls Nurseries and whether any increase in childcare charges linked to the nurseries being operated by other providers would negatively impact on child poverty in the city. By way of response the Board were assured that the proposals due to be considered at Executive Board on 16 October are not a proposal to sell provision off, with 4 likely to go to the schools in which they are currently based and the remaining 8 subject to a procurement process with alternative providers. Part of that process will involve consideration of key issues linked to being able to provide additional support to SEND children, support to children looked after and also consider issues such as deprivation. If the Council is not satisfied on these issues, then the setting would be retained and operated by the local authority. The 9 remaining nurseries that are not part of this review and will be retained and operated by the local authority are located in the most deprived areas of the city. It was noted that other core cities do not provide as many nurseries as Leeds with Newcastle having 5 settings and Bristol and Sheffield having 2 each. The member remained concerned about EDCI assessment and the possible impact of childcare fees increasing on child poverty, following discussion it was accepted that this would be picked up in discussion at Executive Board on 16 October when the proposals are scheduled to be discussed

Resolved

The Board:

a)  Endorsed the refreshed and 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)  The Scrutiny Board acknowledged the need to promote the work of the Child Poverty strategy across the city and across council directorates and through wider city partnerships in order to highlight the impact of poverty on children and their families.

(Proposed by Cllr Cohen and seconded by Cllr Jenkins and passed unanimously)

And following a formally moved amendment to the recommendations proposed by Cllr Jenkins and seconded by Cllr Jones, Recommendation C was added as follows:

c)  That the Scrutiny Board urges the Government to consider a tax on excessive wealth to tackle child poverty and inequality.

(This was passed by a majority vote)