Members considered a report of the Director of Children’s Services that informed members about the work of two primary schools in Wirral, which had received investment from the Council to develop innovative approaches to tackling child poverty. The report evidenced the impact and added value of working in this way to improve outcomes for children, families and their communities. Examples included programmes of activity to engage children educationally during school holidays, support for parents to get into work and further training, and ways of engaging the whole community in a positive way. An appendix to the report provided details of the commissioning process for the projects.

The report set out the background and underpinning reasons for the project and informed the Sub Committee that 25% of Wirral children lived in poverty as determined by the income deprivation indicator for child poverty. It was reported there were acute inequalities in Wirral with levels as low as 1% in some areas and as high as 70% in others, where long-standing issues of deprivation and disadvantage prevented families from escaping poverty.  Feedback from local agencies suggested that the financial climate and changes to the benefits system were having a combined impact on children and families in poverty.  In June 2013 Cabinet had approved the Working Group’s child poverty pilot project.  The proposal was based on the evidence and research of the 2010 Marmot Review and Wirral’s Child and Family Poverty Working Group. The proposal had invited those schools, where the majority (i.e. 51% or above) of pupils on roll lived in an area where child poverty and deprivation levels were in the highest 20% of areas nationally, to express an interest in working with the Council to pilot a primary ‘school community Hub’. The Hub acted as a central place for people to work together and access resources available in the school and in the community and offered a focused approach to children, young people and families to have their needs met as early as possible. It was reported that In January 2014, Holy Spirit Primary School, Leasowe and Fender Primary School, Woodchurch (the Community Hub) had been awarded £50,000 each to develop and implement a ‘School’ Community Hub. Upon allocation of the money the hubs had begun work immediately and had been active since that time.

The report informed the Sub- Committee that the objectives of the Hubs dovetailed with the Council’s Corporate Priorities; Local Decisions; Local Solutions; Driving Growth and Promoting Independence. Translating these priorities into tangible objectives for the Hubs, were as follows:

·  Increase family and children’s wellbeing;

·  Increase capacity in the community to tackle poverty;

·  Create greater awareness of support available to parents in the local area;

·  Increase desire of parents to move into work, and with a clear understanding of how to pursue this goal;

·  Increase engagement of parents with existing employment and enterprise;

·  Improve aspirations of children due to rising parental aspirations.

It was reported that the ultimate function of the Hubs was to create a web of support around the community’s children, young people and families. The Hubs provided an opportunity for needs of the individual to be met as early as possible and incorporated active parental support to do this. Each Hub had recruited a Community Builder who was a local residents and trusted member of the community and the report showed positive outcomes illustrated by case studies of both children and parents. It was reported that both Community Hubs were working within and enhancing local community networks and were showing great strength at a local community level in building support for children and families at a timely and appropriate way.

Resolved – That the Attainment Sub-Committee welcome the report and all those involved be congratulated.