Developing a local child poverty action report: guidance

Introduction

Under the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017, local authorities and health boards are required to jointly prepare and publish annual Local Child Poverty Action Reports (LCPARs) which report on: measures taken and measures proposed to contribute to child poverty targets; income maximisation measures for pregnant people and families with children; and measures for families whose income/expenditure is adversely affected because of a member’s protected characteristics. Beyond these requirements, the process and content of reporting is at local leads’ discretion. This guidance sets out how to meet the Act’s statutory requirements and supports Local Child Poverty Leads with recommendations and resources for effective reporting, with a focus on the drivers of poverty and the priority family groups. This guidance is a living document and will be updated as we learn more about what works to tackle child poverty.

‘Best Start, Bright Futures’, Scotland’s second tackling child poverty delivery plan, was published in March 2022. It is a plan for all of Scotland and commits to partnership working across public, private and third sectors, and with communities, to take forward our national mission. To coordinate efforts towards the national child poverty targets, local partners are encouraged to align their actions with the delivery plan.