Renfrewshire Council

During this year, our fourth of producing our Local Child Poverty Action Report, we have continued to respond to the immediate challenges of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, while developing our longer-term plans to support Renfrewshire's economic and social recovery.  

Too many families in Renfrewshire are facing the challenges of financial insecurity and poverty and Renfrewshire Council and its partners, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership and other Community Planning Partners have worked tirelessly to protect our families and tackle child poverty right across Renfrewshire in 2021/22, the period of this report, and continue to do so.

As a Council, we continue to be ambitious for Renfrewshire. Tackling poverty sits at the heart of our strategic priorities, decisions and actions, making sure that everyone in Renfrewshire is able to access the opportunities and benefits available and no one misses out.

We know from our assessment of need and from feedback from service providers that local families are worried about the increasing cost of living, and low-income households in particular are facing difficult decisions. While this report clearly shows that the Council and our partners have a critical role in preventing and alleviating poverty and its impacts in our area, we are clear that the challenge ahead is of a scale beyond the influence of the Council and our local partners.

Looking forward, we are working on our new Council and Community Plans which set the longer-term strategic direction of our organisation and our place. These plans set the direction for Renfrewshire Council and our partners and embed our commitment to a recovery which tackles inequality across all our communities.

Alan Russell

Chief Executive, Renfrewshire Council