Communities First Briefing

Communities First www.communitiesfirst.org.uk

Communities First The Early Years (0-7) / Y blynyddoedd cynnar

Income Poverty

Current Challenges What Can Be Done? Where To Go?

Access to community dental services Better promotion of oral health through community based services and education settings. This will be supported by Sustainable nursery and school based tooth brushing programmes are a key priority of WAG’s ‘Designed to smile’ A national oral health improvement programme’ are a key priority. Effective programmes will need to involve health and local authority partnerships and be accepted as an integral part of health promoting activity in nursery and school settings.

The national plan, ‘Designed to Smile – A National Child Oral Health Improvement Programme’

Benefit Take-up Most disadvantaged families are not taking up their full benefit and tax credit entitlements. Only 44% of children in severe poverty are in families that report claiming the child tax credit. There is a lack of knowledge among many on low incomes of their entitlements to support.

Review the quality/ accessibility of information and benefits (particularly in work benefits) available via early years settings. Consider undertaking co-ordinated benefit take up work within early years settings.

Promoting Tax Credits and help towards childcare costs provides a simple, easy to use online toolkit to help your local authority raise awareness about help for paying for childcare. http://www.surestart.gov.uk/_doc/P0001075.doc

Benefit Take-up Families with a disabled member are at a high risk of experiencing poverty.

Consider undertaking specialist benefit take-up work with this group.

workshop 3b planning take up projects involving parents


Income Poverty


Affordable childcare Develop sustainability support mechanisms for childcare providers based within areas of high deprivation (e.g. encouraging other family support services to utilise existing provision).

http://www.cwlwm.org.uk/ Ready Steady go

Affordable childcare Develop robust business support (assistance with business planning etc) for child care provid-ers.

Ready Steady Go: Supporting business development in the childcare sector: Con-tact: [email protected] http://www.ndna.org.uk/ Developing rural childcare toolkit

Working with parents Research indicates that many lone parents are reluctant to make use of formal childcare due to trust issues. This hampers their ability to engage in employment and training oppor-tunities.

Consider innovative approaches and improved partnerships with key stakeholders such as Communities First partnerships and frontline staff to promote childcare as an option for lone parents. Outreach work and awareness raising in the local community has been proven to en-sure that parents and children participate and reluctant parents are encouraged to take up such provision.

http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/aio/242114 Practitioner guide to interagency work-ing


Income Poverty


Vocational Skills The opportunities to work with parents accessing early years provision on improving skills for work are not always maximised.

Review the links between early years provision, vocational training, skills development and access to employment.

Education Costs Parents living on low incomes in Wales are struggling to meet increasing and diverse "hidden" costs of sending their children to school.

Utilise the Children in Wales: good practice guide for schools (training available)

Tackling Child Poverty in Wales - A Good Practice Guide for Schools Or Contact [email protected]

Benefit Take-up Most disadvantaged families are not taking up their full benefit and tax credit entitlements. Only 44% of children in severe poverty are in families that report claiming the child tax credit. There is a lack of knowledge among many on low incomes of their entitlements to support.

Review the quality/ accessibility of information and benefits (particularly in work benefits) available via early years settings. Consider undertaking co-ordinated benefit take up work within early years settings.

Citizens Advice Promoting Tax Credits and help towards childcare costs provides a simple, easy to use online toolkit to help your local authority raise awareness about help for paying for childcare Sure Start

Communities First Education and Learning Opportunities / Addysg

Income Poverty


Travelling to learn/work Transport is a significant barrier to accessing learning/ employment and training. Learners from less well-off backgrounds are further disadvantaged if they are not funded to travel to work placements.

Review local policy and guidance and develop travel plan to ensure that learners and workers in disadvantaged areas are able to access learning opportunities in the most efficient way possible. Developing a Transport impact assessment maybe a useful evaluative tool.

Sustrans travel planning WAG Funding Advice

Sustainable Procurement In 2005 it was estimated that 35% of the £4 billion spent each year by the public sector in Wales was won by indigenous business supporting some 70,000 jobs. Every 1% increase to this figure should relate to an increase of some 2,000 jobs.

Develop a common partnership approach to sustainable procurement that ensures opportunities to support the local economy and skills development of young people are secured.

Buy Wales http://www.forumforthefuture.org.uk/node/1413 http://www.s-p-i-n.co.uk/toolkit.asp#Socio-Economic


Income Poverty


Working with others Schools alone are unable to tackle and overcome the effects of child poverty on education. Effective schools working in deprived areas develop creative methods of working with others.

Develop creative methods for the recruitment and re-tention of staff. Consider recruiting from the local com-munity and ex pupils for all staff positions.

Working with Parents The impact of parental involvement and support on children’s education has been widely acknowledged. Parental engagement in deprived areas is often lower than in other areas.

Consider doing more outreach work, including out of hours support and working with vulnerable families.

"not too hard to reach: de-veloping a tool to reach the most disadvantaged families" Teaching Expertise article

Communities First Health Freedom from Abuse and Exploitation / Iechyd, a rhyddid rhag cam-drin a

Income Poverty


Engaging socially excluded families in health related community based activities. (Understanding the impacts of poverty on fami-lies.)

The WLGA’s Excellence Wales programme is focusing on the theme of ‘Social Inclusion’ for 2008-09 looking at how to mitigate the effects of child poverty and maximise the powers of local government to enhance inclusion. A copy of the four sub themes and the requirements of each is available from www.wlga.gov,uk The Social Care Institute for Excellence have recently published ‘Poverty, Parenting and Social Exclusion’ an e- learning resource to help people working in social care to understand the links between poverty, parenting and social exclusion.

In 2004 the NPHS published Deprivation and Health to highlight the relationship between small area deprivation and health in Wales, using a large number of health indicators. The report shows that, in nearly all instances, people living in the most deprived areas have worse health and health indicators than those in the most affluent areas. The NPHS also published a series of 22 summary reports, one for each LHB, showing how the relationship between health and socio-economic deprivation is likely to be operating at the local level. These can be accessed from: Deprivation and Health: LHB Summary Reports (2006)


Income Poverty


Access to community healthcare services Access to services is wider than the financial ability to pay for services. Using the needs assessment that underpins the HSCWB strategy and CYP plan, community based healthcare services provided by partnerships must be adequately targeted and delivered in areas of highest need to enhance participation, with consideration given to travel links and proximity to universal settings such as schools

Health Poverty Index NSF Standards on access to services

Access to safe modes of transport to reduce inci-dence of RTC’s in deprived wards.

A review of safe routes to school schemes could be used to extend 20mph zones across Council areas where there is a high density of children and young people.

NPHS Deprivation and the health of Young People re-port

Communities First Play Sport, Leisure and Culture / Chwarae, campau, hamdden a'r pethe

Income Poverty


Engaging children, young people and their families in arts, culture and leisure when there are significant financial barriers.

Maximise use of community settings e.g. integrated children’s centres or community schools to provide subsidised activities. Access extracurricular provision through programmes such as Dragon Sport and 5x60, in which teachers and volunteers provide activity sessions free of charge or at minimal cost. Provide staffed play areas - funding available from Big Lottery fund

The Community Builders Handbook Arts Council Wales fund community arts and dance organisations across Wales who aim to engage children from deprived communities. Sports Council for Wales employ Dragon Sport Coordinators based in local authorities across Wales. The Coordinators work with schools and community clubs to provide opportunities for 7-11 year olds http://www.dragonsport.co.uk 5x60 officers are funded through the Sports Council for Wales to provide extracurricular sport sessions for secondary school pupils.


Income Poverty


Retaining participation levels when costs for uni-forms, equipment or subs become too high

Explore partnership working with the private sector and/or charities to part fund activities and equipment. Develop a community co operative model in which facilities and equipment are shared. Applications can be made for up to £1000 of Community Chest grant from the Sports Council for Wales to buy sporting equipment to start new clubs or to expand existing clubs. Clubs in deprived communities may also be able to use these funds to purchase uniform for their teams.

Promoting private sector engagement in sport for development partnerships http://www.sports-council-wales.org.uk/grants-funding/grant-schemes/community-chest

Minimising the costs of participation for families with more than one child.

Saturday morning school pilots are being developed by the Welsh Sports Council to provide low cost or free additional services in an environment accessible to local families. Increase opportunities for partnership working specifically between CYPPs, Communities First and local arts providers (community arts organisations).

Sports Council - Wales grants


Income Poverty


The need to support and promote activities within communities rather than introducing activi-ties through external initiatives.

Building local interest and capacity ensures that ser-vices are more sustainable because they attract a criti-cal mass of people, are easily accessible and relate to the locality. Community capacity can be built by procur-ing funds to provide subsidised costs and underwrite of activities.

Hand in Hand- Arts based Activities and Regeneration (ACW)

Developing an accurate picture of participation, financial barriers and related outcomes.

Develop a more robust monitoring and evaluation model to reflect the actual number of people engaging in relevant services and measure the impact made.

Unpacking Participation

Communities First Participation and Decision Making / Cymryd rhan yn y broses benderfynu

Income Poverty


Participation in Community Regeneration Children’s participation in Communities First benefits the community and the children and young people involved.

Utilise the Save the “Make it happen” community re-generation CD Rom

Email Save the children

Lack of Awareness There is limited awareness of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Raise awareness of children and young people’s right to participate under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and Welsh Assembly Govern-ment policy e.g. Extending Entitlements.

Useful supporting websites on the UNCRC – list some here. Save the Children Wales UNCRC Monitoring Group and Funky Dragon in-formation on website on UNCRC for children and young people. http://www.sccyp.org.uk/participation/resources.php


Income Poverty


Being Worse Off Children and young people experiencing poverty should not be worse off as a result of their participation.

Fully review the individual costs of participation and ensure that up front costs are minimised.

Camden documents

Lack of money Monetary issues can often act as a barrier to attending participation activity.

Develop good practice in relation to the reward, remuneration and recognition of Children and young people’s participation, ensuring that it takes into account the complexities of the welfare benefits system.

Good practice Guide www.participationworkerswales.org.uk

Communities First A Safe Home and Community / Cartrefi a chymunedau diogel

Income Poverty


Economic inactivity In 2005-6 men and women living in social housing in Wales had a lower rate of economic activity and higher unemployment than those living in other tenures and of economic inactivity.

Explore ways of working in partnership to join up employment and housing solutions. Review housing related procurement processes and investigate the potential for social clauses and employment skills development. Link housing options advice with employment advice

DWP Report on Social Housing and Worklessness

Communities First Income Maximisation / Employment / Heb fod dan anfantais o achos tlodi

Income Poverty


Operating without a bank account can lead to signifi-cant costs leading to poor families having to pay a pov-erty premium.

Consider developing a multi agency approach (credit unions, voluntary sector, housing, health) to addressing financial inclusion for families and consider innovative approaches using the internet as a means of delivering accessibility to competitive rates/products.

http://www.rightsnet.org.uk/toolkit.shtml http://www.nowletstalkmoney.com/gb/en/default.html http://www.basic-skills.co.uk/ouractivities/financialliteracy/ http://www.pfeg.org/ http://www.learnaboutmoney.org/index.php http:// www.moneymadeclear.fsa.gov.uk/

Unemployment and worklessness in families are ma-jor factors in child poverty. Paid work is seen by the gov-ernment as a route out of poverty, however the ability to achieve higher quality and sustainable jobs is also impor-tant.

Develop in partnership a cohesive local approach to reducing worklessness. That co-ordinates local resource, understanding, data and expertise. Consider the use of outreach services and IT solutions to assist in reducing Worklessness.

Joseph Rowntree Foundation : Local ini-tiatives to help workless people find and keep paid work


Income Poverty


The nature and degree of partnership working between Job Centre Plus and the local councils varies across Wales. To date only a small percentage of Council’s have signed up to the Job Centre Plus Local Employment Partnerships initiative (which aims to bring together Government and large employers to help 250,000 disadvantaged people into jobs within three years).

Consider the appropriateness of committing the Council to the Job Centre Plus’s Local Employment Initiative (the following public sector bodies have signed up to this Scheme Somerset County Council, Coventry City Council, Glasgow City Council, Middlesbrough City Council, NHS Wales, North Glamorgan NHS Trust, West Lothian Council, Birmingham City Council). Review HR policies to ensure that recruitment practices are inclusive and do not disadvantage vulnerable groups.

Local Employment Partnerships

In Work Poverty occurs due to low pay. In 2006 the Public sector accounts for 23% of all those in low pay in Wales. It should be noted that these are workers who are employed directly by the public sector and does not include staff, for example engaged in cleaning, who are employed by contractors working for the public sector.

Review HR processes (such as staff development) to ensure good practice with low paid workers by: targeting low-skilled workers and the low-paid for training and further education to support their progression to better-quality and better-paid jobs fostering family-friendly employment practices and supporting women returnees;

http://www.guidance-research.org/EG/LLL/lll2ABSD/


Income Poverty


Sustainable Procurement practices adopted by Councils and other public bodies can be utilised to support the local economy and worklessness.

Review sustainable procurement practices and explore potential to support the social aspect of sustainable procurement e.g. social contracts etc.

https://www.buy4wales.co.uk/UsefulResources/valuewalesp.html

Research indicates that benefit take-up is an issue within Wales Official figures show 44% of couples with children are paying out much more than they need to in council tax. HMRC state that in 2005-2006, 60,000 families did not claim their entitlement to Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit which amounted to £80m of unclaimed Tax credits(central estimates)

Consider the feasibility of undertaking in work benefit-take up take up activities with working families on low incomes. Such activity should be multiagency involving experts from the voluntary sector.

http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/publications/publication-display.do?id=22235 http://www.entitledto.co.uk/default.aspx


Income Poverty


There is currently no obligation on councils to take responsibility for promoting improved take-up of welfare benefits. Despite this, there is a growing expectation from Central Government that benefit checks and help to claim benefits should be integrated within council key services.

Consider the feasibility of providing holistic benefit checks for vulnerable families within key frontline services in partnership with the voluntary sector and encourage the take up of WTC/CTC and DLA (especially for children) and Attendance Allowance.

The unclaimed millions: dla and can-cer patients CPAG: Out of Reach: benefits for dis-abled children Citizens advice: Tax credit take-up resource pack

Knowledge of the Carers Premium among front line staff and vulnerable families is limited. Benefits maximisation for families with a disabled/sick person is a key issue as they are at a high risk group.

Consider awareness raising among key staff working with families with a disabled person.

CPAG: Out of Reach: benefits for dis-abled children Carer’s UK http://www.carersuk.org/Information


Service Poverty


Assessment of Childcare Sufficiency In responding to the childcare sufficiency assessment consider the gaps surrounding provision for families most at risk of experiencing poverty such as large families, families with a disabled child.

Local approaches to ensuring childcare for black and minority ethnic families daycare trust Resources for local authorities MCA

Breastfeeding Despite considerable efforts to encourage breast feeding in the UK, rates have remained static for the past 20 years with a strong disparity between social classes and ethnic groups

Consider reviewing the level of provision and support available to disadvantaged mothers.

http://www.breastfeeding.nhs.uk/en/docs/FINAL_Breastfeeding_Guide.pdf

Food Poverty The inequalities in what families eat – depending on their socioeconomic group, where they live in Wales, and their ethnic background – have not been recognised.

Think about establishing a group to work through the nutrition and food poverty toolkit.

http://www.heartforum.org.uk/downloads/Nut_TkitAll.pdf


Service Poverty


Reaching Out Outreach work remains a particular challenge for early years programmes, specifically with regards to improving services for fathers, the parents of children with disabilities, and for ethnic minorities in areas with smaller minority populations

Consider innovative approaches to outreach for early years provision such as investing in Children’s Information Service Outreach.

Toolkit for Reaching Priority and Ex-cluded Families

Positive Behaviour Promoting positive behaviour within early years settings can be particularly challenging in deprived areas.

Utilise the Behaviour 4 Learning website which aims to ensure that teacher educators and trainees are provided with high quality relevant resources that enable trainers and trainees engage with the principles of behaviour for learning to improve the management of classroom behaviour, enable achievement and foster the emotional wellbeing of learners.

http://www.behaviour4learning.ac.uk/index.aspx?menuId=10126


Service Poverty


Basic Skills Lack of basic skills limit the ability of pupils to partake in educational and skills based activi-ties. This limits employment opportunities

Work with the Basic Skills Cymru to develop a robust approach to developing Basic skills attain-ment at post 16.

Basic-skills-Wales: post_16 resource

School Exclusions Prevent vulnerable children missing out by adopting approaches that minimise the potential for school exclusions.

http://www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/findings/socialpolicy/961.asp http://www.teachers.tv/video/2542

Learning Coaches Undertake Learning Coach training on child pov-erty.

Learning Coaches (Wales)


Service Poverty


Curriculum and Teaching Extended Schools and out of school activities programmes that provide effective and complementary educational support to vulnerable children play a significant part in reducing the gaps in educational attainment.

Priorities community schooling in schools with high populations of pupils entitled to free school meals.

Literacytrust.org.uk/socialinclusion nfer extended schools

Curriculum and Teaching Schools that are ‘learning organisations’ and prioritise classroom experiences and learning rather than teaching have been found to be successful in reducing the gaps in educational attainment caused by poverty

Further develop pupil centred approaches that assesses what would it take to achieve good outcomes for each individual child.

The Extra mile : How schools succeed in deprived areas

Curriculum and Teaching Schools that are ‘learning organisations’ and prioritise classroom experiences and learning rather than teaching have been found to be successful in reducing the gaps in educational attainment caused by poverty.

Tailor the curriculum specifically to the needs of the pupils and consider flexible approaches to teaching methods.

14-19 Learning Peacehaven Community School


Service Poverty


School Rewards Develop in partnership a flexible pastoral and youth support framework

dfes goodpractice WAG: A whole school approach to be-haviour and attendance

Basic Skills Low levels of basic skills in work hamper the ability of employees to progress and perpetu-ates in work poverty.

Prioritise basic skills within your own organisations and encourage all partners to sign up to "Basic skills employer pledge". Complete and implement the action plan.

Basic-skills-Wales: employer_pledge

Operating within an anti discriminatory framework Teacher labelling and stereotyping on the grounds of socio economic status can adversely affect the academic performance of pupils.

Ensure staff are socially attuned and learn to interact with pupils in non-patronising, non judgemental ways.

Training and Staff Development on In-clusion- a checklist for schools Inclusive education: knowing what we mean (E848_1) http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/teaching/poverty/2/


Service Poverty


Basic Skills Lack of basic skills limit the ability of pupils to partake in educational and skills based activi-ties.

Work with the Basic Skills Cymru to develop a robust approach to developing Basic skills attain-ment at secondary level.

Basic Skills Agency

Supporting Educational Attainment Develop effective Children and young people partnership monitoring arrangements for educa-tional attainment specifically targeting under-achievement.

Contact Partnership Support Unit for avail-able resources. Contact Charlotte Drury PSU Manager (029) 20468616

Working with Parents Parental engagement in supporting learning has been found to be a key factor in increas-ing the attainment of vulnerable pupils.

Consider using the Scottish toolkit parents as partners in learning toolkit to enhance current work.

teachernet. workingwithparents parents as partnersinlearning toolkit


Service Poverty


Communities First Communities First now has a responsibility to address Child Poverty.

Consider good practice in partnerships between schools and regeneration projects that address child poverty, skills and educational attainment of the most vulnerable in society.

http://www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/findings/housing/983.asp homeoffice.gov.uk activecommunities

Community Schooling Extended schooling and out-of-hours activities are particularly important to disadvantaged pupils: they do not enjoy the range and rich-ness of out-of-school learning available to their more advantaged peers.

Explicitly target Community Schooling provision at the most disadvantaged communities/young people.

Community Focussed Schools: Making it happen a toolkit

Smooth Transitions In Wales, the proportion of young people not engaged in education, employment or training (NEET) aged 16-18 is at a relatively high level – at around 10-12% or 12,000 young people for nearly a decade.

Develop a partnership approach to the reduction of NEETs focusing on early intervention.

WAG Consultation paper on NEETs http://www.bild.org.uk/03books_autism.htm http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/children/docs/neet-toolkit.pdf


Service Poverty


Smooth transitions Develop robust methods that track those at risk of becoming a NEET, deal swiftly with dropout and develop efficient coordinated youth support services.

TOOLKIT ALIGNING PROVISION Developing provision to meet PSA Targets for Attainment of Level 2 at 19 and Reducing the proportion of Young People who are not in education, employment or training (NEET)

Outreach Develop coordinated and targeted approached to detached youth work and outreach.

Targeting_toolkit

Information advice and Guidance Focus advice and guidance services for those at risk of disengagement.

The effectiveness of the Careers Wales Companies in supporting young people in making a successful transition from education to employment


Service Poverty


Raising Aspirations In many areas in Wales that are experiencing poverty there is a “perceived poverty of ambition”

Support and further develop a range of informal education provision that helps raise aspirations, confidence, self esteem and motivation.

extending_entitlement

Homework Policies Children from more advantaged backgrounds enjoy considerable out of school support in overcoming their problems that their disadvantaged peers do not receive. The latter are almost totally dependent on out-of-school homework clubs if they are to access such support.

Develop guidance on homework policies that take account of the difficult situation faced by children experiencing poverty and the support that can be made available to them.

http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/atoz/h/homework/ Homework Policies


Service Poverty


Working with others Consider bringing in role models to show people from their own background that can be successful.

http://www.infed.org/biblio/role_model_education.htm http://www.teachers.tv/video/244

Curriculum and Teaching Cultural opportunities provide many benefits which can increase childhood resilience. Those who grow up in poverty have fewer recreational, social and cul-tural opportunities.

Provide cultural opportunities that pupils would otherwise not have access to (sport, art and other activities)

Enhancing pupil learning on museum visits (TL_MUSEUMS)


Service Poverty


Access to information and support on key areas of public health such as: Nutrition, Maternal & Neo natal health, Breastfeeding, Immunisation, Sexual Health,Physical Activity, Obesity Understanding the impacts of poverty on families

Ensuring that targeted information is accessible to excluded groups such as families living in poverty is essential. In terms of health related behaviours partnerships and local government services such as environmental health and housing have a key role to play in delivering responsive and useful information in a suitable format on subjects relevant to public health including nutrition, breastfeeding, immunisations, healthy and hygienic environments etc An evaluation of HSCWB & CYP targets would support a strengthened approach to joined up working targeting limited resources around priority areas determined to have a poverty related impact on health and wellbeing, pooling budgets and resources.

WLGA Nutrition & food poverty toolkit D - developing a local nutrition and food poverty strategy Health Challenge Wales have produced a leaflet and poster entitled the small steps to a healthier you Kettering healthy lifestyles info sheet Low Income Diet and Nutrition Survey Western Health Action Zone (Northern Ireland) supports a diversity of projects under the Family and Poverty theme Food poverty and health toolkit Nutrition and Health toolkit Breastfeeding strategy (Wales) Sports Council for Wales


Service Poverty


Access to family planning services Poverty and deprivation, poor educational achievement and low expectations have all been identified as key factors contributing to high rates of teenage pregnancy Poverty is a key risk factor for teenage pregnancy. Girls whose families are in social class V (unskilled manual) are ten times more likely to become teenage mothers than girls from professional backgrounds. They are also far less likely to have an abortion if they do become pregnant. Providing well targeted family planning and sexual education programmes are essential and linking this provision to the education curricula i.e. via P.S.E. would support the mainstreaming of some family planning and sexual health advice.

Brook information sheet Planned Teenage Pregnancy- JRF per-spectives on teenage pregnancy and community based support mechanisms SCIE research briefing


Service Poverty


Access to substance misuse services Poverty and neighbourhood deprivation increase children’s vulnerability to illicit drug use and looked-after children have been identified as particularly at risk. Working with the community safety partnership a review of the existing approach to reducing substance misuse and supporting families could ensure better aligned targets and outcomes across the authority as a corporate centre.

Access to a healthy and balanced diet There are a number of mechanisms to promote the benefits of a healthy diet alongside information on how local authorities can support the development of community food co-operatives such as an easy start up guide and access to funding.

Health Challenge Wales Food and Fitness Action Plan: Welsh community food co operatives Food Access Network Newcastle Community Food Initiative Access to affordable food in rural ar-eas- Community interventions Accessing affordable food-Policy link Report



Adequately targeted services and evaluation of outcomes focused on enhancing the participation and engagement of children from deprived or hard to reach communities.

Local authorities are not required to collect information that indicate the number of children from deprived wards who are accessing cultural and leisure services. This continues to undermine targeted planning and provision. A local pilot initiative to collect data and improve targeting would be a step forward.

Sport Action Zones Arts and Public Engagement : Pat-terns. Processes and levers for Change Arts Council Wales databases offer details of community arts organisations which operate across Wales

Lack of joined up local indicators that link access and participation

In the absence of Key Performance Indicators, local Indicators could be developed to enhance access for children in deprived wards, using the Free Swimming and other similar initiatives as benchmarks.

Service Poverty


Service Poverty


There are very few audits of available services mapped against deprivation indicators. This makes planning activities very difficult. Funding for play services is rarely reviewed continuing on the basis of historical information. An audit of services and funding streams would align current resources to children’s play needs

In all local authorities there is sustained investment in cultural venues. This in turn needs linking up with local community groups, school curricula and youth services to increase access and opportunity e.g. school visits to museums, hiring of mini buses via transport grants and organising walking buses. Sustainable community provision linked in with local priorities e.g. reclaiming unused land to create new play spaces by working with the environmental services and planning departments. Greater use and development of play impact assessment to support the need for increased provision. linking the wider community with educational and environmental agendas.

www.playwales.org.uk Play Impact Assessments Bridging the Gap –from policy to implementation working together to combat poverty (Swansea, Glasgow & Newham)


Service Poverty


Limited local knowledge There is limited research on the local barriers to participation caused by child poverty

Undertake participatory approaches to explore the barriers to participation of hard to reach children and young people / children and young people living in poverty in particular.

Download the good practice guide on ‘Ensuring Inclusion’ from www.participationworkerswales.org.uk Contact organisations with expertise in reaching hard to reach groups e.g. Black Voluntary Sector Network

Processes Improving the process of children and young peo-ple’s participation and the quality of their experience overall remains a key issue for practitioners.

Use the National Children and Young People’s Participation Standards as a guide. There are seven standards: information, it’s your choice, no discrimination, respect, you get something out of it, feedback and improving how we work. Keeping to these Standards will mean upholding what children and young people have identified as the core components of participation.

Download the National Participation Standards document and the Self Assessment Pack from the website www.participationworkerswales.org.uk which shows how to measure and evidence against the Standards to improve good practice.


Service Poverty


Lack of Resources There are limited practical resources for facili-tating the participation of vulnerable children and young people with sensitive issues such as child poverty.

Use resources available e.g. Dynamix ‘Spice It Up’ pack for games and activities. Draw on good practice from other areas / organisations

Sign up as a member to the participation e-briefings for the Participation Workers’ Net-work for Wales and get examples of good practice from across Wales. Download good practice guides on children and young people’s participation from www.participationworkerswales.org.uk. Liaise with local participation workers / youth forum workers who have a remit for the par-ticipation of children and young people lo-cally. Liaise with local school coun-cils. Liaise with Funky Dragon, the Children and Young People’s Assembly for Wales, which has a national remit for children and young people’s participation.


Service Poverty


Homelessness Ensure that Youth Workers, Careers Wales staff and other officers dealing with unemployed young people are trained in homelessness is-sues

http://www.homelesspages.org.uk/index.asp

Home Safety Accidents within the home are a major health problem throughout Wales and are associated with a range of factors including poor housing conditions and poverty.

Develop robust information provision and pro-jects regarding the prevention of accidents with vulnerable families.

http://www.rospa.com/homesafety/wales/whsc/links.htm

Child Pedestrian Injuries Child Pedestrian Injuries are strongly related to with deprivation.

Explore methods of improving road safety in dis-advantaged areas. Via the NSF arrangements within key action 2.38.

department for transport t roadsafety research


Service Poverty


Registered social landlords and local authorities in Wales were owed over £34 million by their tenants at 31 March 2003. Total Council Tax arrears at April 2007 stand at £71 million. Action to recover this debt requires sensitivity.

Consider developing fair debt collection practices working in partnership with debt advice providers ( e.g. Send out debt advice referral forms with reminder letters and liability orders etc.) and developing a common all Wales methodology for calculating financial statements

Office of Fair Trading.16 Organisations

Living in social housing is a key risk factor associated with child poverty and worklessness

Consider the potential for housing services to work with tenants to address worklessness. For example Sheffield Council, housing services and the local Jobcentre Plus (JCP) are joined-up and in some cases even co-located and in other local authorities planning, regeneration and Section 106 agreements have been utilised to address issues of worklessness and skills.

TESCO Stockport Regeneration Part-nership

Repossessions are on the increasing. The Cost of re-housing someone is estimated to be £2000.

Consider establishing ‘Invest to save schemes’ to support for preventing repossessions via mortgage rescue schemes.

Richmondshire Mortgage Rescue Scheme Shelter: Preventing court action Adviceguide: Credit and debt fact sheets


Participation Poverty


Children’s Information Services Poor communication with parents about the range of services available limits participation.

Develop a range of materials to support the promotion of early years provision to parents who are at risk of experiencing poverty.

http://www.surestart.gov.uk/_doc/P0002522.pdf

At risk Groups Lone Parents, the disabled and some ethnic minority families are at risk of child poverty.

Ensure that steps are taken to research the local needs of lone parents and other groups at risk of child poverty.

Listening to lone parents about Child-care daycare trust Listening to parents of disabled chil-dren about childcare daycare trust

Fathers Fathers’ involvement in the earliest months of a child’s life may be critical to later outcomes.

Utilise the information provided and review practice.

http://www.surestart.gov.uk/_doc/P0002547.pdf




Engaging local people in learning about nu-trition

Cymru Cooks Cymru Cooks supports the development of cookery clubs, as an out of school hours learning activity. Clubs can now register on the Cymru Cook website either by downloading an online form or a word document.

Cymru Cook website




Lack of local capacity A number of councils work in partnership with communities first partnerships, the arts council, sports councils and other voluntary sector providers to bid for funding and enhance local community capacity, specifically in the arts and cultural pursuits. Such collaboration ensures community needs are met whilst increasing facilities, access and engagement. The sports council, working with local authorities, has developed a programme called 5 x 60 aimed at increasing access to physical activity and sports. Sixth formers from across Wales have been trained to deliver support to younger children, enhancing both their skills and values and ensuring increased participation. Local grants are available from the Sports Council for Wales to support small enterprise organisations in their provision of local sporting opportunities. Grants are also available to a wide range of organisations to support the development of capacity.

The role of sport in regenerating communities




Maintaining engagement over a period of time

Creative and innovative methods can be used to respond to community needs, enhance interest and ensure the development of new skills.

Yale Centre for Digital story telling at Yale College Wrexham, is now working with Communities First areas to deliver new and exciting experience and skills to the public.




The need for local services to encourage greater participation.

There will be enhanced participation if service provision is worthwhile, fun and gives opportunity to gain new skills or an award (e.g. Millennium volunteers Grant scheme) Development of intergenerational projects enhances skills and provides access to services e.g. cinema night or cultural trips. Some local authority areas have sports’ councils who provide a voice for local clubs. The umbrella body for these is the Welsh Association of Local Sport Councils. The Libraries for Life scheme launched by WAG should encourage greater engagement with and use of local library facilities

Communities First Network- Billy Brown Creative Partnerships Arts Council Wales strategies for promoting participation and funding opportunities. WAG Statement 2005 Welsh Association of Local Sport Councils Libraries for Life




Play Research over recent years has repeatedly highlighted children’s declining presence in the outdoor world that was traditionally their playground. Possible causes are traffic, fear of crime, negative attitudes to children in public and planning policies that take little account of their needs.

One of the main reasons children give for not playing outdoors more is that they and their parents are afraid for their safety. Fear of strangers, traffic and bullying by other children combine to keep children in their own homes. Good play provision protects children through reducing unacceptable levels of danger, while allowing them the opportunity to challenge themselves and use their initiative

Child's Play: Facilitating play on housing estates Open Space and Children's Play Areas Checklist




Charged for services such as leisure, culture and transport can often limit participation of children and young people in families with financial difficulties.

Review charging practice and policy in relation to fairer access to services

Families and young experiencing poverty often face difficulties accessing financial products and internet deals such as basic bank accounts.

Basic Bank accounts Toolkit E.g. Carmarthen LA and Carmarthen CAB have worked to ensure that Local Housing Allowance claimants have access to bank accounts

Basic Bank Account Toolkit for Housing Benefit claims is designed to guide other Local Authorities through the process of setting up the same kind of service we have with one bank and to address any questions

Documents

Communities First Briefing