Government consults on statutory guidance for local authority child poverty duties
The government this week launched a consultation on draft statutory guidance for local authorities on new duties in relation to child poverty that come into force on 25 May 2010, but also revealed that councils will not in the short term receive any additional funding to help meet them.
The guidance says meeting the 2020 vision – to eradicate child poverty – and the targets set out in the Child Poverty Act 2010 “will require a sustained and coordinated response across central government, the devolved administrations, public, private and voluntary sectors, and local authorities and all delivery partners”.
It adds that there also needs to be a recognition that local authorities and their partners are best placed to ensure the priorities for their local populations are met through shared understanding and integrated service delivery.
The 2010 Act introduces new duties on responsible local authorities in England and their partner authorities to:
- Cooperate to put in place arrangements to work to reduce, and mitigate the effects of, child poverty in their local area
- Prepare and publish a local child poverty needs assessment “to understand the drivers of child poverty in their local area and the characteristics of those living in poverty”, and
- Prepare a joint child poverty strategy “setting out measures that the local authority and each named partner propose to take to reduce, and mitigate the effects of, child poverty in their local area”.
The guidance from the Department for Children, Schools and Families sets out the minimum standards required by the Act, the importance of partnership working and how the new duties fit within existing structures and other partnerships.
It also explains in detail what a local needs assessment should cover and “how a successful strategy should be developed to align with other strategies, business planning processes, commissioning channels and monitoring and performance frameworks”. There is information on the ‘core offer’ of support to councils and their partners as well.
The government insists in the guidance that the new duties “are not intended to create unnecessary new structures and burdens”, arguing that fulfilling them should be seen as part of the wider strategic planning overseen by local strategic partnerships.
The needs assessment and joint strategy should also be embedded with the overall vision for the area contained in sustainable community strategies.
“However, if potential new burdens do arise as a result of this guidance, the DCSF commit to fully funding all new burdens on local authorities,” the document adds.
The government’s impact assessment and new burdens assessment identified “some small burdens” on local authorities in ensuring that local arrangements for ongoing cooperation with partners are made, that local poverty needs assessments are consulted on and published, and that local child poverty strategies are developed.
The transfers required in relation to 2010/11 will be met by the DCSF and the Department for Work and Pensions. For 2011/12 onwards the cost of new burdens will be discussed as part of Spending Review negotiations.
A copy of the draft guidance can be downloaded here.
The consultation closes on 18 June.
