Following a Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Review in 2016, Councillors and officers have been working with partners to (a) harmonise all strategies and initiatives tasked with alleviating poverty in the district and (b) developing a partnership approach by creating the Anti-Poverty Co-ordination Group including partners from the social housing, health, voluntary and community and faith sectors.

This has developed a ‘living document’ which provides an overview of what partners and the council are currently doing and planning to do to alleviate poverty in the District.

Following discussion and a recommendation at the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee of the 15 November 2018, the report of the Strategic Director of Place (Document “AG”) presents the draft Anti-poverty Strategy: Bradford District Anti-Poverty Co-ordination Group’s Approach for Tackling Poverty to Executive for their consideration and approval.

Views from Executive are also requested on how we engage with the community of interest on poverty.

Recommended -

That Executive approve the draft Anti-Poverty Strategy: Bradford District Anti-Poverty Co-ordination Group’s Approach to Tackling Poverty.

(Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee)

                                                            (Helen Johnston – 01274 434401)

Resolved -

That the draft Anti-Poverty Strategy: Bradford District Anti-Poverty Co-ordination Group’s Approach to Tackling Poverty be approved.

Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee

ACTION:        Strategic Director of Place

Following a Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Review in 2016, Councillors and officers had been working with partners to (a) harmonise all strategies and initiatives tasked with alleviating poverty in the district and (b) developing a partnership approach by creating the Anti-Poverty Co-ordination Group including partners from the social housing, health, voluntary and community and faith sectors.

This had developed a ‘living document’ which provided an overview of what partners and the Council were currently doing and planning to do to alleviate poverty in the District.

Following discussion and a recommendation at the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee of the 15 November 2018, the report of the Strategic Director of Place (Document “AG”) presented the draft Anti-poverty Strategy: Bradford District Anti-Poverty Co-ordination Group’s Approach for Tackling Poverty to Executive for consideration and approval.

Views from Executive were also requested on how to engage with the community of interest on poverty.

The Strategic Director of Place introduced the report and emphasised that much of what the Council did was focused on tackling poverty, either through creating good jobs and inclusive growth through the economic strategy, improving quality of life through the health and wellbeing strategy or removing barriers to community cohesion through the stronger communities’ strategy. He added that the Strategy was a live document that would, together with the Delivery Plan, continue to be refreshed.

The Financial Inclusion Officer based in the Bradford District Credit Union reported that membership of the Credit Union had doubled in size in 4 years and that 50% of the members were financially excluded in that they could not access a bank account or finance elsewhere.  The Leader thanked the Financial Inclusion Officer for his work and referred in particular to the impact on individuals of austerity measures and the introduction of Universal Credit.

The Children and Families Portfolio Holder referred to the impact of poverty on the health and wellbeing of children and stressed the need to capture the voice of children in all areas of the Council.

The Regeneration, Planning and Transport Portfolio Holder emphasised the importance of the growth agenda and economic strategy in improving the lives of children in the District.

The Leader stressed that everything the Council did was about alleviating poverty and ensuring that people had happy and healthier lives and that the voice of the child was an important part of that process.

The Financial Inclusion Officer  noted the benefit of having a named Councillor as anti poverty champion in raising the profile of the issue of poverty.

The Neighbourhoods and Community Safety  Portfolio Holder highlighted that tackling poverty had to be at the heart of everything the authority did and that austerity had not ended.  He thanked the Anti Poverty Working Group for its work in producing the strategy.

Resolved -

That the draft Anti-Poverty Strategy: Bradford District Anti-Poverty Co-ordination Group’s Approach to Tackling Poverty be approved.

Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee

ACTION:        Strategic Director of Place