Pembury Children's Community

Local Context

Hackney -

An inner London borough with a young and diverse population, a

burgeoning local economy, quality schools and a changing demographic. Set against the backdrop of pockets of persistent and significant deprivation that limit the life chances of some of its young residents.

Pembury –

A large estate of approximately 2400 residents located in the Hackney

Central ward that very much reflects the challenges and opportunities that face the borough as a whole.

• Between Peabody (landlord for the Pembury estate) and the London Borough of Hackney

• 2011 disturbances provided a catalyst for a joint focus on the Pembury

• A shared vision was developed, taking inspiration from the Harlem ‘Children’s Zone’ in New York. Over the last 40 years, this has aimed to transform children’s chances in Harlem by working across family, school and community lives and throughout their childhood from conception to career (see http://hcz.org)

Partnership

Vision

“Pembury, our beacon in Hackney, will be a vibrant and aspirational place

to live, because it is:

• Safe and attractive

• A community that is ambitious

• A place where children achieve and are surrounded by positive role models”

We hope to develop a powerful model that can be used on other estates both in Hackney and across Peabody. Pembury has also become one of four Save the Children pilots trailing the development of ‘Children's Communities’ in the UK.

• Sonia Khan, Head of Service

• From April 2013, 9 members of staff

• Support for children from birth to early adulthood across their family, school and community lives

• Concentrated focus on a specific geographic area over 10 years

• Co-ordinated holistic service provision across all sectors and organisations

• In depth understanding of family and child circumstances and need

• Fully involving the community in designing and implementing solutions

Approach

Developing the Children’s Community

• Strengthening the existing services on the estate

• Set up Children’s Community Board

• Development of a pilot project working with ‘NEET’ young people

• Consultations with stakeholders, including families and children

• Development of a ‘theory of change’ for the programme, working with the University of Manchester – the national evaluators for Children’s Communities

Presenting problems

Concentrated poverty - 47% of households below 60% of the median income - 46% of children in poverty - 35% homes overcrowded Some children and young people under-achieving in education 36% of 5 year olds not achieving a ‘good level of development’ 22% of all adults on the estate have no qualifications Negative self and external perceptions Pressures on/within families E.g. 58% of children on the estate in lone parent families.

1. THE STARTING SITUATION ON THE PEMBURY ESTATE

Underlying issues e.g. - lack of affordable childcare, particularly after-school provision - lack of jobs inc those that are part-time/flexible hours (21% of working age population are claiming benefits. Low rates of maternal employment?) - low paid work - challenges facing 1st generation migrants (50% of residents born outside UK, 43% outside EU) eg language barrier, lack of networks, knowledge of UK employment market, discrimination, qualifications not recognized)

2. THE PEMBURY CHILDREN’S COMMUNITY

10 year vision Pembury, our Beacon in Hackney, will be a vibrant and aspirational place to live because it is: • Safe and attractive

• A community that is

ambitious

• A place where children achieve and are surrounded by positive role models

Outcomes

A reduction in child poverty (particularly through increases in well-paid parental employment) Reduction in evictions Improvements in educational engagement and achievement Parents feel more confident and skilled in their parenting role, and better supported by their co-parents, by the community and by services Young children develop well and are ‘school-ready’ at 4 No place stigma (residents, particularly children, view the estate as a positive place to live and the external reputation of the estate is improved) Children feel confident about themselves and feel able to access services and opportunities

Local services Extensive but more joining up needed Continued challenge to reach/engage the most vulnerable Balance of reactive rather than preventative services Schools under pressure – narrowly focused

Early Priorities

Four key priorities have been agreed as a focus in the first three years of the programme:

• Tackling child poverty – increasing employment/employability

• Supporting parents – informal networks of parents, relationships between parents, parent training and support for most vulnerable families

• Early Years - perinatal support, school readiness, family literacy

• Transition to adulthood – partnerships with secondary schools and work with ‘NEET’ young people

The Pembury Pathways Project seeks to tackle the multiple

barriers to employment that parents face by linking together

family support, employment & skills advice and quality childcare

Case worker provides family support and ongoing mentoring as needed

Barriers to ed/training/ work arising from family & personal issues reduced

Income raised/debt reduced where possible

Parents supported to learn/train/ work

Parents enabled to pursue employment opportunities

Good quality (well paid, flexible) employment opportunities available

Parents become employed

Employment is sustained

Employment pays enough to sustain childcare?

Parents access child care

Childcare brokerage inc initial subsidies and/or additional childcare spaces created and prioritised for Pembury parents

Good quality childcare available in the area

Improved parental wellbeing

Increase in parental skill levels, qualifications and employment

Raised incomes

Children’s outcomes improve

KEY Blue boxes = work to be done by the project Green boxes = intermediary outcomes for the project Purple boxes = ultimate outcomes for the project Yellow boxes = external variables important to the success of the project that are entirely or partially outside its scope