Good Practice: Poverty in Blackburn with Darwen

Authority Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
Funding Children's services and Jobcentre Plus
Purpose To reduce child poverty and improve the lives of children and families by supporting parents into employment

Background Children's services and Jobcentre Plus were already working together to tackle child poverty in Blackburn with Darwen. But in 2005 a joint memorandum of understanding formalised that commitment to partnership work and set out shared goals. Priorities included more one-to-one support for parents who were out of work and raising awareness of childcare and children's centre services among lone parents.

Action Children's services and Jobcentre Plus developed a simple electronic referral form to alert children's centres to families who might benefit from their services. Once centres get the form, parents are invited to an informal advice session at a centre or at home. The forms were initially used by lone parent advisers but are now used by all Jobcentre Plus advisers.

The council also created a senior family information service officer role to provide intensive support to parents and encourage them to access training and other help. As part of their training, these new workers shadowed Jobcentre Plus staff. The officers, who work through children's centres, help parents fill in forms and accompany them to training or Jobcentre Plus appointments. "It's basically a hand-holding service," says the council's early years development manager Carol Grimshaw. "Often people simply don't know where to go for help or might not have the self-confidence to do it on their own. It's about making services as accessible as possible." Services share useful information. For example, Jobcentre Plus workers get up-to-date information about local childcare and vacancies.

Outcome The new referral system saw more disadvantaged families using children's centres. One centre received nearly 300 referrals in the few months. More than 150 lone parents were referred to centres in the first nine months.

It has also led to an increase in the number of families seeking employment through Jobcentre Plus. Evaluation forms from parents who contact the Family Information Service show more than 95 per cent feel it is good or excellent. The authority says this work - together with trials of free childcare for two-year-olds and more flexible free childcare for three and four-year-olds - has contributed to improvements in children's attainment at school as more are accessing early education. A bonus has been increased career development opportunities and job satisfaction for staff.