EqSEIA. Child Poverty Action Plan Review 2023-2024
Argyll and Bute Council · 26 September 2024
Back to Argyll and Bute Council — 26 September 2024 and its agenda
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Argyll and Bute Council: Equality and Socio-Economic Impact Assessment Section 1: About the proposal Title of Proposal Child Poverty Action Plan Review 2023 - 2024 Intended outcome of proposal The Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 places a duty on local authorities and health boards to report annually on activity they are taking and will take to reduce child poverty. This review report aims to meet that obligation. Progress and challenges are noted and proposed new work is flagged up. It is intended that children, young people and other stakeholders are able to see what actions are being taken to tackle child poverty in Argyll and Bute. Description of proposal This is the fifth review of the initial Child Poverty Action Plan Report, published in June 2019; reviews will take place annually up to 2030. Business Outcome(s) / Corporate Outcome(s) to which the proposal contributes Child Poverty outcomes; noted under Outcome 4. Legal obligation under the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017, for Local Authorities, in conjunction with the Health Board, to publish an annual child poverty report and submit the same to the Scottish Government. Lead officer details: Name of lead officer Mandy Sheridan Job title Service Improvement Officer Department HSCP Appropriate officer details: Name of appropriate officer Evan Beswick Job title Chief Officer (Interim) Department HSCP Sign off of EqSEIA Date of sign off Who will deliver the proposal? The Argyll and Bute Child Poverty Action Group which is led by Evan Beswick Section 2: Evidence used in the course of carrying out EqSEIA Consultation / engagement
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This year consultation and co-production has been going on with children and young people in relation to key issues like children’s rights and child poverty. This has included talking to children and young people in schools and other key groups like Youth Voice and Young Carers. With child poverty we have been asking them about the child friendly “Plan on a page” and their ideas for other things we might do. Pupils from Dalintober Primary School, Parkland School, Hermitage Academy and the Youth Voice Group that included Rothesay JC, Oban HS & Campbeltown GS said: Likes They liked the way the plan is laid out and the colours it comes in, including the way colours are used. They approved of the way it was laid out into sections and the fact that it could be broken into those sections for separate use. They felt that this was a better way for children and young people to access the child poverty plan. They thought the text on the My Tribe bit was too small. Things That Are Happening That They Liked: • Child disability payments is important, • Food banks, • School clothing banks, • School Lunches, • Breakfast Clubs. Things They Would Like to See: • Health e.g. prescriptions minor ailments service • Services for young people in the community – perhaps around mental health • They would like to see free school lunches for P1-7 • Money for school lunch doesn’t allow people to have a snack. It would be good to support snacks • Personal hygiene stands or packs that could be in school for young people to access such as soaps, toothpaste, shower gel etc. • Resource exchange in schools where course books could be handed in, pencils etc. • Some schools have book fairs and combine this with a book swap/book donations • Keeping you house warm • Out of school check-in in opportunities. These ideas and views help us to know what is working and where there are gaps that are felt by children, young people and their families. In the coming year these ideas will be looked at with a view to seeing what can be developed and taken forward. Children and young people will be involved in this process. In addition the lived experience voice is heard via “Taking Action on Rural Poverty”, a three year project led by the Poverty Alliance and funded by the Robertson Trust. It runs from September 2023 – August 2026. In Argyll and Bute it is led by Becky Hothersall, Development Officer. The Council and the Third
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Sector Interface forms a key part of an oversight group with the Poverty Alliance to oversee progress of the TARP. The current plan includes views on local poverty issues and solutions, expressed by the Lived Experience Panel of this project. Data Fairer Scotland Duty 2018; Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017; Equality Act 2010; Child and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024. Note – the current report contains details of Data Analysis work that is taking place to better identify those requiring support and advice and allow resources to be better focused upon them. The current report also contains data on issues relating to key areas including: poverty levels, transport, housing, fuel poverty, employability, education and employability. Other information This report is an annual review of an existing Child Poverty Action Plan. It provides information on what is happening in key areas, such as housing, transport, employability, data analysis, third sector activities and education. It also looks to align with other key actions and plans locally, for example: The Promise and Whole Family Support, The Housing Emergency, and The Cost of Living Crisis. See Argyll and Bute HSCP Joint Strategic Plan 2022 – 2025; Argyll and Bute Children and Young People’s Service Plan 2023 – 2026; Argyll and Bute Outcome Improvement Plan 2020-2034; Argyll and Bute Community Justice Plan 2017 – 2022; Argyll and Bute Corporate Parenting Plan 2021 – 2024; Argyll and Bute Employability Partnership Delivery Plan, 2022-25; Argyll and Bute Education Strategic Plan 2022 – 2024; Argyll and Bute Local Housing Strategy (LHS) 2022-2027; Argyll and Bute Children’s Rights Plan 2020- 2023 Review. Gaps in evidence This report cannot include all of the work taking place in Argyll and Bute which can be said to relate to tackling child poverty. Instead it concentrates on key areas and looks to give a flavour of other work. There are also gaps in evidence in terms of identifying what people are living in poverty. This year has seen considerable work done in developing ways of better targeting this, Argyll and Bute has been a leader in this work. Section 3: Impact of proposal Impact on service users: Negative No impact Positive Don’t know Protected characteristics: Age X Disability X Ethnicity X Sex X
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Negative No impact Positive Don’t know Gender reassignment X Marriage and Civil Partnership X Pregnancy and Maternity X Religion X Sexual Orientation X Fairer Scotland Duty: Mainland rural population X Island populations X Low income X Low wealth X Material deprivation X Area deprivation X Socio-economic background X Communities of place X Communities of interest X If you have identified any impacts on service users, explain what these will be. This report provides information on areas relating to child poverty, its drivers and impacts as well as actions taken to tackle it. By bringing this information together and ensuring it is published, people are more informed. They are also able to see what actions are taking place decide if they wish to comment or take part. The report also contains valuable information on what supports and advice are available, from what organisations, and how these can be accessed by those who require them. If any ‘don’t know’s have been identified, at what point will impacts on these groups become identifiable? Impact on service deliverers (including employees, volunteers etc.): Negative No impact Positive Don’t know Protected characteristics: Age X Disability X Ethnicity X Sex X Gender reassignment X Marriage and Civil Partnership X Pregnancy and Maternity X Religion X Sexual Orientation X Fairer Scotland Duty: Mainland rural population X Island populations X Low income X Low wealth X Material deprivation X Area deprivation X
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Negative No impact Positive Don’t know Socio-economic background X Communities of place X Communities of interest X If you have identified any impacts on service deliverers, explain what these will be. The report provides a platform for service deliverers working to tackle child poverty and its impacts. It allows them to state who they are and what they are doing, how they can assist people and how that support can be accessed. It gives a place where progress on actions can be evidenced and made public. If any ‘don’t know’s have been identified, at what point will impacts on these groups become identifiable? How has ‘due regard’ been given to any negative impacts that have been identified? No negative impacts have been identified. Section 4: Interdependencies Is this proposal likely to have any knock-on effects for any other activities carried out by or on behalf of the council? This report showcases and links many areas of work carried out by both the Council, its partners and the Health Board. The need for this annual report to be published and sent to the Scottish Government does act as a point of focus for key areas of work. Clear links to Children’s Rights Report; Children and Young People’s Service Plan, ABOIP, Community Justice Plan, Joint Strategic Plan, Joint Strategic Commissioning Strategy, Local Housing Strategy, Education Strategic Plan, HSCP Equality Outcomes and Mainstreaming Report, Argyll and Bute Employability Plan, Community Learning and Development Strategic Partnership Plan. Details of knock-on effects identified A spur to joint working and considering how best to use resources to tackle child poverty and protect the rights of children and families. Section 5: Monitoring and review How will you monitor and evaluate the equality impacts of your proposal? Monitoring of targets and actions will take place within the different organisations responsible. For example Employability Partnership, Housing, or Third Sector Bodies. Oversight and direction will be provided via Argyll and Bute’s Child Poverty Action Group and the Financial Advice and Inclusion Group.