Child Poverty Report Tabled At Full Council Meeting

Dumfries and Galloway Council will host a meeting of Full Council on Thursday 29 September. At this meeting, the Local Child Poverty Action Report (LCPAR) will be discussed by Councillors.

This will be the fourth such report prepared by the Council and local Health Board, since the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act, 2017 introduced an annual requirement for Local Authorities and Health Boards to jointly prepare a Local Child Poverty Action Report which notes progress and reflects on the work undertaken over the preceding year and sets out an action plan for the year ahead.

A new Poverty and Inequalities Partnership has been developed with an Independent Chair, and a new Strategy to be delivered by the Partnership has been agreed for 2021-2026. Four sub-groups focused on delivering actions to achieve the partnership’s objectives have been established. These are:

• Tackling severe poverty and destitution and building individual and community capacity to tackle poverty
• Maximising income and reducing debt
• Reducing financial pressure on people in poverty
• Developing our approach to Child Poverty

Co-Leader of Dumfries and Galloway Council, Stephen Thompson commented:

“The Report captures our continuing learning about the effects of the Covid-pandemic on children and families in our region, as well as early impacts from the increased costs of living. It presents a range of local and national data to illustrate not just the extent of child poverty, but also some of the positive impacts we’re having in tackling and mitigating against child poverty in D&G as a result of our work across the partnership.”

The key achievements of 2021-2022 highlighted in the Report include:

• A client gain of over £10 million through the support offered by our Financial Wellbeing Service
• An increase of over 600 children registered to receive Free School Meals, which enables families to claim additional grants
• Additional support was provided to vulnerable families coming to the attention of Social Work Services as a result of the pandemic
• Free school uniforms and warm winter clothing continued to be provided to children and families in need.
• Online period dignity project offered home delivery of free sanitary products to everyone across the region

Co-Leader, Councillor Linda Dorward said:

“This report not only highlights the great work of our Council, but also the crucial role played by other stakeholders regarding partnership working, which significantly adds to work already started. The Community Planning Partnership Board and the Health and Social Care Performance and Governance group will be invited to endorse the LCPAR at their next scheduled meetings, and I look forward to the report going before Scottish Ministers in due course.”

The report can be viewed in full at Agenda for Dumfries and Galloway Council on Thursday, 29th September, 2022, 10.30 am - Dumfries and Galloway Council (moderngov.co.uk)