There are some strong arguments that can be made in support of taking local action to tackle child poverty.

Child poverty is bad for the individual and bad for society In addition to the significant human cost to families and children of allowing high levels of poverty to continue, research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation estimates that child poverty costs £25 billion each year in costs to the Exchequer and reduced Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Tackling child poverty is a sound economic investment Child poverty has long-term social and economic costs. Effective preventative intervention helps to break recurring cycles of poor social outcomes, and prevent extensive and expensive responses from public services at a later stage. Investment in early and effective interventions translates into substantial savings to the public sector.

There are unacceptable levels of child poverty in Scotland It is unacceptable that one fifth of children in Scotland are growing up in relative poverty, and that these children’s future outcomes are so heavily influenced by their parents’ economic circumstances. Levels of child poverty in Scotland have declined over the last decade. However, these reductions have stalled, and there has been little change in levels of child poverty since 2004/5. Clearly, further and faster progress must be made.

The current climate may impact negatively on child poverty The impact of the recession may make tackling child poverty more challenging than ever. Reductions to welfare benefits, the continuing low demand in the economy and the impact on local services of constrained public finances are impacting on low-income families. Analysis by the institute of fiscal studies suggests that in 2012–13 the numbers of children living in relative poverty will increase by about 100,000 with an increase of 200,000 in absolute poverty.

Government and their partners have a legal duty to support equality. The Equalities Act 2010 makes it a legal requirement for Government and its partners to make sure that all groups are treated equally and fairly. It is recognised that poverty is unevenly distributed throughout Scottish society. The risk of poverty is higher for children in families with lone parents (the majority of which tend to be women), affected by disability, and in some ethnic minority communities.

Child poverty is not inevitable When economic conditions are favourable and when policy is used as a tool to tackle poverty, child poverty can be reduced. Progress toward the eradication of poverty in Scotland is possible and has been achieved in recent years. 130,000 fewer children were living in poverty in Scotland in 2004/05, compared to 1996/97. Many other European countries do not experience the levels of poverty and deprivation that Scotland does.

Child poverty is a denial of a child’s human rights In affluent nations such as Scotland, there are sufficient resources to ensure that children need not be denied access to what is typically experienced by the majority of citizens. Through the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, countries have committed to ensuring that children enjoy a decent standard of living - ‘living in poverty’ falls short of achieving this standard.

Key poverty information people should know

If you are working to try and raise the profile of tackling child poverty in your service or organisation the following checklist may be useful to improve the knowledge and awareness amongst colleagues.



Understanding poverty

• Definition - UK Government’s four tiered definition of child poverty
• Concepts - Absolute poverty, relative poverty, material deprivation, persistent poverty, severe poverty
• Measurement - Income thresholds, indicators, milestones
• Causes - Social, political, economic, individual behaviour
• Population -Numbers living in poverty; Composition of population experiencing poverty; Risk rate of living in poverty

• Policy - What are the key (i) UK (ii) Scottish (iii) local strategies and policies to tackle poverty

Understanding how poverty is experienced

• Cost of living - Cost of key essentials; proportion of income that is expended on essentials
• Poverty premiums - Services that are more expensive to people living in poverty
• Respect - Understanding of the ways in which living in poverty can undermine the dignity and self-respect of those who experience it
• Language - Understanding how to avoid describing poverty in a manner that is offensive to those who experience it

• Barriers - Knowledge and understanding of the barriers that make it more difficult for those who experience poverty to escape it.

Understanding how the local public perceive poverty

• Knowledge - Local knowledge of the facts of poverty
• Attitudes - Inclination toward people experiencing poverty
• Media Image - Dominant media presentation of poverty

• Political Message - Key party positions/messages toward poverty

Poverty Awareness and Related Training

There are a number of organisations that offer poverty awareness and other poverty related training. Training can help staff who are dealing with people experiencing poverty to better understand the impact that this can have on the life of the individual and their families. It can also help identify ways in which to improve service delivery. A selection of useful links are higlighted below. This list is not exhasutive and there may also be a number of local organisations which offer similar services.

Child Poverty Training Module - Children’s Workforce Development Council

Index of training and materials to reduce the impact of childhood poverty and disadvantage - Children’s Workforce Development Council.

The Poverty Alliance

One Parent Families Scotland

If you have any suggestions to add to the list of training or providers please contact the Learning Network Team