The recently published Fairer Scotland Action Plan 2018 Progress Report, details the significant progress made by the SNP Government in reducing poverty and inequality in North Ayrshire through concrete action.
Some of the developments under the £29 million SNP Government funded programme that specifically benefit North Ayrshire are set out below.
With SNP Government start-up funding, community bodies modelled on the Poverty Truth Commission have now been set up in North Ayrshire, Dundee and Shetland. These will help people with lived experience of poverty have influence in local decision-making.
The Childsmile Programme of supervised tooth brushing and fluoride varnish application for nursery and primary 1 and 2 children has been expanded to nurseries and schools in additional areas of Ayrshire and Arran. Funding of £327k per annum has been put in place to support this with the roll-out commencing in the new school term in August 2018.
The SNP Government has continued to fund Young Scot to pilot a three year project (2017-20) aimed at closing the poverty related attainment gap. By utilising the National Entitlement Card, Young Scot will deliver targeted and bespoke local entitlements and opportunities, focused on health and wellbeing, tackling inequalities, improving attainment and challenging rural poverty. Young Scot are working with local authorities in Renfrewshire, Highland and North Ayrshire to test the potential for the Young Scot Card to target benefits and opportunities at young people experiencing poverty.
In line with the fairness pledge to the SNP Government, the Carnegie Trust supported a new Credit Union Consortium by supporting the appointment of a new Employer Engagement Officer for 1st Alliance (Ayrshire) Credit Union and YouthLink Scotland has delivered an Introduction to Children’s Rights session to 21 people in North Ayrshire.
Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell MSP commented:
“Over the last year we have started to deliver real and lasting change across Scotland. We have seen the first strong steps from our newly devolved powers with the launch of Fair Start Scotland, and the first payments from Social Security Scotland.
“We have also been stepping up our efforts to help end child poverty. We launched our first Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan in March, backed by the £50 million Tackling Child Poverty Fund. This is truly something for Scotland to be proud of and we are the only part of the UK to have taken such action and set in statute the ambition to eradicate child poverty.
“Our actions include investing £12 million in intensive employment support for parents, committing to develop a new Income Supplement, and launching our new Financial Health Check service.”
Kenneth Gibson MSP added:
“I am pleased that so many steps have already been taken and so much investment has been made in North Ayrshire already.
“This once again makes clear that the SNP Government, even with the limited powers of devolution, is working to reduce poverty and inequality across North Ayrshire and make it a fairer place for all.”
The Fairer for Scotland Action Plan 2018 Progress Report can be found here.
ENDS
