A report by the Chief Executive Designate informed the Cabinet that the local authority had a statutory duty to develop a Wirral Child Poverty Strategy as set out in the Child Poverty Act 2010.  Following the general election, the national coalition government had expressed its commitment to maintaining the goal of ending child poverty in the UK by 2020 and a national strategy had now been launched further to the Independent Review on Poverty and Life Chances led by Frank Field MP. 

The report set out the approach that the Council had put in place to develop a Wirral Child Poverty Strategy and action plan in partnership with local organisations and agencies, including the voluntary, community and faith sector.  This approach would deliver the £10,000 policy option agreed by the Cabinet and Council in February 2010 to invest in targeted engagement with Wirral organisations and local communities to develop an action plan for Wirral with the aim of lifting children and families out of poverty.

It was noted that the Council had already taken action to develop and publish information which set out the characteristics and needs of its local population in line with the statutory duty to develop a needs assessment set out in the Child Poverty Act.  The evidence would underpin the development of the strategy and action plan and help the Council to understand where and how they needed to focus activities in partnership with others to tackle the often complex problems faced by children and families.

Councillor S Clarke told the Cabinet that there were many children currently living in poverty in Wirral and she was keen for a strategy and action plan to be drawn up and implemented in order to make a difference.

The approach that the Council had put in place included the establishment of a local advisory group, the Wirral Child and Family Poverty Working Group.  This Group would act as a focal point for engagement with stakeholders across the borough and make recommendations to the Council and its partners about a local Child Poverty Strategy and Action Plan.  This Strategy would inform the future priorities of the Council and its partners in respect of delivering services and commissioning activity from others, including from the voluntary, community and faith sector.

Councillor S Kelly wanted to ensure that there was no slippage in respect of the timescale for this work and requested that a progress report be presented to the Cabinet in autumn 2011 along with appropriate recommendations.  The Interim Head of Planning, Engagement and Communications agreed to provide this within the timescale laid down.  The recommendations would then be considered as part of the Council’s budgetary process.

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet notes the approach set out in the report to develop a strategy and action plan and agrees to receive recommendations in due course from the Wirral Child and Family Poverty Working Group.