The Women and Girls Committee are scheduled to meet to discuss the North East child poverty action plan, the development of a Gateshead anti-poverty strategy, a child poverty health needs assessment, and an employee domestic abuse policy. The committee will also be asked to agree the minutes of their previous meeting, and to note and comment on their work programme.

North East Child Poverty Action Plan

The committee will receive an update on the co-development and planned implementation of the North East child poverty action plan. The plan was formally approved by the North East Combined Authority Cabinet on 22 July 2025, alongside £28.6 million of new investment.

The five-year plan aims to ensure that every baby, child and young person in the North East is supported to thrive, regardless of their background or where they live. According to the report pack, the plan addresses three strategic priorities:

• Supporting children and families to maximise their incomes.
• Breaking down barriers to opportunity.
• Tackling longer-term, structural challenges.

The committee will be asked to note the contents of the presentation and provide comment on the implementation of the action plan within Gateshead.

Gateshead Poverty Strategy Development

The committee will receive an update on the development of a partnership anti-poverty strategy for Gateshead and to give input and feedback to lead into the strategy and action plan development phase.

The development of a strategy and action plan to tackle poverty in Gateshead is a key objective within the Health & Wellbeing Strategy and Gateshead Council's Corporate Plan to deliver on the council's Thrive pledges. The approach to developing the anti-poverty strategy is based on The Greater Manchester Poverty Action Group's 2023 report 'Local anti-poverty strategies- Good practice and effective approaches'.

The report pack states that the strategy should:

• Focus on tackling financial hardship and enabling financial wellbeing.
• Acknowledge and focus on the key drivers and impacts of poverty, where the council can influence/control/change things locally and where policy change is required nationally.
• Recognise that the experience of people in poverty is multi-dimensional.

The report pack also outlines the key objectives for the anti-poverty strategy, including that tackling poverty should be a strategic priority across organisations in Gateshead, and that poverty should be taken into consideration in all aspects of decision-making, policy development and service design.

The committee will be asked to provide feedback on the approach, the emerging insights, and the proposed strategic objectives of the poverty strategy. They will also be asked to suggest areas of focus relating to women and girls, and to discuss how they want to stay involved in this work through phases 2 and 3.

Child Poverty Health Needs Assessment

The committee will be introduced to a new piece of work being undertaken by Gateshead Council Public Health Team – a Health Needs Assessment focussed on Child Poverty.

A health needs assessment is described in the report pack as:

a systematic method of identifying the unmet health and healthcare needs of a population, and making changes to meet those unmet needs .

The health needs assessment will use data, research, stakeholder views, and lived experience to gain a comprehensive understanding of child poverty in Gateshead and the associated health and wellbeing impacts. The report pack notes that this work is of particular relevance to the Women and Girls Committee given the gendered nature of poverty and inequalities faced by women.

The committee will be asked to note the content of the Child Poverty Health Needs Assessment presentation, input on the proposed plan regarding the local needs of women and girls related to child poverty, and support Public Health to return and share the final report in Spring 2026.

Employee Domestic Abuse Policy

The committee will be asked to consider a proposed Domestic Abuse Policy.

The council currently has some guidance available on the intranet for managers and employees on managing and supporting domestic abuse; however, there is not a comprehensive policy available. The report pack notes that the absence of a policy can lead to a lack of clarity regarding how to deal with domestic abuse, which may impact on an employee's ability to maintain attendance/performance, as well as exposing the council to potential legal liabilities.

The draft policy outlines a range of responsibilities for the council, employees, line managers, Human Resources and Workforce Development. It also provides support and guidance on how to identify domestic abuse, guidance levels of support and implications for those who are identified as perpetrating domestic abuse.

The committee will be asked to consider the draft policy and provide any feedback for consideration prior to submission to Cabinet.

Work Programme

The Women and Girls Committee will be asked to note and comment on the Work Programme for 2025/26. The priority areas listed in the work programme are:

• Tackling violence against women and girls
• Addressing the gender pay gap
• Ensuring equal access to education and training
• Supporting women and girls from marginalised communities