Appendix 1 - Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024-25 and Local Child Poverty Action plan 2025-26
Perth and Kinross Council · 29 October 2025
Back to Perth and Kinross Council — 29 October 2025 and its agenda
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1 Appendix 1 Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 7th Edition
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2 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Context ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 7 What we did in 2024/25 to tackle child poverty ................................................................................................................................................. 9 Spotlight on Innovation and Good Practice ..................................................................................................................................................... 13 Targeting Positive Destinations - S3 Construction Academy, Perth High School......................................................................................... 13 Breadalbane Academy – Supporting Pupils to Access Free Bus Travel ...................................................................................................... 15 Futures for Families .................................................................................................................................................................................... 17 The Big Hoose ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 19 Update from the Supporting People, Addressing Need programme ............................................................................................................ 21 FORT Referral Management System .......................................................................................................................................................... 22 Perth Welfare Society – Wellbeing of Muslim Women ................................................................................................................................. 25 Families Empowering Communities ............................................................................................................................................................ 26 Infant Feeding – Emergency Pathway ......................................................................................................................................................... 27 Development of Toolkit ............................................................................................................................................................................... 27 Christmas Family Hampers 2024 ................................................................................................................................................................ 29 Tayside Financial Well-being Project – Aberlour and Dundee, Perth and Kinross and Angus Councils ....................................................... 31 APPENDIX 1 ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 33 Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022-2026 .............................................................................................................................................................. 33 Strategic Aims ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 33 Objectives ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 33 Our Approach ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 34 Children’s Scorecard 2025 ................................................................................................................................................................................. 33 Key Achievements .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 34 Child Poverty .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 36
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Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 | 3 Child Poverty at Locality and Ward Levels ...................................................................................................................................................... 37 Income from Employment ............................................................................................................................................................................... 38 Dignified Living ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 39 Survive and Thrive.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 42 Feedback from Parents .................................................................................................................................................................................. 43 Service Response .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 45
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4 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 Introduction Perth and Kinross have made encouraging progress in the latest child poverty figures which show a notable improvement in outcomes compared to the national picture. In 2024, the proportion of children living in relative poverty after housing costs (AHC) in Perth and Kinross has fallen to 19.2% (5155), down from 21.7% (5750) the previous year. This 2.5 % reduction is particularly significant when viewed against the Scottish average, which currently stands at 23%. Historically, Perth and Kinross has maintained a child poverty rate approximately 2% below the national average but this year, the gap has widened to 3.8%, nearly double the previous margin which is positive progress in the fight against child poverty in Perth and Kinross. Where Perth and Kinross historically has ranked between 10th and 12th for lowest child poverty rates amongst local authorities, we have now risen to 7th place. While these developments are promising, we remain cautiously optimistic. We will continue to monitor data closely to confirm that this is a sustained trend rather than a short-term fluctuation. It is estimated that 1,959 children in Perth and Kinross are pushed below the poverty line due to housing costs alone. This underlines the importance of continued action to address housing affordability as a key driver of child poverty. At the time of writing, 590 families with children are affected by the two-child benefit cap, this reduces family income significantly and impacts adversely on all children in the affected families. The progress made is the result of a sustained, collaborative, cross- sector effort. The reduction in child poverty rates can be attributed to the combined efforts of Council and NHS services, Community Planning Partners, and the third and community sectors. The Anti- Poverty Task Force has played a pivotal role in providing strategic leadership, while the deepening collaboration between Perth and Kinross Council and NHS Tayside has strengthened our collective response to poverty and inequality. As we move forward, we remain committed to building on this momentum ensuring that every child in Perth and Kinross has the greatest opportunity to thrive, regardless of their background. Thomas Glen Chief Executive, Perth and Kinross Council Nicky Connor NHS Tayside Chief Executive, Nicky Connor.
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Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 | 5 This report has been jointly produced by Perth and Kinross Council and NHS Tayside; it reflects the wider collaboration with our Community Planning Partners and a deepening engagement with our key stakeholder groups. It is our seventh Child Poverty Action Report and includes actions taken to implement our Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022-2026. The Child Poverty Delivery Plan aligns with Best Start, Bright Futures: tackling child poverty delivery plan of the Scottish Government which covers the same period. It connects to and will deliver a rights-based approach as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child with reference to those articles which relate to child poverty: • Article 3 (best interests of the child) • Article 6 (life, survival and development) • Article 12 (respect for the views of the child) • Article 26 (social security) • Article 27 (adequate standard of living). It is underpinned by GIRFEC (Getting It Right For Every Child) the national approach in Scotland to improving outcomes and supporting the wellbeing of children and young people by offering the right help at the right time. It supports children and their parents to work in partnership with the services that can help them. The GIRFEC approach is child-focussed and uses the SHANARRI wellbeing indicators, to identify need and measure progress. It also aligns with the Scottish Government’s No One Left Behind approach to employability support. In particular, the growing emphasis on supporting parents into work, and to increase their earnings in work. It will contribute to the delivery of Scotland's Promise to Care - Keeping the Promise to young people that they will grow up loved, safe and respected and relates to the delivery of Plan 21-24 which requires organisations to demonstrate how they are ensuring that they play a part in mitigating the impacts of poverty. It flows from the Perth and Kinross Corporate Plan 2022/23 - 2027/28 which has Tackling Poverty as a corporate priority and the Perth and Kinross Community Plan 2022-2032 adopted by our Community Planning Partners which sets Reducing Poverty as a strategic priority. Although created after the Child Poverty Delivery Plan, the Anti-Poverty Task Force has now adopted a Poverty Strategy, which was endorsed by Perth and Kinross Council, which aligns with the approach and objectives in the CPDP (2022 – 2026). The Anti-Poverty Task Force’s Action Plan has now been agreed.
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6 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26
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7 Context Perth and Kinross Council has adopted a place- and people- based, whole systems approach to child poverty reduction. This strategy is informed by lived experience and aims to support families in crisis toward sustainable livelihoods. Since 2022, this approach has delivered: • A 3% reduction in child poverty, widening the gap between local and national averages to 3.8%. • An improvement in Perth and Kinross’s ranking from 10th–12th to 7th among Scottish local authorities. Integrated Holistic Support Collaboration across public, third, and community sectors has enabled integrated service delivery focused on: • Employability • Income maximisation • Wellbeing The Anti-Poverty Task Force provides governance, while the Children’s Scorecard tracked service responsiveness and progress against targets. Strategic Alignment All partner organisations prioritised addressing the immediate concerns of parents and supporting them to move out of crisis and move towards more sustainable livelihoods This involved improved access to: • Affordable housing • Flexible childcare • Transport • Employability support • Wellbeing services The Support and Connect programme trained and continues to train frontline workers to deliver holistic support beyond crisis intervention. Lived Experience and Frontline Insight Wel listened to Priority Families to understand poverty’s impact and where they felt services were providing incomplete or inadequate support. Frontline workers identified the following issues as key: • Lack of affordable housing and childcare • Limited transport connectivity • Need for real Living Wage employment • Data-driven resource allocation • Health and wellbeing
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8 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 These insights informed strategic priorities and service redesign. Governance and Partnership Perth and Kinross Council played a convening role, funding the Anti-Poverty Project Manager’s post with the Anti-Poverty Task Force and facilitating multi-disciplinary locality teams with staff drawn from a variety of public sector organisations. The Community Planning Partnership (CPP) embedded poverty reduction into its Local Outcome Improvement Plan, aligning it with employment and wellbeing. PKAVS hosted the Anti-Poverty Task Force and coordinated emergency support through initiatives like The Big Hoose, which supported over 2,300 families and 4,600 children. Operational Delivery Local Employability Partnership supported over 2042 adults into employment. ((2018 – 2024) • PKC’s Local Housing Strategy delivered 1069 new homes and maintained affordable rent levels. (2020 - 2025) • Income maximization efforts yielded £25.5M in client financial gain via PKC Welfare Rights and Perth CAB. (2022-2024) The SPAN Programme, which has to date referred 316 people for help and support. • Families Empowering Communities funded early intervention and wellbeing activities for 136 families, 90% from Priority groups. • The Cash First Partnership provided crisis support and entry into broader services. Systemic Transformation Inspired by John Paul Lederach’s peacebuilding methodology, the Council’s whole systems approach emphasizes: • Relationship-building • Local agency • Multi-level collaboration This fosters dignity, resilience, and long-term change. Preventative spend research is underway to identify which externally funded elements can be mainstreamed due to cost savings. Measuring Impact The Children’s Scorecard, now in its fourth year, tracks: • Poverty indicators (employment, cost of living, benefits) • Progress on priorities identified by families The 2025 Scorecard includes peer comparisons, trend analysis since 2018, and alignment with the Scottish Government’s child poverty dashboard. Conclusion Perth and Kinross’s whole systems approach has built a resilient ecosystem of partnerships, governance, and data- driven service delivery. The shift from crisis response to sustainable support is now embedded across sectors, ensuring that child poverty reduction remains a strategic priority.
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9 What we did in 2024/25 to tackle child poverty Workstream 1 - Employment Includes addressing structural barriers to employment identified by parents and frontline works – access to affordable childcare, housing and transport. It also includes skills development, confidence building and employability support to enable people who want to work acquire the necessary skills to get work, sustain employment or move to a better job. Areas for Development • Closing the gender employment and pay gaps • Greater focus on the supply side of labour ensuring there are sufficient good jobs created within the local economy or accessible within the travel to work area.
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10 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 Workstream 2 – Dignified Living This includes income maximisation, crisis support and providing a one-door approach to the provision of holistic help and support. It aims to enable parents and families to move beyond crisis support to sustainable livelihoods by providing access to holistic support. The entry point for most families will be crisis support- but we aim to offer them access to employability and wellbeing services to change their prospects for the future. Areas for Development Roll out the Support and Connect training to all frontline workers in Perth and Kinross
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Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 | 11 Workstream 3 – Survive and Thrive This includes wellbeing and whole family support. It aims to improve the wellbeing of children and parents affected by poverty so that they can take advantage of opportunities for personal growth which enhances learning and leads to better employment prospects. Areas for Development • Review Council Funding for Emergency/Crisis Support delivered by third sector and community organisations • Undertake research with advocacy groups working with Priority Families to check that they are accessing the services and support they require.
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12 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 Work - providing opportunities and support needed to enter, sustain and progress in work Dignified Living – support to families to lead dignified lives and meet their basic needs Survive and Thrive What are we going to do to tackle child poverty in 2025/26? • Identify and promote best practice on delivering the real Living Wage, championing the benefits to local employers. • NHS Tayside will use its strategic influence to tackle poverty and health inequalities • Implement Perth and Kinross Economic Wellbeing Strategy to ensure investment is used in areas of disadvantage and actions included to tackle child poverty • Extend childcare to support parental employment through wraparound care, community childminding and strong start2 • Work with the Local Employability Partnership to improve access to employment and representation in the NHS workforce amongst priority groups • Support parents who want to become self-employed childcare providers to gain qualifications • Support parental employment through the Futures for Families project to support partners into skills and employment outcomes that will increase their earning potential • Meaningfully engage with business community under the Futures for All Incentive project to create new, flexible and sustainable jobs for priority parents and people with employment barriers. • Accelerate delivery of 1050 affordable homes over 5 years • Buy back 40 former council houses • Provide support to community-led housing initiatives • Invest £4 million to upgrade Gypsy Traveller site with new energy efficient accommodation • Analyse data relating to the uptake of Council concessions and plot unmet need to local school catchment areas • Target income maximisation, employability offers and social prescribing to schools with the greatest levels of unmet need • Develop locality based, multi-disciplinary teams to support and connect parents and families to services • NHS Tayside will promote the Warmth Matters app and website to enable frontline workers to signpost people to a range of services and support • Work in partnership with Perth and Glenochil Prisons to provide an accelerated welfare rights service to people on release from prison • • Develop a joined-up approach to crisis intervention which is underpinned by Cash First including a new referral management system • NHS Tayside will increase the number of health-placed income maximisation referrals to welfare/energy advice services. This will include new work where children are severely disabled or have complex needs • Work with partner organisations to put in place robust referral pathways around health and wellbeing support for parents and their children • Work to maximise the impact of Pupil equity funding on children experiencing educational disadvantage because of poverty • Ensure there is continued promotion of evidence-based interventions to target aspects of literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing • Embed the use of the Closing the Gap tool to create a holistic planning and impact measurement tool • Report regularly, analysing progress, to the Raising Attainment Board • Develop and implement a refreshed Raising Attainment Strategy for 2023 - 2026 • Work in partnership with local community organisations to deliver Fuelled for Fun programmes to provide activities and food to school age children during school holidays • Work with Tayside Contracts to increase the uptake of free school meals • Work with Gypsy Traveller families to support their child’s development, expanding on the provision of starter sacks. • Implement the Perth and Kinross Corporate Parenting Plan 21-24
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Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 | 13 Spotlight on Innovation and Good Practice Targeting Positive Destinations - S3 Construction Academy, Perth High School As part of the community benefits associated with the contract for the construction of the new Perth High School building, Robertson’s Construction were approached to develop a pilot work experience programme for eight S3 pupils. As communities seek to recover and rebuild following the Covid-19 pandemic, schools across Scotland have reported a negative impact on attendance and “in-school truancy”, engagement, mental health and positive destinations. Data shows that S3 pupils have the lowest attendance across PKC and within the context of Perth High School a number of young people had been identified as at risk of not achieving a positive destination. The Construction Academy was offered from March to June 2024, one morning per week for 17 weeks. The eight young people selected had expressed interest in a career in the construction industry but were considered to be at risk of not achieving in school. The selection process involved a range of stakeholders including school staff, representatives from the construction company, the young people themselves and their parents. The young people had the opportunity to get a very genuine experience working alongside Robertson’s and supply chain staff on a site close to the new build.
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14 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 Outcomes • Almost all young people involved in this project have gone on to secure places on the Perth UHI Multi-skills link course for S4. The one S4 participant has secured a full-time college place for multi-skills and a construction apprenticeship. • Three young people have been specifically identified by Robertson’s staff as having real potential and dedication and will have the opportunity to lead and mentor the next cohort of trainees. This will allow them to maintain their relationship with the team with potential opportunities for apprenticeships/summer programs when they are sixteen. • All of the young people involved have reported having a greater understanding of the construction sector and the world of work. • All young people involved feel that this will be beneficial to them in terms of being ready to take on a job or training in Construction. “This is amazing, I never would have thought that we could have used a cement mixer at school and been able to lay blocks and bricks properly. I kind of thought we would just have to watch, but even getting all the proper gear like the steel toe cap boots and jackets has been great. It’s not just a school thing; it’s like really being on a site” “I’m much more confident about trying things now because I know I can do it” “When we were first doing it, some stuff was really hard but we’re better now. Getting the cement in the mixer was much harder than it looked!”
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Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 | 15 Breadalbane Academy – Supporting Pupils to Access Free Bus Travel Background A Scottish Government study published in September 2021 concluded that people living in rural areas are significantly affected by the cost of travel. They are far more dependent on cars than those in urban areas and they need to travel further to access work, retail, study and leisure activities. In trying to address this inequality and as part of its climate emergency plans, the Scottish Government launched its free travel scheme for under 22’s in 2021, enabling young people aged 5 to 21 to travel on most bus services in Scotland for free using their National Entitlement Card (NEC). However, the NEC is tricky to apply for online and as a result we believed that young people and their parents were missing out on the potential benefits. We believed that by hosting an in-school application event, we would break down barriers by facilitating applications for new/replacement cards and adding free bus travel to existing cards. What did we do? We surveyed all pupils in September. It was clear that a number of pupils had lost/damaged their National Entitlement Card or were missing the free bus travel element. The decision was made to host an in-school event to help pupils apply for a new/replacement NEC card and to add free bus travel to existing cards. This required support from Campus Staff as well as the PKC Concessionary Travel Team. • In October, a letter was sent to all Primary and Secondary parents/carers sharing the benefits of the National Entitlement Card and announcing the in- school event. • Parents/carers were asked to complete an online form to determine the number of pupils requiring an application to be processed on the day allowing us to allocate adequate staffing resources. • As online responses were received, NEC application forms were printed from SEEMIS and passed to parents/carers for completion and return. • On the day of the event, applications were sorted by year group and class. Pupils were called down to the event to have their applications processed, returning to class within 10 minutes, causing minimal disruption to learning • Drop-in access to the event was also available during morning interval and lunch
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16 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 Impact • Over the course of the event, the Concessionary Travel Team processed 150 applications for Primary and Secondary pupils. • The event was deemed a huge success. • Positive feedback has been received from parents who had found the application website difficult to navigate. • By hosting the event, we have facilitated the application process for a number of pupils who would not have otherwise chosen to submit one, enabling access to the benefits that the card offers. Next Steps • During the day, the team spoke about the benefits of holding this event on-site and we agreed that it would be a useful exercise to repeat each year, around the time of the timetable change, in preparation for the P7 transition and before the summer holidays, to ensure pupils can make the most of their free bus travel entitlement. • We also agreed to continue accepting applications from pupils throughout the school session, letting parents know it is not too late to request an application form which, once completed, is forwarded to the Concessionary Travel Team on their behalf. • We look forward to repeating the event next year.
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Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 | 17 Futures for Families Futures for Families is a pioneering initiative by the skills & employment support team @Perth & Kinross council that takes a holistic, family-centred approach to tackling child poverty and employability challenges. Unlike traditional services that operate in silos, this project integrates support across multiple sectors—skills development, childcare, digital inclusion, and self-employment—through a single point of contact: a dedicated key worker. It’s the only local employability programme fully focused on families and parents, offering tailored support and flexible funding solutions such as the elev8 training and self-employment grants. The project was designed to address the complex and overlapping barriers faced by families in or at risk of poverty— such as lack of childcare, financial instability, mental health challenges, and limited access to training or employment. By streamlining access to services and providing personalised, sustained support, futures for families has successfully helped individuals overcome these barriers and transition into meaningful employment or self-employment. Successful Outcomes Since its launch, the project has supported: • 376 clients • 141 individuals into sustained employment • 45 clients into self-employment in 2024/25 • 200 clients accessed training and qualifications SUPPORTING A PARENT WITH 3+ CHILDREN A parent with 3+ children was referred to Futures for Families team by Skills Development Scotland. The parent supported by has a disabled partner who is unable to work. This put financial strain on the client, as they were looking to advance in their career but as they were the sole earner, further investment in their career was beyond their means. Futures for Families provided support with the use of the Elev8 Training Grant to support the client to gain the qualification that would support them to be able to be in a higher paid job role and open more doors for the client to continue to advance in their career. Our client has now been able to gain a membership within Health and Safety and is being considered for a technical membership. We were delighted to hear that they have managed to successfully advance in their career, and this has opened more doors for the client. “I wanted to take a moment to say a heartfelt thank you for the incredible support you provided in funding my NEBOSH
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18 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. Your belief in me and investment in my future has made a real difference in my life, and I’m truly grateful. Thanks to your help, I was able to enrol on the NEBOSH course, dedicate myself fully to the training, and ultimately achieve the qualification. Since completing the course, I’ve been able to gain membership with the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), which has been a significant step forward. This opportunity has opened up new doors and given me a clearer path toward a stable and rewarding career. More than that, it has shown me what’s possible with the right support. I now feel empowered to continue developing my skills and to contribute meaningfully to improving workplace safety.” Client X and the Singing Mamas Futures for families supported Client X on her journey into Self-employment, alongside support from our colleagues in Business Gateway. Client X completed her training with Singing Mamas and was successful at gaining funding through our Elev8 training grant, which helped with the purchase of essential equipment for Client X’s business startup. Client X has been successfully running two groups a week alongside her volunteering commitments and providing much needed support out and about in the community for women and babies. “I have always sought to do work that I find satisfying and purposeful in terms of supporting people with life’s struggles. whilst singing mamas will allow me to do this, it is also doing this in a very positive way that is specific and straightforward, and mostly- fun! I also hope that my work with singing mamas will support my husband to have more of a work life balance when I am contributing to the household finances. he has a very busy and stressful job where there is little room for flexibility or time for himself so I hope that my entry into work and earning will allow him some more breathing space. My children will greatly benefit from the positive mental health benefits I feel singing mamas will lead to in my own life. they will see me gaining joy from my work and I hope that I will be a positive role model for them. I also believe that feeling fulfilled in myself will help me to feel calmer in my family life.”
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Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 | 19 The Big Hoose The Big Hoose supports children and families in Perth and Kinross living in poverty with access to free everyday household items such as toiletries, cleaning products, bedding and more. It is supported by the Gannochy Trust, Perth and Kinross Council and hosted by PKAVS. To date it has processed 810 referrals and 57000 items have been distributed to 2560 families with 4950 children. Perth and Kinross Schools are Big Hoose partners – and each week they receive inventory updates letting them know what is available. The schools have run seasonal campaigns with the Big Hoose which have included promoting the Kelloggs Breakfast Club where free breakfasts were provided by Morrisons Cafes and a Spring Multi-sports club which provided free sports and lunches for children aged 5 – 14. The schools were able to access support from the Big Hoose in different ways. Inch View Primary School – Universal Access to Essentials Inch View Primary School integrated the Big Hoose Project into its wider equity strategy by offering homewares directly from the school reception. This initiative complemented other supports such as a breakfast café, pre-loved uniform station, and fruit snacks. Staff reported that these combined efforts helped reduce lateness and absenteeism, ensuring that all pupils could start the day with dignity and readiness to learn. St Stephen’s RC Primary – Confidential Family Support At St Stephen’s RC Primary, a community learning assistant used the Big Hoose Project to provide both essential and non- essential items to families. The uptake was described as “very good,” and the school plans to continue offering this support regularly. Importantly, the process was designed to be confidential, preserving the dignity of families while strengthening community trust. RDM Primary – Hygiene and Wellbeing Support RDM Primary School accessed the Big Hoose Project to support families with basic hygiene needs. This was part of a broader strategy to increase attendance at extracurricular activities and improve pupil wellbeing. Staff noted increased engagement with families and a more inclusive school environment because of this support.
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20 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 Balbeggie Primary – Uniform Equity Through “The Social Flock” Balbeggie Primary School used the Big Hoose to support its “Social Flock” initiative, which provides recycled uniforms to families. This helped increase the number of children wearing school uniform and reduced financial pressure on families. The school also promoted the initiative through newsletters and parent events to ensure accessibility. Conclusion While exact figures on the number of families supported between August 2024 and June 2025 are not available, the Big Hoose Project has clearly made a meaningful difference across Perth & Kinross. Schools have reported improved attendance, stronger family engagement, and greater dignity for those receiving support. The project remains a vital part of the region’s efforts to reduce the impact of poverty on children and families.
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Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 | 21 Update from the Supporting People, Addressing Need programme Directory of Services A directory of services for Family Support1 was created in January 2024 and has been updated on a regular basis as further organisations requested to be included. This directory is hosted on the PKC website and has been extensively publicised with partners. Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, the directory had 2630 tracked views with 1577 individual users. It should be noted however that due to settings within the website linked to GDPR, we can only track viewers who opt into tracking. As a result, it is likely that these numbers represent an underestimation of the number of views the website has received. 1 Whole family support - Directory of services - Perth & Kinross Council 2 national-guidance-child-protection-scotland-2021-updated-2023.pdf para 4 3 Support and Connect Programme The Support and Connect Programme has 3 components • Social Needs Screening Tool • FORT (Fast online Referral Management System) • Training for frontline workers It has been funded by the Scottish Government’s Child Poverty Accelerator Fund, the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund and Perth and Kinross Council. Social Needs Screening Social needs screening has been identified by Scottish Government2 as a means of identifying unmet need and connecting individuals and families to help and support. The toolkit can be used by frontline workers to initiate open conversations with clients about their personal circumstances (focused on financial resources, housing, utilities, food 3insecurity, employment and exposure to violence), and to identify if they have all they need to meet basic needs.
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22 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 FORT Referral Management System The FORT Referral management System provides • A "one-stop shop" for referrals and service information. • An internal system and e-mail messaging for referral communication. • The ability to manage capacity and edit directory details. • An online and centralised system, making it accessible. • The ability to make onward referrals easily. • Help for partners to discover and connect with services. • Minimal referral forms making the process of connecting people to help and support time-effective, and user- friendly. There were also some concerns raised about the system, and as a result we have developed an action plan that identifies measures to address these, including: - • Enhancing training effectiveness (how training is delivered including online options, train-the-trainer approaches and briefing sessions for team leaders). • Increase visibility and engagement with FORT (publicity, updates on newly added services, case studies and success stories, identify new users) • Foster consistent and widespread adoption of FORT (FORT “Champions”, integration into workflows and processes, standardising of referral processes) • Improve user experience and reduce technical barriers (work with Advice Infrastructure to ensure appropriate security measures, improved login experience and user interface design) There are currently 56 partner organisations on the system within Perth & Kinross and 78 frontline workers have received training and accessed the system.
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Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 | 23 316 referrals have been made using the system, with some organisations choosing to only accept referrals from Fort, whilst other can both make and receive referrals. We continuing to work closely with stakeholders and partners to develop a rollout to other departments and organisations that work within Criminal Justice, Mental Health, Employability and Education sectors. System development System development and training is planned for the upcoming year, working to an action plan developed in collaboration with partners. This is part of a phased development of the system that aims to ensure that we are tracking the client journey, as well as learning together and collaborating with partners to build a network and increase the reach of the system (see actions and next steps below). FORT Partner Group FORT Partners meet monthly to discuss issues relating to the use of FORT, to share views on the user interface, and training processes. Presentations from groups who have newly joined the platform raise awareness of the services their organisations offer. A Partner Networking and evaluation event was held on 29th January, which gave the opportunity for FORT users to share their experiences and evaluate the pilot phase of the project. Positive aspects of the system were identified including: -
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24 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 Support and Connect Training The aim of the training is to improve confidence amongst frontline workers in having what can be challenging conversations, and to ensure that they are aware of sources of support for clients. 8 cohorts of training have been completed over the funding period (September 2024 to March 2025). These have succeeded in building the connections between services, raising awareness of the FORT system and pathways to advice and help that can help those that organisations are supporting. There have also been requests from specific teams to train client-facing staff after managers/team leads have attended training. This includes the Perth & Kinross Council Central Arrears Housing Team; Futures for Families Support workers, PKAVS and the Fire and Rescue service, with training either being delivered currently or in the planning stages for 2025- 26. The directory component of Support & Connect4 is being further developed in 2025-26, with the aim to incorporate local organisations already listed on the Whole Family Support Directory of services as well as FORT partners and make this 4 Home (Support and Connect) into a more targeted and searchable directory to allow frontline workers and agencies to access help and support quickly across the region. The aim is to create one place for practitioners to search/filter for and find information that can assist families and individuals with a range of issues - including cost of living support, employability, wellbeing, connections to support for families and more. Feedback from the Support & Connect sessions shows how most participants recognised the value of the FORT referral system in improving partnership and collaboration with other organisation to support individuals and families.
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Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 | 25 Perth Welfare Society – Wellbeing of Muslim Women The Angel Share Fund provided by Perth and Kinross Council enabled Perthshire Welfare Society to provide safe spaces for Muslim women who were seeking to improve their mental health and wellbeing. 91 women took part in the weekly sessions which covered topics such as understanding trauma, coping with depression parenting skills and how to access services and support. Friendship groups formed and women are now meeting up with each other for coffee and a blether out with the structured workshop sessions that were provided. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive “Being a Muslim, I have been surrounded by religion, culture, and restrictions. These sessions have made me realise there is so much in me, but I have never had the confidence to reach out or talk about how I am feeling. Thank you so much for these sessions; I feel so much better and confident to reach out when I need help” "I learned so much during these sessions; I thought I wasn’t important and that no one would understand me. I am so happy I joined these sessions." "I have made friends because of these sessions, and I feel I am more than a wife and mum now." Building on the success of the Women’s Wellbeing Sessions, the group are launching a mental health project they have called Empowered Minds. They have also introduced weekly walking groups which provide an opportunity for women to reconnect and socialise in a supportive environment.
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26 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 Families Empowering Communities Initially supported by Perth & Kinross Council in 2 locations (Letham and Crieff), WFWF funding has enabled the Families Empowering Communities project to be expanded in these locations, and to be rolled out into 3 new locations (North Muirton, Bertha Park and Blairgowrie), each of which have been identified as areas with significant deprivation and/or social inequality. The project is designed to improve wellbeing for families, increase availability and accessibility to local support, and to reduce the number of families requiring intervention from statutory services. The project makes use of the Place Standard Framework which allows communities to identify how their experience of place influences their health and wellbeing. Engagement activities are currently underway in each of the 3 new areas, with families involved sharing their views and identifying areas for change. A number of universal community activities have been organised which aimed to increasing visibility and awareness of the project, and to build relationships across the communities. FEC offers a range of pathways to support families, including one to one support for parents, whole family support, and universal community activities. A local community space has been established in each area, creating a welcoming environment for families, and bringing services into the local area (e.g. job clubs, support groups for young mums, and drop-in sessions with other support organisations). Families are therefore more able to access support in their local communities, in place and spaces that are free from stigma and judgement. Families Empowering Communities has supported 63 families with 96 children in the past year.
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Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 | 27 Infant Feeding – Emergency Pathway Following the launch of the UNICEF Guide to supporting families with infants under 12 months experiencing food insecurity in October 2022, Scottish Government recognised action was required to develop a more tailored resource relevant to stakeholders in Scotland. Multi-agency workshops were set up and by September 2023 a short life working group was formed to develop the toolkit. This considered the Scotland specific approach in relation to cash-first responses, reducing the reliance on foodbanks, and ensuring that holistic, wrap-around support was provided through existing infrastructure supporting families facing money worries. The Toolkit was launched in February 2024 and was developed through the lens of child poverty. This work highlighted a number of enablers including but not limited to, Child Rights being in law in Scotland, infants being formally recognised as vulnerable and therefore a priority group across national policies and frameworks in Scotland, the extensive time and effort put in to coordinating key actors and enablers across sectors, capacity building across specialisms and the importance of the UNICEF Baby Friendly implementation in the absence of adequate WHO code legislation. The tools and resources are designed to be used by welfare rights teams, health visiting and family nurse partnership teams, midwifery, infant feeding, GP’s, public health, social work, third and voluntary sector and anyone else working with families with young children and or during pregnancy. Development of Toolkit The toolkit was developed through the lens of child poverty and helps guide agencies and staff to provide support which is appropriate to the needs of families, taking a cash first approach. It explores how to support exclusively breastfed infants who do not need formula milk, but the family may need support in other ways to protect breastfeeding, or where the infant is fed through a combination of breastfeeding and
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28 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 formula milk, maximising breastfeeding through sustainable support. NHS Tayside’s pathways focus on prevention. It is integral that robust breastfeeding support is in place to ensure families can meet their feeding goals and breastfeed for as long as possible. A financial inclusion pathway for Maternity Services and Health Visiting and Family Nurse Partnership Services was developed to ensure families are supported before they reach crisis. The pathway is universal, so everyone is included in the financial inclusion pathway to reduce the stigma, and at multiple time points during the perinatal period. Referrals are then made to Welfare Rights, with a focus on the importance of referring during the antenatal period to ensure support is in place prior to babies’ arrival. A crisis pathway has also been developed called the ‘Tayside Infant Food Insecurity Pathway’ and is now implemented to meet the immediate need for first stage formula in a crisis situation prioritising a cash first approach. Data The importance of data and collating data sources to understand where and how families with infants are being supported, and the responsiveness of that support is vital to making a difference in these families’ lives. Data on this particular group is limited, and we are working on gathering data including through implementation of the Toolkit. Learning and Impact • It was important to have a varied range of stakeholders that helped to put this resource together and the organic relationships that formed from this. • There was no additional investment provided as part of the Toolkit development or to support implementation • The ongoing support from various stakeholders on the use of the Toolkit has been invaluable. • Do not underestimate the time it will take to develop and implement pathways of support • Training is required for social work/3rd sector etc. on infant nutrition and key public health messages related to this. • There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach but there are common tools and messages.
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Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 | 29 Christmas Family Hampers 2024 In previous years, various organisations across Perth and Kinross independently applied to Fuelled for Fun (FIHP) to provide Christmas food hampers. While this benefitted many families, it also led to duplication, with some families receiving multiple hampers. Due to GDPR restrictions, organisations couldn’t share application data. To address this, a collaborative approach was introduced in 2024, streamlining the process through a single application system and localised distribution. Participating Organisations The initiative brought together a wide range of partners: • Perth and Kinross Council Services: Parenting & Family Learning Team, Childcare Strategy Team, Community Link Workers, Community Wardens, and Criminal Justice (OWLS). • Third Sector Organisations: Logos, Letham4All, Big Hoose, Broke Not Broken, PKAVS, NHS, Buttons & Bows, and Discover Blairgowrie. • Business Partner: British Gas. Professionals working with families submitted applications on their behalf, based on their knowledge of the family’s needs. Families were not means-tested but had to consent to the application. Funding and Reach FIHP funding enabled the provision of 315 hampers. A total of 401 applications were received, including 14 duplicates, resulting in 387 unique family applications, supporting 795 children. An additional £3,000 from the Poverty Board ensured every eligible family received a hamper. Hamper Contents and Support Each hamper included a wrapped, age-appropriate family board game to be enjoyed on Christmas Day. Envelopes were added with a festive message, information on holiday support services (via Welfare Rights), and Play Z cards. OWLS supported the wrapping and envelope preparation. Larger families received increased quantities of key items. The Big Hoose contributed essential household items, helping families redirect their limited funds to other needs. Buttons & Bows provided nappies for families with infants under one year old.
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30 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 Distribution Model Applications were sorted into five geographical areas for efficient local distribution: • Kinross-shire: Managed by Broke Not Broken. • Blairgowrie: Hampers assembled at Discover Blairgowrie; distributed by British Gas and PKC staff. • Crieff/Auchterarder: Logos hosted and helped distribute hampers with PKC staff. • Perth City: Perth Autism Support provided space; Letham4All and PKC staff handled distribution. • Other Areas: Hampers distributed from Perth Grammar School by PKC staff. Impact The Christmas hampers provided vital support during a financially challenging time, offering both nutritional relief and emotional uplift. The application process, based on professional insight rather than benefits eligibility, ensured support reached families in genuine need. Feedback from both professionals and recipients has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the value of this collaborative, community-driven initiative.
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Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 | 31 Tayside Financial Well-being Project – Aberlour and Dundee, Perth and Kinross and Angus Councils The Tayside Family Financial Well-being Project is a collaborative initiative aimed at supporting families in financial distress across the Tayside region. The case study highlighted the challenges families face, especially with public debt—75% of families in the region owed significant debt to public bodies such as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), local councils, and housing associations. The project sought to provide both practical and financial support to help families not only manage their debt but also improve their overall well- being. Through partnerships with local authorities (Dundee, Perth and Kinross, and Angus Councils), welfare services, and community-based organisations, the project leveraged existing resources to provide holistic, family-centred support. This included a debt relief fund, backed by the Robertson Trust, that helped families clear unmanageable public debt and improve their financial stability. Challenges Faced: Complexity of Public Debt: Families often faced multiple layers of debt, making it difficult to pinpoint effective solutions. The bureaucratic nature of public debt collection added to the stress, creating barriers to communication and support. Stigma and Fear: Many families felt ashamed of their financial situations, which discouraged them from seeking help. The fear of further sanctions or legal repercussions from public bodies prevented open discussions about their debts. Resource Limitations: There were inherent limitations in funding and resources available to tackle the scale of the debt issue. The project had to be strategic in leveraging existing community resources without duplicating efforts. Innovative Approaches and Outcomes Collaboration Over Competition: By forging strong partnerships with local authorities (Dundee, Perth and Kinross, and Angus Councils), welfare services, and community-based organisations, the project prioritised collective problem-solving. This collaboration allowed stakeholders to pool resources and expertise, fostering a supportive network that addressed the complexities of public debt.
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32 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 Creation of a Debt Relief Fund: Backed by the Robertson Trust, the project established a debt relief fund that enabled families to clear unmanageable public debt. This financial support not only helped families regain financial stability but also restored their trust in public services. As a result, families became more willing to engage with welfare services, reducing their reliance on high interest borrowing options that often perpetuated the cycle of debt. Holistic Family Support: Recognising that financial assistance alone was insufficient, the project integrated social and practical support services. This comprehensive approach ensured that families received tailored assistance, including budgeting workshops, mental health support, and access to employment services. Families reported improved overall well-being and increased confidence in managing their finances. Data-Driven Insights: The project collected data on family experiences and outcomes, which informed ongoing adaptations to the programme. This focus on evidence allowed for a responsive approach to the specific needs of families, ensuring that interventions were relevant and effective.
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33 APPENDIX 1 Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022-2026 Strategic Aims • To raise awareness about the causes and consequences of child poverty. • To foster social cohesion and reduce stigma surrounding poverty for children and families. • To reduce the negative effects of living in poverty for children and families. • To enable children and families to prepare themselves for a life free from poverty. Objectives Work Provide opportunities and support needed to enter, sustain and progress in work (Employability and skills, housing and economic opportunity, connectivity and childcare) Sharpening Focus • Supporting parents into work that pays the Real Living Wage or more. • Taking action to close the gender employment and pay gaps. • Addressing the challenges presented by rurality. Dignified Living Maximise the support available to families to lead dignified lives and meet their basic needs. (Person-centred support, social security and income maximisation) Sharpening Focus • Addressing the rural poverty premium. • Addressing the needs of the Gypsy Traveller community and other minority ethnic communities. • Addressing stigma which prevents parents and families from seeking help and support. Survive and Thrive
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34 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 Supporting the next generation to survive and thrive. (Education and Children’s Services, Health and Social Care) Sharpening Focus • Closing the poverty-related attainment gap. • Addressing the challenges faced by disabled young people entering further and higher education and the jobs market. • Addressing mental health and wellbeing issues for parents and children affected by poverty. Our Approach Deliver a one-Council, whole-family, whole-community approach to connecting children and families to the help and support they need to mitigate and move beyond poverty. Sharpening Focus • Changing the way we work to use data-driven approaches to identify and connect with families affected by poverty. • Offer no wrong door approaches to connecting families to the help and support they need and want. • Developing multidisciplinary, cross-organisational working in teams at locality level to build inclusive communities which strengthen the web of support on offer to families and children affected by poverty.
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33 Children’s Scorecard 2025 4th Edition
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34 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 Introduction Perth and Kinross Council (PKC), in partnership with NHS Tayside, continues to make progress in tackling child poverty. Each year we produce a Children’s Scorecard to measure performance around poverty reduction and mitigation. The Scorecard aligns with national strategies such as Best Start, Bright Futures and the UNCRC, and reflects the voices of families with lived experience. In preparation for the development of a 2nd Child Poverty Delivery Plan for Perth and Kinross 2026 – 2030, we expanded the Scorecard to include local data comparisons with peer local authorities (where the data was available) and an analysis of trends since 2018 to align with national and local delivery plans (2018 – 2022, and 2022 – 2026). The Scorecard this year takes a different format as it seeks to • Identify areas where progress is being made • Capture the learning from the Children’s Scorecard and identify those areas which have contributed to poverty reduction • To make recommendations for action to be considered in the development of the 2nd Child Poverty Delivery Plan for Perth and Kinross 2026 – 2030. A separate Children’s Scorecard Source Book provides all the background data to support these conclusions. Key Achievements Child poverty reduced by 3.2 percentage points since 2018, outperforming the Scottish average. Perth and Kinross has made encouraging progress in reducing child poverty. The local rate is now 3.8% below the national average, nearly double the previous gap of 2%. This improvement has taken the area’s ranking to 7th nationally (from 12th) for lowest child poverty rates. While these results are promising, data will be closely monitored over the next two years to ensure the improvement is sustained. The growing gap between child poverty rates in Perth and Kinross and the rest of Scotland suggests that what is being done locally is delivering the differential impact between poverty reduction achieved as a result of efforts of the UK and Scottish Governments.
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Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 | 35 What has achieved this change? A strong web of organisations across the public, third and community sector have been involved in developing an eco-system of support for children and families experiencing poverty. The Anti-Poverty Task Force provided strategic leadership and actively promoted cross sectoral engagement with poverty reduction across Perth and Kinross There are now 278 organisations/services signed up to the Supporting People, Addressing Need programme’s FORT referral management project - each one engaged in offering holistic services to families spanning crisis support, income maximization, employability and wellbeing. There is strategic alignment across Perth and Kinross Council, NHS Tayside and the Community Planning Partners all of which are committed to delivering poverty reduction and mitigation outcomes and are aligning resources behind this shared strategic priority. The Children’s Scorecard measures 1. Data and trends across the key drivers of poverty identified by the Scottish Government – Income maximization through work, benefits and actions taken to prepare young people to move beyond poverty to sustainable livelihoods. These are expressed in the three workstreams in Best Start, Bright Futures: - • Providing Opportunities and Support for Parents to Enter, Sustain and Progress in Fair Work • Dignified Living - Increasing Incomes Through Social Security and Benefits in Kind • Survive and Thrive – Supporting families to escape poverty and increase resilience to create conditions for long-term wellbeing and opportunity 2. Delivery - What has been delivered by Perth and Kinross Council to help parents into work, ensure dignity and create the conditions for long-term wellbeing and opportunity. 3. Responsiveness - How well our services have responded to challenges from parents in the Priority Family groups for improvements in the services that matter most to them.
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36 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 Child Poverty
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Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 | 37 Child Poverty at Locality and Ward Levels
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38 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 Income from Employment
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Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 | 39 Dignified Living
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40 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 Dignified Living (cont)
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Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 | 41 Dignified Living (cont)
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42 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 Survive and Thrive
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Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 | 43 Feedback from Parents
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45 Service Response Wellbeing Parents asked for • Help for families with issues around mental health or wellbeing. • Timely support for mental health for children and young people experiencing stress/distress. • Whole Family Support - Directory of Services was published in 2023 in response to parents’ requests for information – this has had 2600 views from 1570 unique users. • Direct 1:2:1 support has been provided for 380 families and 760 individuals. • Indirect support including one-off activities and signposting has supported over 2400 individuals. • A practitioner network with over 100 members has been established and 3 network meetings held. • Support and Connect Training has been provided to 78 frontline workers across 9 training cohorts. • £4.3M has been earmarked for Whole Family Wellbeing support over a 5-year period 2022 to 2027. • 136 families – 80% of whom were Priority Families were supported by the Parent and Family Wellbeing team who delivered a range of programmes including Fearless Triple P (supporting parents whose children have anxiety) Teen Triple P (supporting parents who are dealing with challenging teenage behaviour), the Incredible years programme (strengthening parent-child attachment) Anti natal Peep and Peep Learning together programmes (supporting parents to bond with their child). • School Holiday activities were provided to targeted families first and then offered to the wider community, these offered holiday food and fun to 267 adults and 720 children. • Families Empowering Communities team supported 63 parents and 96 children with counselling and ongoing support – 72% were lone parent families.
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46 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 • 110 families and 145 children were supported by the COPE team who offer intensive family support to families in their own homes. • A Family Advice and Community Connections Service was established and is being delivered by Aberlour to provide support to parents, carers, children and young people on issues related to whole family wellbeing. So far 84 families with 209 parents and children have used the service. Stigma and Dignity Parents asked • To be treated with empathy and understanding • That service providers understand it can be difficult for parents to admit they are struggling to make ends meet and ask for help. An online poverty awareness course has been placed on the PKC learning hub and has been completed by 178 employees with a further 38 in progress. 7 cohorts of Support and Connect training have been delivered to frontline staff with 78 frontline workers completed training. This will enable frontline workers to engage in sensitive and supportive conversations with people about their financial challenges, and to connect them to a range of services and support provided by 56 partners across Perth and Kinross. In the first 6 months of operation, the Support and Connect programme has supported 316 families.
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Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 | 47 Crisis Support Parents asked for • Accessible information on sources of help and support for parents in crisis - money, welfare benefits, in- kind support. • Help accessing support in times of crisis when they are experiencing stress. • Key worker approaches - where one person helps source support across a range of organisations. • Help with form filling and navigating the welfare benefits system. • Cash First Approaches Welfare Benefits Checks/Money Advice offered to Council employees. • Support for Foodbanks and Community Groups offering in-kind or crisis support. FORT/SPAN Our Welfare Rights service generated an additional £9.2 million in benefits for Perth and Kinross residents in 2024/25. This growth reflects enhanced service promotion and improved follow-up efforts to better track financial outcomes. In 2024/25, we provided around £269k in support to over 1,400 households through the Financial Insecurity Fund, targeting low-income residents and those without recourse to public funds. Despite reduced funding and fewer applications, the Council more actively directed support, with over 66% of payments going to households in rural areas facing financial hardship. We have built upon existing arrangements aimed at reducing barriers, raising awareness and improving access to both Welfare Fund and Welfare Rights services for targeted communities of interest. To support this in 2024/25 we: • Launched regular outreach at Double Dykes in Perth and partnered with Broke Not Broken to support Gypsy/Traveller communities in Kinross. This improved engagement, built trust, and strengthened relationships. • Ran a six-month outreach at @Scott Street in response to rising youth homelessness. Improved referral rates and stronger partnerships made further outreach unnecessary, with Social Work teams embracing online referrals and boosting client engagement to ensure full entitlements. • We partnered with YMCA, Creative Exchange, and others to enhance welfare rights support for young people aged 16–25. • Worked with the Scottish Prison Service to provide a weekly Welfare Fund outreach service within Perth prison. • We supported 1413 households to sustain their tenancy through our Tenancy Sustainment Fund, Financial Inclusion Project and Think Yes budget. • We supported 35 households in the Private Rented Sector to sustain their tenancies and prevent homelessness and hardship.
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48 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 Housing Parents asked for • Increased supply of affordable housing • Ensure houses are let in a good state of repair. • Improved Communications. • Delivered a total of 264 affordable homes including 234 for social rented housing, and 30 for mid- market rent. • Delivered 37 Council new build homes and supported the completion of 70 new build affordable homes in partnership with RSLs across 9 developments. • Delivered new supply across the Perth and Kinross area, both in urban 53% and rural 47% areas. • Purchased 116 buybacks to increase the Council’s housing stock. • Brought back 23 empty homes for people in need of accommodation through the Empty Homes Initiative (EHI). • Continue to use our first Self-Build Register to inform rural housing need with 30 self-build expressions of interested registered to date. • Progressing 10 community-led projects with an estimated 60 homes planned. • Undertook a phase of consultation and design of a former primary school using our Sustainable Inclusive Homes Net Zero Carbon Design Guide with the project intended to create 45 new build affordable homes. • Undertook further feasibility for planning policy to be developed through LDP3 for Short Term Let (STL) control areas. • Delivered 4 additional new build homes to support individuals to live independently with outreach support and technology through our Independent Living Panel. • Rehoused 18 individuals through our Housing OT service into wheelchair accessible and adapted housing. Delivered 1 wheelchair accessible property and 12 adapted properties through our new build programme. In partnership with residents, delivered the first five of 20 new chalets to Double Dykes to replace existing older accommodation, and began wider improvements to the site. • Increased our work with SCARF to deliver our Home Energy Advice Team (HEAT) service, providing free and impartial energy efficiency advice to 1638 households which resulted in savings for residents.
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Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 | 49 • £441,681 invested in communal repairs for homeowners through our Missing Shares service. Supported repairs and improvements through a programme of 441 sensors being installed across Council housing stock. Delivered fibre to 63 new build properties in partnership with RSLs. Education Parents asked for • Information about help available to struggling families • Information on how to access help around school costs with assurance that these will be handled discretely and sensitively • Improvements in the quality of school meals • Affordable after-school provision to support parental employment. • The Family Advice and Community Connections service which supports families across Perth and Kinross is being actively promoted by schools. Through this service, any family with children under the age of 18 can access information, advice, and connections to other helpful services in their community. 84 families with 209 parents and children have used the service. • A group of 5 targeted schools in areas with higher levels of deprivation are trialling the FORT system provided by CAB. This will be rolled out more widely following evaluation of the pilot. • Staff from Rattray Primary School attended Support and Connect Training. As a result of positive feedback from this, a bespoke session will be offered to school staff on the next in- service day. This will ensure that staff are appropriately trained and supported to handle requests for support sensitively and discretely. Should this be over-subscribed, priority will be given to staff from schools ranked 1-10 in the area-based analysis of need. • Actions to reduce the Cost of the School Day have been included within school Quality Improvement Plans for 2025/6 with 75% of schools publishing a Cost of the School Day Plan for the first time. These include a number of initiatives to reduce barriers to participation relating to cost and the provision of support for families who may be impacted by poverty. Plans cover areas such as support with uniform; providing the resources required for school; support with meals, snacks and drinks; trips and transport; providing digital access; ensuring that extra- curricular activity and clubs are accessible to all; health and wellbeing; and ensuring that no one misses out on fundraising events and themed days. • Schools have been making and facilitating referrals for families to The Big Hoose which provides vital household goods, free of charge, to help ease some of the impact of poverty.
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50 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 • There has been active promotion of Free School Meals, School Clothing Grants and Education Maintenance Allowance to the entire school community, encouraging uptake by eligible families. In 2024/25, 1469 pupils (P6 and above) were registered for free school meals. This is an increase of 144 (10.9%) on 2023/24. By the end of 2024/25, 2242 pupils received a clothing grant (around 12.6% of the roll). This represents a small decrease of 77 (-3.3%) on 2023/24. • After-school provision and tax-free childcare have been actively promoted on social media channels reaching 6652 families.
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Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 | 51 Childcare Parents asked for • Increased access to accessible and affordable childcare. • Flexible childcare options to support parental employment. • Accessible information on available childcare options, places, and costs. • Information on the benefits of tax-free childcare is being posted once per month. It also goes on PKC wage slips once per quarter, ELC Newsletter, ERIC news & PKC website news once per quarter. All families registered with Kids Clubs/Wraparound Care who do not use Tax Free Childcare are emailed termly to advise of the benefit. • 1895 (8% increase on previous year) parents are supported to apply for and access their Tax- Free Childcare Account which links to other benefits (Tax Credit for Childcare, Universal Credit, Childcare Vouchers and Best Start Grants) resulting in wider access to affordable childcare. • 94 registered childminders in P&K (11 Funded Provider Childminders who can provide 1140hours per annum) • 49 Perth and Kinross nurseries providing and 33 funded provider nurseries providing childcare to 3524, 2–5-year-olds accessing funded ELC in Perth & Kinross (April 2025) • 4 Private/Voluntary Out of School Care Clubs • There are 1729 children registered to use 16 Kids Clubs/Wraparound Care which enables parents and carers to work or take up training opportunities. • 70 children benefitted from a free place at Kids Clubs’ holiday services during 2024/25 with £82,500 being provided by PKC for through Fuelled for Fun.
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52 | Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 Transport Parents asked for • Improved transport links in rural areas to support parental employment patterns. • Affordable local transport options. • PKC replaced the commercially withdrawn local bus service in the Highland Perthshire area and now fund these. • PKC replaced the commercially withdrawn Almondbank to Perth local bus service by providing funding for this. • Glenfarg Community Transport Group commenced operating a demand responsive local bus service in West Kinross-shire between Kinross and Tillicoultry which is fully funded by PKC. • Kirkmichael Community Transport Group and Muthill Community Transport Group commenced delivery transport for local residents with the MPVs provided by PKC. • Service 16 between Perth and Dundee was improved by Stagecoach East Scotland in early 2025, further to feedback from the public, elected members and PTU Council officers. In addition, PKC funded an additional early morning journey that is not commercially provided. • Council agreed to support Glenfarg Community Transport Group to increase their owned fleet in order to strengthen the group’s sustainability and future operations. • Council increased local bus budget for FY 25/26 to take account of RPI and ongoing increasing operational challenges, which ensured that no subsidised local bus services in operation in 24/25 would be subject to termination in 25/26 due to lack of financial resources in the local bus revenue budget. • In March 2025, PTU installed a new bus shelter and an electricity feed for information screen at the Bridge of Earn bus stop served by the low-cost intercity electric coach service, Ember, in order to improve access for rural passengers wishing to travel north or south to work locations. It is intended that the Real Time Information Screen will be installed at the bus stop in FY 25/26. • As at 31/03/25 78% of PKC Under 22 population had registered for a free U22s bus pass. • Free bus travel is funded by PKC on the first Saturday of each month across the whole of Perth and Kinross Council Area
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Local Child Poverty Action Report 2024/25 and Local Child Poverty Action Plan 2025/26 | 53 • Council committed to disposing of Council minibuses to Community Groups, free of charge, rather than selling them at auction when they reach the end of their Council life. • Improved layout works completed at Broxden Park and Ride site to accommodate the increasing journeys operated by the low-cost intercity coach providers, Ember and Flix.