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Save the ChildrenThe world’s children’s charity• Save the Children is the world’s largest independent children’s charity, helping children here in the UK and around the world in 120 countries

• We have a track record of successfully transforming the life chances of the world’s poorest children

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More than a million UK children can’t take these things for granted

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Child participation in child poverty needs assessments and strategies

Why engage children in child poverty strategies and needs assessments?

• Article 12 United Nations Convention on the rights of the child: Children have a right to say what they think and be listened to by adults when they make decisions that affect them

• Engaging with children in poverty grounds policy and practice in the everyday reality of people’s lives

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In My Backyard: Inspiring Community Change

• In My Backyard works in some of the most deprived parts of the UK, giving children, young people and parents the chance to run their own project

• Children undertake a situation analysis of their local area to identify issues which impact on child poverty

• Children take part in activities related to issues important to them, to bring about change in their local community.

• Learning from projects in Newham and Westminster are being fed into child poverty needs assessments and strategies

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In My Backyard example

• Newham in East London group aged 15-21 helping families to eat healthily on a budget.

• Amazing results reported including better health, weight loss and improved confidence

#• The group then developed a cookbook

‘Family meals for less than £10’'

• More than 400 signatures collected and presented to their local MP and councillors

• Newham Local Authority has agreed to ban fast food outlets near schools and youth centres.

Munch the Crunch

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In My Backyard example

• 8-13 year olds started their project in July• Selected to work on problems in education in Westminster including

the attainment gap for the poorest students, lack of adequate facilities in some schools and bullying

Group plans:• Currently conducting research with other children, parents and

teachers on strong and weak points of education services and how they could be improved

• Plan to submit a report of their research to the Minister for Schools, along with a call for action on identified and recommendations for remedying them

• Plan to develop a website to a) popularise their campaign; b) build up a network of support and c) enable wider community to have their say on education services and show their support

Education

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In My Backyard example

• Campaign for better access to disability benefits for families with disabled children – particularly, the Disability Living Allowance.

The group identified a number of barriers to access: • lack of adequate information on DLA and associated benefits, eligibility

criteria and application procedure• length, complexity and unclear language in the application forms• lack of targeted support for families in need of accessing benefits

Group plans:• Research experience parents of disabled children in accessing DLA• organise an event for DWP, Local Authority, local service providers and

parents of disabled children to a) highlight the problems that families face to key agencies; b) discuss possible solutions to alleviate these problems

• use the research to lobby key agencies involved in administering DLA• develop a local support network for parents of disabled children, with

the assistance from local service providers

Parents of children with SEN