‘Ending child poverty everybody’s business’ ‘Ending Child Poverty everybody’s business’ Localism and Local Authorities what can they do best? Michelle Kennedy LGID Associate – Child Poverty Adviser

Tackling all the causes and consequences of child poverty needs a joined up approach and much of this depends on high quality local services, leadership and knowing your community

‘Ending child poverty everybody’s business’ Ending child poverty by 2020 – what does it mean for local authorities? The Child Poverty Act requires Local Authorities and their Named Partners to: -Cooperate to reduce, and mitigate the effects of, child poverty in their local area. -Produce local child poverty needs assessments. -Prepare joint local child poverty strategies. The Guide produced on the duties signals the importance of local authorities – both to support consultation around the needs assessment but also to consider contribution to the local area strategy. The emphasis is not on areas meeting the national targets at a local level – but on developing local strategies across the building blocks and driving action that makes a difference to the deprived communities in their area. Therefore all local areas should be making a contribution.

Local Authorities – doing what they do best Leaders and champions Service commissioners and providers Partners Experts and influencers ‘Ending child poverty everybody’s business’ Accountable and responsible Improvement and creativity

Political leadership Corporate /executive leadership Community leadership Child Poverty Champions ‘Ending child poverty everybody’s business’ Leaders and champions

New ways and opportunities to provide / support pathways to employment for parents. Co-location – co-design of joint provision Better use of resources, data and intelligence Devolution / pooling of assets and budgets Greater understanding of families from ‘cradle to grave’ Service commissioners and providers ‘Ending child poverty everybody’s business’

Local Authorities leading on sector improvement and development – learning from the best Child poverty pilots, including Innovation and Community Budgets New ways of working with Families with Complex Needs Creative Councils and radical transformation Localism is what we do ! ‘Ending child poverty everybody’s business’ Improvement and development

So what else? Some challenges and chances ahead: Poverty Fatigue? Welfare Reform Housing Benefit changes Localism Bill Pace of change

Lead by example – as an individual and organisation Champion your communities Engage in and learn from partnership Use the Child Poverty Needs Assessment and strategy to identify and work with places and families most at risk Use the ‘Building Blocks’ to see where you fit in Use new flexibilities such as those with JCP to work and commission differently and co-locate Embed child poverty in existing or planned policies, service redesign and culture ( no need to re-invent the wheel) Support families to take greater responsibility for themselves and their children ‘Ending child poverty everybody’s business’ So what can we do ?

‘Ending child poverty everybody’s business’ ‘Ending Child Poverty everybody’s business’ Child Poverty Community of Practice : Michelle Kennedy LGID Associate – Child Poverty Adviser