Child Poverty

Thursday 27th January 2011, One Great George Street - London, 09:30 - 16:00

Eradicating Child Poverty By 2020: Improving The Life Chances Of Children

Overview

According to the 'State of the Nation report: Poverty, Worklessness and Welfare' dependency in the UK, published June 2010, a higher proportion of children grow up in workless households in the UK than in almost any other EU country.

Poverty can have a profound impact on the child, their family, and the rest of society. It often sets in motion a deepening spiral of social exclusion, creating problems in education, employment, mental and physical health and social interaction.

In 1999, the former government pledged to eradicate child poverty in the UK by 2020. The new coalition government has stated that it will maintain the 2020 goal.

The coalition government has outlined its commitment to tackle child poverty. Launching the '21st Century Welfare' paper, 30 July 2010, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said “A system developed to help the most vulnerable and support people in times of need is trapping people in a cycle of dependency. We now have children growing up in households where neither parent works and where the only future is one stuck on benefits. This is a tragedy that we must bring to an end.” Proposed changes in the 21st Century Welfare paper include: proposals to help people move into work by letting them keep more of their earnings; improving work incentives and a new universal credit. The proposed reforms aim to continue to support those most in need and reduce the numbers of workless households and children in poverty.

In The Coalition: Our Programme for Government' the coalition government outlined that it will take Sure Start back to its original purpose of early intervention, increase its focus on the neediest families, and better involve organisations with a track record of supporting families.

Furthermore, In the Comprehensive Spending Review 2010, the government outlined that it will publish its first child poverty strategy before the end of March 2011. In determining its spending priorities, the Government has taken into account its responsibilities under the Child Poverty Act 2010. While awaiting the conclusions of Frank Field’s review, the government will use someof the savings from withdrawing Child Benefit from families with a higher rate taxpayer to fund significant above indexation increases in the Child Tax Credit. This is better targeted on low income families, worth £30 in 2011-12 and £50 in 2012-13, and will ensure the Spending Review will have no measurable impact on child poverty in the next two years.

Agenda

This timely and informative forum will offer delegates the opportunity to discuss and examine how we can achieve the goal of ending child poverty in the UK by 2020.

09:30	Registration and Coffee
10:05	Chair’s Welcome Address Rt Hon Malcolm Wicks MP, Labour (CONFIRMED)
10:15	Working Together to Tackle Child Poverty and Increase the Life Chances of Children Child Poverty Act: eradicating child poverty by 2020 Improving poor children’s life chances: improving opportunities and outcomes for children from low-income families Early intervention: identifying those at risk and establishing lasting support Developing effective partnerships and engaging communities Future of Children Centre’s and Trusts Tackling child poverty locally: areas of good practice Stronger and more accessible services Charlotte Clark, Head of Joint Child Poverty Unit, Department for Education (CONFIRMED)
10:35	Next Steps in Assisting Families out of Poverty Nature and extent of poverty in the UK Importance of a child’s home environment and their life chances Recommendations to enhance life chances for the least advantaged Welfare reform and its impact on child poverty Alison Garnham, CEO, Child Poverty Action Group (CONFIRMED)
10:55	Questions and Answers Session
11:15	Coffee Break and Networking
11:40	Securing the Health and Wellbeing of Children Developing a Comprehensive Child Health Strategy The healthy growth and development of children The impacts of poverty upon health and wellbeing Future direction of health visiting Support and guidance for families to make the right health choices for them and their children Marcia Perry, Deputy Head of the Infant Mortality and Vaccination and Immunisation National Support Team, Department of Health and Dr Ray Earwicker, Senior Policy Manager, Health Ineqaulities Unit, Department of Health (CONFIRMED)
12:15	Questions and Answers Session
12:30	Lunch and Networking
13:30	Addressing the Needs of the Most Vulnerable Children and Families Expanding the scope for family support in early intervention Investing in home-based family support as part of early intervention Local authorities role in funding home-based family support programmes Family Action’s model of family support Protecting children by supporting vulnerable parents Preparing families for financial independence Creating a pathway out of family support for parents and children Tackling child poverty and financial inclusion Helen Dent CBE, Chief Executive, Family Action (CONFIRMED)
13:50	Case Study: Preventing and Tackling Child Poverty in Tower Hamlets Partnership wide strategy to tackle child poverty Removing barriers to work Providing high-quality childcare options and offering top-up skills and training Developing personalised strategies to prevent young people from becoming NEET Improving access to health services Lessons learnt from a beacon authority Layla Richards, Service Manager Strategy and Policy, Children, Schools and Families Directorate, London Borough of Tower Hamlets (Beacon Authority 2009 - 2010 Tackling and Preventing Child Poverty) (CONFIRMED)
14:10	Questions and Answers Session
14:25	Coffee and Networking
14:45	Enabling Homeless Families to Stay Together Keeping homeless families together Providing parents with key life skills training to enable families to resettle in the community and not become homeless again Enabling children to continue their education Rolling out family based schemes Edna Speed MBE, Chairperson and Founder, Save the Family (CONFIRMED)
15:05	Securing Better Outcomes for Children and Families at Risk Evaluating the success of Sure Start Children’s Centres Future directions of Sure Start How best can we raise the educational achievements of disadvantaged children? How interventions can be targeted more effectively at those most at-risk Improving the life chances of children and families at risk: what steps should be taken? Providing parents with the skills and confidence they need to find and sustain employment Overcoming the challenges to tackle child poverty Naomi Eisenstadt, Senior Research Fellow, Oxford University (CONFIRMED)
15:25	Questions and Answers Session
16:00	Chair's Summary and Close

*programme subject to change without notice

Audience

Delegates will include directors of children services, child poverty co-ordinators, child health managers, managing director of children trusts, welfare managers, heads of children commissioning managers, heads of early years childcare and play, children and young people's partnership managers, clinical and social care children’s health leads, heads of children and learners, benefits managers, heads of social inclusion, childcare strategy managers, and will be drawn from local central government, local authorities, children trusts, health sector, voluntary and community sectors and social enterprises and private sector.