Information about One Plus and One Parent Families in Scotland

Front L-R: Margaret Cassidy and Billy McCauley Back L-R: Katy Mulholland of One Plus (dressed for fund-raising line dancing later in the day!), Deputy Minister Robert Brown MSP and Kelly Smith



Eleven Year Old Billy McCauley from Hyndland contributed to the One Plus One Plus Conference and the Social Inclusion Debate.

Billy joined Deputy Education Minister Robert Brown MSP and Natalie Branosky from the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion to debate 'Work, Weans and Worries' at the annual conference of One Plus on November 17th, 2006, in Glasgow's Trades Halls.

Along with Margaret Cassidy (13) from Dalmuir and Kelly Smith (19) from Pollok, Billy spoke of his experiences. Billy, who attends Hyndland Secondary school, said:

"Taking part today was a very memorable experience for me personally. It was really special meeting an MSP at only the age of 11! This has been my lifelong dream since I was six!"

The debate was triggered by high profile comments in recent months from the Archbishop of Canterbury and Scotland's Childrens Tsar regarding whether parents should be encouraged to work, or spend more time with the kids.

The impact of this, especially on lone parent families, was brought into focus by Kelly, Margaret and Billy, who each discussed their own experience before an audience of 200 One Plus service users, partners and local politicians, as well as the Minister and other panellists.

Deputy Education Minister Robert Brown MSP said:

"We want every child to have the best possible start in life, but some families face more challenges than others. One Plus provides valuable support to such families, opening up opportunities for both parents and children. We see the effects here today in these impressive young people. They speak positively and with confidence about their experiences and show just what our young people can achieve. It is hugely important to hear their voice. "

David Coyne, Chief Executive of One Plus added:

"These young people today have dispelled the myths and stereotypes of young people from lone parent families so often falsely portrayed throughout our culture. I'm sure they will each have a fantastic future ahead of them, and would like to thank them for coming along today to share their experiences and perspective with us. No doubt their contribution today will greatly influence One Plus services in the future."

Notes

1.One Plus

One Plus works in partnership in over 100 projects, employing over 600 people, offering advice and support, providing training, employment and care-based services to almost 10,000 families and individuals, while contributing to the regeneration of local communities.

2. Lone Parents in Scotland and Glasgow

Lone parents and their children are a key group firstly because they are now 25% of families in Scotland and now 46.4% of families in Glasgow. The issue of place is crucial. Lone Parents are 52% of families in the poorest 10% of areas in Scotland but are only 9% in the 10% least deprived. Lone parents are concentrated in areas of deprivation (33% live in the most deprived 15% of areas),

3. One Parent Families and Poverty

Almost half of all (both workless and working) lone parents are in income poverty, almost three times the rate for couples with children. A major reason for this is the high levels of Lone Parent worklessness.

180,000 individuals in one parent families live in income poverty, 75% of all workless lone parent households are in income poverty

In terms of income level, 66% of lone parent families in Scotland live on an income of less than £15,000 compared to 11% of two parent families. They are therefore a key group to target in terms of eradicating child poverty

4. Lone Parents and Employment

Rates of worklessness for Lone parents are much higher among the lone parent population in areas of deprivation than in the area as a whole. In Glasgow 75% are workless in 15 % most deprived but 65% across Glasgow as a whole

Percentage of female lone parents in Employment

UK 56.6%

Scotland 49% (71% of women in two parent households)

Glasgow 35%

Pollock 33% (13% f/t 20% p/t)

Easterhouse 28% (8% f/t 20% p/t)

Govan 24% (11% f/t 13% p/t)

4. The Issues & Barriers Facing Lone Parents

Lone Parents are clearly one of the key groups targeted by the range of welfare to work reforms . However increasing lone parent employment cannot be achieved by simply carrying forward current policies. One Plus had identified the following issues, which trap lone parents and their children in poverty. These factors that prevent LP's from working are also often present when they are forced to give up work.

• The high level of economic disadvantage amongst those out of work Isolation, often in poor rundown housing.
• Financial insecurity in an out of employment including high levels of debt and limited access to mainstream credit facilities.
• The shortage, costs and inflexibility of childcare
• The "poverty trap"caused by the interaction of the tax and benefit systems.
• Barriers to training and education including costs and accessibility and low confidence .
• A system of child maintenance which fails lone parents
• The Low pay-high turnover economy which doesn't enable work-family balance
• Many Lone Parents live in areas with few local employment opportunities.
• A high proportion of lone parents and their children suffer poor health.
• Lone Parents have often experienced overcrowded accommodation or has been forced into more insecure, expensive and poor quality privately rented housing

These issues are all interconnected. Initiatives to support Lone Parents into employment need to take a holistic view of their needs and offer a continuum of training, support and access to sustainable employment with in work support and aftercare

5.Government Interventions

Employability
One Plus welcomes the recognition that there are often a variety of pre-employment stages that lone parents need to take before they enter paid work, and the idea of a pathway into work rather than a single entry point.

Lone parents furthest from the Labour Market do not easily fit a model which is target driven based on short-term into work outcomes. Measures of Distance Travelled are required to be agreed by funders to enable a common set of indicators, which delivery agencies can work to.

Childcare Strategy
The clearest constraint for any lone parent remains, despite progress in recent years, a lack of childcare. Research by One Plus suggests that the costs of childcare are still too high for some.

Flexibility in Benefit Payments
Lone Parents need to have a stable income during the transition into sustainable employment. This can be achieved by continuing payments of key benefits until Working Tax Credits, reassessed Housing Benefit and first full salary have been paid. This also applies to payments for Child Care in the interim until Childcare Tax Credits payments are received. Housing Benefit should be adapted to support those moving from welfare to work. The design and delivery of Housing Benefit and how it interacts with Tax Credits should be reformed to provide immediate and reliable support for all those on Income Support and low income, including those with mortgages.

In-Work Costs Constraints

Making work pay involves addressing issues around in-work costs (housing, childcare, school meals, travel) are all key constraints. Strategies are required to subsidize in-work costs. Tax credit problems are a serious barrier to sustaining employment

Flexibility in aftercare and in-work support

A focus on in-work coping strategies has not until now been given the priority it deserves. Research has shown that this is a very crucial element of the continuum of support required to ensure Lone Parents sustain employment. However the benefits of this approach requires further dissemination.

Range of support Services

Overall there should be improved access to realistic activities and proven services that have the confidence of Lone Parents and which have the capacity to engage and support at each stage, including post employment. NDLP has offered a positive contribution to increasing lone parent employment. However many Lone Parents prefer to have the support of a trusted intermediary .In many cases the voluntary sector will be best placed to provide the sort of personalised support that expanded programmes will require.

Looking Ahead: The interaction between 'care work ' and paid employment

Strategies to increase Lone Parent employment are now at a stage beyond 'cherry picking'. Achieving the target requires much faster progress but those LPs out of the labour market are:

• Hard to reach
• High level of disadvantage
• Least work ready
• Cannot afford childcare

Lone parents are twice as likely to 'cycle' between work and welfare and therefore the issue of sustainable employment and aftercare are crucial. This brings to light the complex issue of the interaction between a lone parents caring role and paid employment. Understanding better how to enable this crucial interaction is key to achieving the child poverty target and enabling lone parents move into sustainable employment.

More information

One Plus 55,Renfrew St Glasgow G23BD
Tel: 0141 3331450, Email: [email protected]
www.oneplus.org