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Brian Dornan Head of Tackling Poverty Team Public Health & Wellbeing Directorate Tackling Poverty, Inequality & Deprivation in Scotland: Taking forward.

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Presentation on theme: "Brian Dornan Head of Tackling Poverty Team Public Health & Wellbeing Directorate Tackling Poverty, Inequality & Deprivation in Scotland: Taking forward."— Presentation transcript:

1 Brian Dornan Head of Tackling Poverty Team Public Health & Wellbeing Directorate Tackling Poverty, Inequality & Deprivation in Scotland: Taking forward the Government Economic Strategy Social Inclusion: Tackling Poverty Team

2 What is the Government Economic Strategy? The strategic approach to delivering the Government’s purpose: “To focus the Government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth.” Social Inclusion: Tackling Poverty Team

3 Overarching strategy for all of public sector, focussed on single purpose Higher level of ambition Measurable, time-bound economic targets Council of Economic Advisers & National Economic Forum Developed in tandem with Budget A New Approach Social Inclusion: Tackling Poverty Team

4 Monitoring Progress

5 But also influencing… Cohesion: to narrow the gap in participation between Scotland’s best and worst performing regions by 2017 2020 Child Poverty Target also relevant… Mainly…. Solidarity: to increase overall income and the proportion of income earned by the three lowest income deciles as a group by 2017 Social Inclusion: Tackling Poverty Team

6 Wealthier & Fairer Smarter Healthier Safer & Stronger Greener and… Ensuring that “equity” underpins the Government’s Strategic Objectives: Social Inclusion: Tackling Poverty Team

7 What do Poverty, Inequality and Deprivation look like in Scotland? Social Inclusion: Tackling Poverty Team

8 Poverty is a couple with two children living on less than £17,000 per year, or a single person living on less than £7,500 per year 1 in 6 people in Scotland are poor, including 210,000 children, 470,000 working age adults and 190,000 pensioners Poverty is defined and measured using income, but the experience of poverty is not just about goods being unaffordable, and the solution is not just fiscal Poverty causes social exclusion and is both cause and effect of different experiences in education, the labour market, health, housing and justice

9 21% of children are in poverty 38% of households in poverty have someone in work 52% of children living in poverty are in households with working adult 470,000 working-age adults are in poverty (up from 440,000 10 years ago) Not just an area deprivation problem- 77% of people in poverty live outside 15% ‘most deprived’ data zones Social Inclusion: Tackling Poverty Team

10 Experience of poverty “I now buy food and bring it home – cooked chicken and things like that, because I’m scared to use the oven because I know it costs too much money. I only use the washing machine twice a week because I’m scared of what it costs” “I’m really panicking about the rise in gas and electricity prices – and food is now a problem for me too. I am struggling to put food on the table after paying the bills” (source: JRF, “Voices of People Experiencing Poverty in Scotland” 2007) Social Inclusion: Tackling Poverty Team

11 Source: Eurostat. 2006 data. Scotland added.

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13 The poorest tenth of the population receive 2% of the country's total income The second poorest tenth receive 4% The third poorest tenth receive 8% The bottom three deciles combined receive 14% - this has not changed in ten years The Solidarity Target aims to change this In contrast: The richest tenth have 30% The top three deciles receive over 50% of all income Inequality Social Inclusion: Tackling Poverty Team

14 1.Prevention of poverty and tackling root causes 2.Helping to lift people out of poverty 3.Alleviating the impact of poverty Key Areas for Action Social Inclusion: Tackling Poverty Team

15 Addressing educational disadvantage and underachievement Tackling poor health Providing more choices and more chances for young people who are disengaged or at risk of disengagement Tackling worklessness – particularly inter-generational Providing the best start in the early years Regenerating disadvantaged communities Addressing attitudes, perceptions and values 1.Prevention of Poverty and tackling the root causes Social Inclusion: Tackling Poverty Team

16 Improve employability (childcare, skills, economic dev) Increase sustained employment and workplace progression Joined-up, client centred services Support better mental wellbeing and resilience Promote benefit take up and support for those who cannot work Tackle substance misuse Address homelessness Reduce offending and re-offending 2.Helping to lift people out of poverty Social Inclusion: Tackling Poverty Team

17 Increase entitlement and encourage the take-up of free school meals Abolition of prescription charges Funding free personal care for older people Providing free bus travel for older people and discounted travel for younger people Most older people are not poor Tackling fuel poverty among the poor Developing the concept of a “living wage” 3.Alleviating the impact of poverty Social Inclusion: Tackling Poverty Team

18 Are these the right areas for action? Where should we concentrate our efforts to ensure delivery of the Solidarity Target? Key Questions: Social Inclusion: Tackling Poverty Team

19 How well do reserved and devolved policies currently complement one another? Are aspects of UK policies barriers to tackling poverty? What needs to change? UK policy Social Inclusion: Tackling Poverty Team

20 What should an anti-poverty framework look like in post-concordat Scotland? An agreement between Scottish Government, Local Government, Business, Third Sector / Civic Society? Key Questions: Social Inclusion: Tackling Poverty Team

21 An explanation of the contribution LAs can make? An account of the scale of contribution required? Firmly linking the SOA process to delivery of the Solidarity Target (and 2020 child poverty target)? Case studies of best practice? What else? What does the section on Local Government need? Social Inclusion: Tackling Poverty Team

22 Engagement with 5 CPPs in late May / early June. Intensive period of drafting Framework in July, August, early September this year. Process for reaching agreement with COSLA? Practical issues Social Inclusion: Tackling Poverty Team


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