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.