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Wrexham’s
Tackling Poverty
Strategy
2015 – 18
Introduction
a. Definitions for this strategy
Definition of Poverty
For the purposes of this strategy the following will be used to define poverty:
Individuals, families and groups in the population can be said to be in poverty when they lack the
resources to obtain the types of diet, participate in the activities, and have the living conditions and
amenities which are customary, or at least widely encouraged or approved, in the societies to which
they belong. Their resources are so seriously below those commanded by the average individual or
family that they are, in effect, excluded from ordinary patterns, customs and activities.
(Townsend, 1979)
Other Definitions
Understand poverty
Prevent poverty
Combat poverty
understand what the statistics mean, what poverty is and what barriers
there are to reducing poverty
make it less likely that people will be living in poverty in the future
to reduce poverty and the impact of poverty on people
b. Purpose of this strategy
The purpose of this strategy is to confirm how all Local Service Board partners will work in
partnership to understand, prevent and combat poverty.
c. The LSB strategy partners
Wrexham County Borough Council
North Wales Police
North Wales Fire and Rescue Service
AVOW (The Association of Voluntary
Organisations in Wrexham)
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Public Health Wales
The Department of Work and Pensions
Glyndwr University
Coleg Cambria
The Probation Service
d. The National Context
Building Resilient Communities: Taking forward the Tackling Poverty Action Plan.
Welsh Government expresses its commitment to tackling poverty through its Tackling Poverty
Action Plan 2012-16 which focuses on 4 themes; ‘preventing poverty’, ‘helping people out of
poverty’, ‘mitigating the effects of poverty’ and ‘joining-up across government’.
The Building Resilient Communities (BRC) document describes how the Welsh Government will
meet the challenges in the Tackling Poverty Action Plan 2012-16. It signals the use of Communities
First, which has been re-focussed as a tackling poverty programme, in pulling together the different
interventions such as Flying Start, Supporting People and Families First as well as a range of
employment support initiatives from across different Government departments, to enable them
work together in support of local communities. BRC identifies a number of measurable targets and
milestones that will be used to demonstrate progress.
Child Poverty
Welsh Government has consistently made clear that reducing child poverty is a fundamental
element of its social justice agenda and also part of its key priorities to implement the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
This Child Poverty Strategy sets out what the Welsh Government can achieve in helping to reduce
poverty particularly in the areas of improving health, education and economic outcomes for children
in low income families by pursing three strategic objectives to:

Reduce the number of families living in workless households

Improve the skills of parents and young people living in low income households

Reduce inequalities that exist in health, education outcomes of children and families by
improving the outcomes of the poorest.
Financial Impact of Welfare Reforms in Wrexham
Changes to the social security system (“welfare reform”) result in losses of income in all Local
Authority (LA) areas of the UK; the greatest effects being felt in older industrial areas, a number of
seaside towns and some London boroughs. As a general rule, the more deprived a LA already is, the
more it will be adversely affected as the changes are implemented. Research1 shows which LA areas
are hardest hit and “league tables” have been produced to illustrate this. Wrexham is roughly onethird to half-way down, ie. in the top 40% or so of those areas worst affected in the UK as a whole.
The reduction in spend on Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Employment and Support Allowance
(ESA) contribute most to the loss in Wrexham. The loss to the Wrexham economy in benefit
payments as a total figure is around £44 million per year.
e. Local Context
The Wrexham Local Service Board2 Plan, Our Wrexham Plan 2013-2024 describes how the LSB
partners will work together to make Wrexham a better place to live, work and visit3 and is focussed
on 3 outcomes: making Wrexham a place where people can live independently and are healthy and
active, a place that’s safe and where everyone feels included, a place with a strong, resilient and
responsible economy.
f. Consultation on this strategy
This strategy has undergone consultation with all stakeholders in March – May 2015 through a
variety of media.
1
1. “Hitting the Poorest places hardest: the local and regional impact of Welfare Reform”, Sheffield
Hallam University , Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, April 2013.
2. “Analysing the impact of the UK Government`s welfare reforms in Wales – stage 3 analysis”, Welsh
Government, February 2014.
2
See above for partner organisations of the LSB
3
See Our Wrexham Plan at http://www.wrexhamlsb.org/assets/pdf/lsb_plan_2013-2024.pdf
Introducing the Data
g. Population
The population of Wrexham in April 2015 is projected as 140,197 of which 37% are aged 0-15 (from
2011 census). By the end of the period of this strategy the population is projected to be 144,034.
Projected changes in the population of Wrexham are presented below.
Projected changes in population in Wrexham
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
2014/15 - 2017/18
Births
Deaths
Net UK migrants
Net overseas
migrants
7,103
5,144
664
2,508
Source: Census 2011
This population of Wrexham has increased by 12.4% during the past 30 years, at a time when the
Wales population has increased by 10% and the UK, by 13.7%. (Nomis Local Authority Profile)
Deprivation
Wrexham has slightly fewer areas of high poverty than the Wales average, however


some areas of Wrexham do score highly in the indices of multiple deprivation, in particular
Queensway 1, Wynnstay, Plas Madoc, Queensway 2 and Cartrefle 24
Wrexham has a larger than average number of areas in the most deprived 10% in Wales for
community safety and housing
h. Indicators
In order to establish a starting point for this strategy, a number of indicators have been chosen
which give a picture of poverty in Wrexham5. The Local Service Board will be tracking these
indicators to see if the picture improves. The indicators cover the 4 areas of prosperity, health,
learning and safety.
What do we want to achieve?
This strategy will focus on four outcomes in order to understand, prevent and combat poverty.
i.
Four Outcomes
1.
2.
3.
4.
People in Wrexham are prosperous (TPO 1)
People in Wrexham are healthy (TPO 2)
People in Wrexham are engaged in learning (TPO 3)
People in Wrexham feel and are safe (TPO 4)
Progress against these outcomes will be reported using an outcomes framework which will
determine social, economic and environmental impact.
4
5
For further information on Wrexham and the Welsh Index of Multiple deprivation please see appendix 2
See Appendix 1 for a full list of indicators
These outcomes relate to the Local Service Board’s Our Wrexham Plan:
1. Wrexham is a place where people live independently, are healthy and active (TPO 2)
2. Wrexham is a place that is economically strong, resilient and responsible (TPO 1 & 3)
3. Wrexham is a place that is safe and inclusive (TPO 4)
j.
Three Objectives
What do organisations need to do?
This strategy aims to improve the way the Local Service Board partners and other organisations in
Wrexham work together to understand, prevent and combat poverty. The following three objectives
describe the way in which the Local Service Board partner organisations intend to do this.
1. To improve understanding of poverty and the causes of poverty in Wrexham
i. To understand the statistics, trends and limitations of the data relating to poverty
ii. To establish a tier structure to depict levels of poverty needs
iii. To establish an agreed ‘poverty assessment’ to be used to determine levels of poverty
when working with individuals and families
2. To prevent poverty
iv. Application of a ‘poverty test’ to the ‘Business as Usual’ and new strategies / policies /
projects within of each Local Service Board partner organisation in order to ensure that
all partner organisations are maximising their potential for reducing poverty and the
effects of poverty
a) Are services accessible to and appropriate for people living in poverty?
b) Will this create more poverty?
c) Is everything possible being done through this work, to reduce poverty
and the effects of poverty?
3. To combat poverty
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
To clarify the range of anti-poverty services provided in Wrexham
To clarify which services work and which ones are needed to reduce poverty and the
effects of poverty in Wrexham
To clarify how to help people at different stages of the path out of poverty
Improve joint working between partners to tackle poverty
Achieve efficiencies in anti-poverty work
Next Steps
k. Action Plans
Each organisation which signs up to the Wrexham Poverty Strategy will complete an action plan to
explain what they will do, under each of the 3 objectives above, to tackle poverty and to help the
strategy to be successful.
l. Reviewing this strategy
This strategy will be reviewed in June each year by the Anti-Poverty Subgroup of the Local Service
Board, with review reports to be provided to the Programme Delivery Board 2 (Economy) and the
Local Service Board.
Appendix 1
Indicators
Indicator
Details
Improving or
getting worse?
Compared to the
Wales average?
P1 -The percentage of people receiving any income related benefits
WIMD
Neither
Better
P2 -The percentage of 16–18 year olds who are not in employment,
education or training
Programme for Government, Only comes from Secondary
Schools with 6th forms.
Better just
recently
Better
P3 -Proportion of children in households with less than 60% median
income (in poverty)
FF Indicator
LSB Insight, Data is 3 years old
Worse
Worse
P4 -Claimant count for Job Seekers Allowance - unemployment
figures (all working ages)
North Wales FF Needs Analysis
Job Centre Plus, Excludes those who are unemployed who are
not eligible to claim
Programme for Government, The % of workless households
with children, however, is above the Wales average
Improving
Same
Improving
Better
Details
Improving or
getting worse?
Compared to the
Wales average?
H1 -The percentage of population with limiting long term illness
WIMD, BRC & CF,
Improving
Better
H2 - Under 16 conception rate (per 1000 population)
Programme for Government & FF, Relates to very small
numbers of young people and therefore any variations in the
data can significantly affect the rate
Public Health Wales, Data starts 2012/13
Got worse
recently
Neither
No trends
Better
1. People in Wrexham are prosperous
P5 –number of workless households in Wrexham
Indicator
2. People in Wrexham are healthy
H3 -Proportion children in reception class who are overweight or
obese
H4 -Percentage of children fully immunised by their 4th birthday
Public Health Wales, FAMILIES FIRST
Improving
Better
H5 -Low birth weight babies (under 2,5 Kg)
Public Health Wales, FAMILIES FIRST
Improving
Worse
Indicator
Details
Improving or
getting worse?
Compared to the
Wales average?
Neither
Neither but position
in Wales has got
worse
3. People in Wrexham are learning
L1 -Key stage 2 results
Programme for Government & BRC
L1 -Key stage 3 results
Programme for Government & BRC
Improving
Worse
L1 -Key stage 4 results
Programme for Government & BRC
Improving
Worse
L2 -Primary school absence rate (per cent of half day sessions
missed)
Programme for Government & FAMILIES FIRST
Neither
Better
L2 -Secondary attendance rates rate (per cent of half day sessions
missed)
Programme for Government & FAMILIES FIRST
Improving
Better
L3 - the gap in achievement levels of children who are and who are
not eligible for free school meals at foundation phase
FAMILIES FIRST
LSB Insight
Neither
Worse
L3 – the gap in achievement levels of children who are and who
are not eligible for free school meals at key stage 2
FAMILIES FIRST
LSB Insight
Worse
Worse
L3 – the gap in achievement levels of children who are and who
are not eligible for free school meals at key stage 4
FAMILIES FIRST
LSB Insight
Improving
Worse
L4 - Percentage of working age adults qualified to the equivalent of
5 GCSEs at grade A*-C, or a foundation apprenticeship, and above
Programme for Government, Office of National Statistics (via
Infobase Cymru), (The percentage of working age adults in
Wales qualified to the level 2 threshold or above).These
estimates are taken from the annual population survey.
Improving
Worse (Ranked 8th
worst relative to
other LAs in this
data set)
Indicator
Details
Improving or
getting worse?
Compared to the
Wales average?
Improving
Neither
Improving
Awaiting data
Improving
No all Wales data
available
Neither
Better
Improving
Worse (4th highest
rate relative to
other LAs in this
data set)
Improving
Awaiting data
Improving
Neither
4. People in Wrexham feel, and are safe
S1 - The number of households with dependent children accepted as
eligible, unintentionally homeless and in priority need
S2 - The number of young people committing offences which go to
court (numbers of offences committed by looked after children listed
separately)
FAMILIES FIRST, BRC & Programme for Government
LSB Insight, Stats wales, This is the number of families with
children that are assessed as homeless by the housing
department
Local Authority, The number of offences, however is
increasing. High LAC population resident in Wrexham.
S3 - Number or referrals opened to adult social care each year
Local authority
S 4 - Number of Children in Need (children in need, on the child
protection register and looked after children)
Local authority
S5 - Overall recorded crime rate.
Home Office, Programme for Government
Office of National Statistics, Sum of all offences recorded
expressed as a rate per 1000 population.
S6 - Incidence of domestic abuse.
North Wales Police, Programme for Government
S7 - Homeless Acceptances: the number of people accepted as
homeless
Stats Wales, Programme for Government