Council agrees Local Child Poverty Action Report

Today Councillors agreed the Local Child Poverty Action Report which sets out the proposed actions over the coming year to address child poverty in Highland.

Cllr Margaret Davidson, Leader of the Council, said: “This report introduces the first Local Child Poverty Action Report for Highland. Although the duty is on the Council and NHS to lead and produce the report, a community planning approach has been adopted which reflects the multi-faceted nature of poverty and the importance of all partners working together to address child poverty.”

There is a strong commitment in Highland to address poverty and inequality within individual agencies and across the Community Planning Partnership. The vision for the Community Planning Partnership through its Highland Outcome Improvement Plan is: “To work together to reduce inequality within Highland communities”.

Whilst traditional definitions of poverty focus on income-based drivers, in Highland, the Community Planning Partnership is cognisant of the wider focus on socio-economic inequalities. The lack of equality of opportunity and barriers to accessing services such as housing, work and learning opportunities, or transport all have a significant impact upon poverty in this area. The development of the report takes account of this wider focus on addressing poverty and inequality.

Having reviewed the wide range of interventions and actions currently being undertaken across Highland to reduce child poverty, the partnership has recognised the need to develop an outcomes framework which is centred on the needs and experiences of children, young people and their families. This framework will be developed around three key outcomes:

• Outcome 1: Families with children have access to services, support and advice required to ensure their household income is maximised and quality of their lives are improved
• Outcome 2: Children, young people and their families have the knowledge, skills and opportunity to maximise their potential
• Outcome 3: Highland has strong and resilient communities that are supported to develop local approaches to address poverty

The Child Poverty Action Report is an annual report and therefore the actions highlighted for the coming year will be monitored and actioned through existing plans. This report will be monitored not only through the Highland Community Planning Partnership but through the two agencies tasked with delivering this report annually, namely, The Highland Council and NHS Highland.