Anti-Poverty and Inequality Committee

Please note agendas are retained online indefinitely.  To watch webcasts of this committee, please use this link   ANTI-POVERTY AND INEQUALITY COMMITTEE   PURPOSE OF COMMITTEE   To monitor and determine the Council’s contribution to alleviating and mitigating all forms of poverty and inequality in the city.   The Committee will develop an Anti-Poverty Strategy.   REMIT OF COMMITTEE  

1.             The Committee will, in respect of poverty and inequality issues in the city:  

1.1          Consider the impact of poverty on the city as a whole and targeted population levels, including on key groups such as children, minority ethnic communities and those of pensionable age who are known to be particularly disadvantaged by poverty;

1.2          Consider the evidence from Citizens’ Assemblies on poverty and inequality matters;  

1.3          Seek the views and involvement of those experiencing poverty and inequality and those with knowledge or expertise in relation to these issues;  

1.4          Consider the effect of In-work Poverty and the Living Wage, including by receiving reports on Living Wage accreditation rates;  

1.5          Consider evidence of “what’s worked” in combating poverty and inequality;  

1.6          Consider the impact of ongoing Welfare Reform measures, including by receiving reports on benefit access and uptake;  

1.7          Consider the impact of poverty on Employability and Youth Employment, including by receiving reports on employment rates and positive destinations;  

1.8          Consider the impact of Food Insecurity and Fuel Poverty, including by receiving reports on community food provision and energy cost impacts;  

1.9          Consider the impact of stigma and discrimination on those experiencing poverty;  

1.10       Consider the impact of poverty on the health and wellbeing of those experiencing it;  

1.11       Monitor the progress of research relevant to poverty and inequality, including in relation to health determinants;  

1.12       Consider matters relating to the provision of Credit Unions, fair and affordable banking and advice services;  

1.13       Examine the nature of institutional and systemic discrimination in Aberdeen, and consider the steps required to eradicate such discrimination;  

1.14       Monitor the performance of Council-funded community programmes and projects which seek to address poverty and inequality.  

2.             THE COMMITTEE WILL:  

2.1          approve for publication Local Child Poverty Action Reports in terms of Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 and Child Poverty Action Plans.

2.2          approve for publication the Council’s

i.               reports on its progress on mainstreaming the equality duty,

ii.              sets of equality outcomes, and

iii.             reports on the progress made to achieve the equality outcomes, all in terms of the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2012.  

2.3          monitor the Memorandum of Understanding between the Council and the Department for Work and Pensions through receipt of an annual report.

1.1          In undertaking the aspects at 1 and 2, the Committee will ensure that it is acting within the budget set by Council and is supporting the delivery of the Council’s agreed outcomes, commissioning intentions and service standards.  

1.2          The Committee may make recommendations to the appropriate Committee(s) or Sub-Committee(s) on matters affecting its own remit where the authority to approve sits within the remit of that other body (or those other bodies). In particular, the Committee may call for reports on policy or strategy decisions taken by other Committees or Sub-Committees which appear likely to have a significant impact on poverty or equality issues and may make recommendations to those bodies in relation to such decisions.   EXTERNAL ADVISERS   Emphasising the close links with Community Planning Aberdeen’s Anti-Poverty Group, the Committee will appoint advisers who are not members of the Council. These external advisers will be appointed by the Committee as follows:-  

·       1 resident of Aberdeen with lived experience of poverty;

·       Up to 2 people representing the charitable sector in Aberdeen;

·       1 person representing higher and further education in Aberdeen;

·       1 person representing key interest groups in Aberdeen (that maybe appointed for a defined period of time); and

·       1 public health professional/practitioner who works in Aberdeen.   EXECUTIVE LEAD: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE SERVICES Please refer also, as applicable and appropriate, to the “General Delegations to Committees” and the “Exclusions from Delegations to Committees”.