Session one will examine the current child poverty landscape, helping to understand fully the circumstances as well as challenges in overcoming this social ill. Delegates will then consider where, in times of reduced budgets and resources, local and national Governments should invest in order to make progress towards the ambitious targets.

09:45  Understanding circumstance, experience and outcomes
Paul Bradshaw, Research Director, Scottish Centre for Social Research

• Key findings and interpretations of the Growing up in Scotland 2010 topic research into circumstances and characteristics of 'persistently poor' children. What does this data reveal about current activity and how can this data be used to inform policy and practice going forward?

09:55  Poverty: Presentations of personal experience
Martin Johnstone, Secretary to The Poverty Truth Commission

• A presentation of testimonies from those experiencing poverty

10:05  The cost of child poverty
Donald Hirsch, Social Policy Consultant and Head of Income Studies, Centre for Research in Social Policy, University of Loughborough

• Identifying short and long term costs to society of families in poverty
• Recommendations for priorities in local and national Government expenditure

10:25  Questions and discussion with speakers

10:45  Refreshments

Session Two: Our National Commitment and Starting Locally

The UK Child Poverty Act was passed in April 2010, enshrining in law the commitment to reduce and eventually eradicate child poverty across the UK. The Scottish Government, in line with the requirements of the Act, have made a national commitment to this goal – a goal which will be achieved through local developments and improvements. This session will look at at the responsibilities and activities across national and local Government, before examining the activity at grass roots level in one of Scotland's most deprived areas.

Please note: due to Parliamentary business the Minister will no longer be in attendance. See amendments to session 4, led by the Scottish Government Tackling Poverty Team, in response to this change.

11:05  KEYNOTE ADDRESS  Recognising responsibilities and opportunities at local level
Councillor Harry McGuigan, COSLA Spokesperson for Community Wellbeing and Safety

• Responsibilities of local government to lead and support local activity and how this can be achieved
• How Single Outcome Agreements can be used to make local committments
• Remit, development and progress of the COSLA Tackling Poverty Group

11:25  An examination of local activity: The City of Glasgow
Dr Linda de Caestecker, Joint Director of Public Health at NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde and Glasgow City Council and Chair, Glasgow Child Poverty Group.
with
Dr Pauline Craig, Public Health Programme Manager, Glasgow Centre for Population Health

• Development of the Glasgow Child Poverty Strategy
• Meeting promises in times of budget and resource constraint
• Local initiatives - including a 'sneak peek' at the Healthier, Wealthier Children project

11:55  Question and discussion with :speakers

12:15  Lunch

Session Three: Sharing Good Practice

In this session, delegates will hear evidence around tackling some of the main components identified as cause and effect of poverty, discussing core areas of early years, employment and housing and their role in breaking the poverty cycle.

Focus on: Education, intervention and early years

13:00  Early years and early intervention: breaking the cycle
Jim Stephen, Head, Positive Futures Division, The Scottish Government

• Why a focus on early years is crucial to long term development
• What needs to to be done in these early stages to help break the cycle of poverty (eg. education, development programmes)
• Scottish Government work in this field to encourage development and progress in early years programmes

13:10  Case Study: Families and Schools Together (FAST) parental engagement programme
Gemma Bull, FAST Programme Strategy Manager, Save the Children

• The development and implementation of the award winning, U.N endorsed FAST programme in Scotland. How does the programme work and what are the results so far?
  

13:20  Topic question and discussion

Focus on: Employment

13:30  Improving employment and tackling in work poverty
Professor Ronald McQuaid, Director, Employment Research Institute, Edinburgh Napier University
with
Vanesa Fuertes, Researcher, Employment Research Institute, Edinburgh Napier University

• An exploration of the low pay/no pay cycle, based on research and findings from the 2010 How can parents escape from recurrent poverty study, commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation
• Recommendations for tackling the problem and breaking the cycle

13:40  Case Study: The School Gates Employment Initiative
David Churchill, Projects Team Leader, Child Poverty Unit

• Across the country, the School Gates Employment Initiative is working to facilitate employment by providing support for parents in and around their childs school. Wha is the take up and impact on employment rates?

13:50  Topic question and discussion

Focus on: Housing

14:00  The role housing can play
John Dickie, Head, Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland

• What role does housing play in the poverty cycle?
• Recommendations for how we can all work to ensure a decent home for every family

14:10  Case Study: Addressing poor housing and homelessness
Jessie Crawford, Children's Service Policy and Practice Co-ordinator, Shelter Scotland

• Work being done by Shelter Scotland to address poor housing and homelessness, and its relationship with (breaking) the poverty cycle

14:20  Topic question and discussion

14:30  Afternoon refreshments

Session Four: Developing the Scottish Strategy

Due to present to Parliament in April, The Scottish Government's Tackling Poverty Team is currently working to develop Scotland's Child Poverty Strategy. The final session of the day will build on and develop some of the discussion had during the day, and provides an opportunity to help shape one of the most significant developments and documentation of commitment in this field.

14:50  Tackling Child Poverty across Scotland: the next steps
Samantha Coope, Head, Tackling Poverty Team, The Scottish Government

• How the days presentations and discussions will be used to inform Government activity
• Introduction to the consultation exercise - context and boundaries

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION EXERCISE

15:05  Developing the Scottish strategy
Structured round table discussions will consult with delegates on key areas including:

• Short and long term national priorities
• Opportunities and constraints at local level
• National (Scottish) Government's role in supporting local activity

16:05  Discussion feedback

16:15  Summary and closing remarks by conference Chair

16:20  Close of conference