Wrexham’s
Tackling Poverty
Strategy
2015 – 18
consultation document
Introduction
a. Definition of Poverty
This strategy defines poverty like this:
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)
Question One
Do you think this is a good definition of poverty?
Yes, definitely
partially
not at all
further comments
b. Purpose of this strategy
The purpose of this strategy is to confirm how all Local Service Board (LSB) partners will work in
partnership to understand, prevent and combat poverty.
What does this mean?
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
Question Two
Do you agree that this Tackling Poverty Strategy should be focussed on understanding, preventing
and combatting poverty?
Yes, definitely
partially
not at all
further comments
What will this strategy try to achieve?
This strategy will focus on four outcomes in order to understand, prevent and combat poverty.
c.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Four Outcomes
People in Wrexham are prosperous
People in Wrexham are healthy
People in Wrexham are engaged in learning
People in Wrexham feel and are safe
Question Three
Do you agree that this is what these are the right outcomes for the Tackling Poverty Strategy?
Yes, definitely
partially
not at all
further comments
What do organisations need to do?
a. The LSB strategy partners are
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
The Wrexham Local Service Board Plan, Our Wrexham Plan 2013-2024 describes how the LSB
partners will work together to make Wrexham a better place to live, work and visit 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.
This Tackling Poverty Strategy aims to improve the way the LSB partners and other organisations in
Wrexham work together to understand, prevent and combat poverty.
The following three objectives describe the way in which the LSB intends 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
Question Four
Do you agree that this is what the LSB partners need to do in order to understand Poverty better?
Yes, definitely
partially
not at all
further comments
2. To prevent poverty
iv. Application of a ‘poverty test’ to the ‘Business as Usual’ and new strategies / policies /
projects within of each LSB 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?
Question Five
Do you agree that this is what the LSB partners need to do in order to prevent Poverty?
Yes, definitely
partially
not at all
further comments
3. To combat poverty
v. To clarify which services work and which ones are needed to reduce poverty and the
effects of poverty in Wrexham
vi. To clarify how to help people at different stages of the path out of poverty
vii. Improve joint working between partners to tackle poverty
viii. Achieve efficiencies in anti-poverty work
ix. To clarify the range of anti-poverty services provided in Wrexham
Question Six
Do you agree that this is what the LSB partners need to do in order to combat Poverty together?
Yes, definitely
partially
not at all
further comments
Introducing the Data
d. 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
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)
e. 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 21
Wrexham has a larger than average number of areas in the most deprived 10% in Wales for community safety and housing
a. Indicators
In order to establish a starting point for this strategy, a number of indicators have been chosen which give a picture of the changing face of poverty in Wrexham.
The Local Service Board will be tracking these indicators to see if the picture improves. These indicators are below.
1
For further information on Wrexham and the Welsh Index of Multiple deprivation please see appendix 2
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
1. People in Wrexham are prosperous
P5 –number of workless households in Wrexham
Question 7
Do you think these are the right indicators for prosperity that the LSB needs to track in order to see if poverty is getting better or worse in Wrexham?
Yes, all
most
some
none
Indicator
Which other indicators would you add?
Which indicators would you remove?
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
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
Question 8
Do you think these are the right indicators for health that the LSB needs to track in order to see if poverty is getting better or worse in Wrexham?
Yes, all
most
some
none
Indicator
Which other indicators would you add?
Which indicators would you remove?
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)
Question 9
Do you think these are the right indicators for learning that the LSB needs to track in order to see if poverty is getting better or worse in Wrexham?
Yes, all
most
some
none
Which other indicators would you add?
Which indicators would you remove?
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
Question 10
Do you think these are the right indicators for safety that the LSB needs to track in order to see if poverty is getting better or worse in Wrexham?
Yes, all
most
Any further comments?
some
none
Which other indicators would you add?
Question 11
Do you have any further comments about the Draft Tackling Poverty Action Plan?
Which indicators would you remove?