Equally Well strategy

Giving every child the best start in life

Every child in North Tyneside will be given the best start in life supported by families, communities and high-quality integrated services.

Children and young people are North Tyneside’s greatest asset, and every child deserves to have the best start in life, achieve their potential during their school years and thrive in adolescence. Evidence is clear that the early years (pre-birth to five years) are a crucial period of development.

What does the evidence say?

The period from conception to age two is globally recognised as critical for building strong societies.1 The experiences of parents, babies and children during this time lay the foundations for their future and shape their development, educational attainment and life chances. For families facing multiple challenges and disadvantage, the importance of appropriate support during this time can have lifelong impact.

Investment in early years is vital to reducing health inequalities and needs to be sustained, otherwise its effect is lessened. A strong body of evidence highlights the economic sense in investing in the early years, as the long-term savings that can be generated are considerable.

Key areas for local actions are to ensure that families have access to the services they need, including seamless support, family hubs and information and that the system works together to provide a modern and skilled workforce that can meet the changing needs of families. Priority areas to focus on include addressing child poverty, reducing inequalities in the early development of physical and emotional health and social skills, delivering high quality maternity services, providing evidence-based parenting programmes and working to support resilience and wellbeing across the social gradient

Examples of our current approaches

• Tackling Child Poverty is a local priority and we support our most vulnerable children and families through a range of programmes, including the Poverty Intervention Fund which provides a vital lifeline for people struggling financially in the Borough
• A range of providers from the NHS, council and voluntary sector provide a variety of maternity and early years services and support to all our families to encourage a healthy pregnancy and give support during the first 1,001 critical days
• Early help and support is available for any family in North Tyneside who might need extra support
• High quality education provision is available to deliver the two-year-old free education offer for economically disadvantaged families and the universal education offer for three and four-year-olds to support school readiness
• 30 hours of free childcare is available for working parents
• Run bespoke interventions with partners to support parents, working together to deliver universal and targeted support responsive to local need

Key local challenges and areas for action

• The current system is difficult and confusing for some families to navigate, particularly those with literacy needs and a coherent offer co-designed with parents is required
• There has been a significant increase in the volume of contacts and referrals to Children’s Social Care during the pandemic
• Many families are overloaded by the stressors in their lives, which have been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic
• There is a need to improve school readiness in families with lower incomes as two-year-olds are not reaching key milestones
• Stigma is still in some communities for families to access statutory services without being anxious their parenting skills are being judged
• Locally, regionally and nationally there are also issues in the early years’ workforce, including recruitment and retention
• A large proportion of predominantly female childcare workers struggle financially and are on low pay. Many must claim benefits or Tax Credits to top up salaries

The two-year-old offer, getting children ready for school

Families in North Tyneside can access free childcare for two-year-olds if they are in receipt of certain benefits or have certain other issues in their lives which could contribute towards inequalities

As being ready for school is so important, North Tyneside Council has recently launched “2 Matters”, a new award for settings that work with funded two-year-olds to promote improved outcomes for some of our more vulnerable children.

Riverside Nursery provides early years childcare to children in one of the most deprived parts of the Borough where the percentage of children eligible for free school meals is well above the national average.

Children have opportunities to learn through play and interaction with children and staff. Children also enjoy singing songs and playing musical instruments while practising to take part in a show for their parents. Many children develop a real interest in books and enjoy listening to stories. This helps to promote their early skills in literacy.

Enable all children, young people and adults to maximise their capabilities and have control over their lives

Making North Tyneside an even greater place for children and young people to thrive, where all can access a high-class education with a culture of inclusion and achievement. Our employment and skills service aims to raise aspiration and release potential.

Our employment and skills service aims to raise aspiration and release potential.

Despite many decades of policies aimed at levelling educational opportunities, the attainment gap remains both nationally and locally. In addition, the extent to which individuals and communities have control over their lives has a significant influence on health.

Digital exclusion impacts on the ability to maximise capabilities and is creating challenges and widening the attainment gap in education, particularly for those learners from more disadvantaged backgrounds.

What does the evidence say?

The evidence identifies that the role of schools in supporting families and communities and taking a ‘whole child’ approach to education is essential. Success at school is rooted in the stimulation and encouragement a child receives at home and in their community. Developing the school-based workforce to build their skills in working across school-home boundaries, addressing social and emotional development, and physical and mental health and well-being, is advised.

Providing easily accessible support and advice for 16–25-year-olds on life skills, training and employment opportunities is vital to encourage raised aspirations and help create sense of purpose. There should be easy access and use of quality lifelong learning opportunities across communities, including:

• Providing work-based learning, including apprenticeships, for young people and those changing jobs/careers
• Increasing availability of non-vocational lifelong learning across the life course

Examples of our current approaches

• Delivering the Ambition for Education in North Tyneside 2020-2024, which includes enhanced support for those who need more help to thrive
• Embedding a strong emotionally healthy culture and providing support for school communities post-COVID-19 through the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Strategy
• The HIVE team provide holistic support for children in care and care leavers, as well as providing advice and support in relation to previously looked after children
• Our employment and skills approach aims to raise aspirations and realise potential with a targeted offer to adults who require support to access the labour market and good jobs
• Partners work hard to keep children in school and reduce exclusions
• The Lego First League programme is an ongoing project with 20 local schools involved annually to promote a wide range of digital skills. This is also heavily supported by Sage and other local tech / engineering / manufacturing partners
• Connexions provide information, advice, guidance and support for 13-19-year-olds to help them make choices for careers and learning
• Steps to a Brighter Future supports 18-29-year-olds in North Tyneside to be able to take positive steps towards employment
• The Employment and Skills service, through support and funding from North of Tyne Combined Authority, have established a Digital Outreach Project (DOP) to address a gap in current digital skills training
• Offering and delivering high quality apprenticeship training
• The Nurture Academy, run by the Cedarwood Trust, supports individuals to gain skills to move towards work readiness and identify employability routes
• Adult learning courses are designed to improve skills, learn something new and support people moving into employment or to widen employment prospects
• North Tyneside CCG have commissioned Newcastle University to undertake a household survey, to better understand the issues of digital inclusion

Key local challenges and areas for action

• Attainment variations remain at school level and between vulnerable groups
• Increasing demands in relation to Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and associated resource pressures
• Post-16 provision across the Borough
• Adults of working age have comparatively good levels of skills and qualifications, however this varies across North Tyneside
• Need to recognise and fund youth activities – good youth work/activities can have a huge impact on increasing capabilities and confidence of young people
• Finding ways to improve ‘structures of opportunities’ for young people from disadvantaged areas – link with business networks for mentoring opportunities and enable access to support/advice that these young people can’t access at home or through family networks
• Improving outcomes for children and young people who experience socio-economic deprivation – including building on the current approach for additional provision in school holidays, for example the Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) Programme
• Making sure all children have access to a high-quality education, with opportunities to catch up where needed after COVID-19
• Not all digital services and products are accessible and easy to use and not everyone is aware of digital services and products available to them

Being an apprentice and learning new skills

Charlotte is from Percy Main in North Shields and is employed as an apprentice at Percy Main Primary School. She works with nursery and reception children aged 3-5 years and her day can include everything from teaching maths skills, friendship interventions for social skills and even making paper dragons

“I really enjoy my apprenticeship. I feel fully supported from the school and the council. This apprenticeship has encouraged me to pursue my dream to go to university to become a teacher.”

Charlotte – Supported by the Employment and Skills Team, North Tyneside Council

Create fair employment and good work for all

We will empower people with the skills and resources they need to take ownership of their future and secure good jobs with living wages.

Rates of unemployment are highest among those with no or few qualifications and skills, people with disabilities and mental ill-health, those with caring responsibilities, lone parents, those from some ethnic minority groups, older workers and young people. We want to make it easier for people who are disadvantaged in the labour market to obtain and keep work.

What does the evidence say?

Unemployment – and particularly long-term unemployment – have a significant impact on physical and mental health. In-work poverty is also a real issue for many families because of low wages, expensive rent and increasing household bills.

Good work is characterised by a living wage, having control over work, in-work development, flexibility, protection from adverse working conditions, ill-health prevention and stress management strategies and support for sick and disabled people that facilitates a return to work.

Lack of control and lack of reward at work are critical determinants of a variety of poor health outcomes and are more prevalent among lower occupational status groups.

There is also good evidence that combining healthy lifestyle interventions in the workplace increases an employee’s uptake in adopting health-promoting behaviour

Examples of our current approaches

• North Tyneside’s Employment and Skills Strategy recognises that the prosperity of North Tyneside flows from its economy, supported by the employment and skills of residents and those who work here and includes actions to be taken to make sure our residents are ready for work and life
• Our Inclusive Economic Strategy aims to create conditions for businesses to flourish, to nurture investment and support long-term opportunities for growth, creating jobs that reflect a transforming economy
• We have adopted an Employment Support Framework as part of the North of Tyne Combined Authority work programme to increase the number of residents moving into work
• The North of Tyne Good Work Pledge provides a model and standard to assist and recognise businesses to create good quality employment
• North Tyneside Business Forum is a supportive network helping to support local business and providing a link to a wider network of business groups and associations
• Regular engagement with businesses to identify barriers to growth
• Local businesses take social responsibility for our people, our place and our economy
• Using new opportunities of digital communication and social media to engage with businesses
• The Better Health at Work award is widely adopted by employers and businesses across North Tyneside and aims to promote good health and address health and wellbeing issues within the workplace

Key local challenges and areas for action

• We have consistently higher unemployment and lower productivity than the national average
• There is a lack of job opportunities in some areas, whilst at the same time many sectors are struggling to recruit workers
• Insecure and poor-quality employment, for example zero-hour contracts
• Ensuring that changes in funding arrangements don’t impact on capacity to support the unemployed and economically inactive to find work
• Need to consider how we can work with partners to strengthen the health and social care sector in terms of career structure and opportunities
• How can we maximise opportunities arising in some key sectors; those associated with offshore energy, green technologies, culture and tourism and the digital sector to attract better paid and higher skilled jobs to the Borough

Supported into employment and good quality work

Phoenix Detached Youth Project is a local charity working with young people to improve opportunities and reduce health inequalities. During the pandemic the dedicated team supported over 20 young people to access good quality work, further education, or training, and supported other local people to reduce in-work poverty.

“I believe Phoenix helps give young people such as myself that extra push to strive forward for what they can achieve. Phoenix go above and beyond the call of duty to help this community’s youth get off the streets and help people into work, helping me get a full-time apprenticeship roofing job.”

‘S’, age 18

Ensure a healthy standard of living for all

We want an inclusive economy that works for and includes everyone, where the benefits of the economy are spread, so that all communities in North Tyneside flourish and grow equally.

The ability to lead a dignified life is central to health and poverty has a cumulative effect across the life course. Having sufficient income can help people to feel in control and be supported by a financial safety net.

A certain minimum level of income is necessary to lead a physically and mentally healthy life, however many people have insufficient income for healthy living.

What does the evidence say?

Evidence shows that insufficient income is associated with worse outcomes across virtually all domains, including long-term health and life expectancy. Living on a low income is associated with a greater risk of limiting illness and poor mental health, including maternal depression.

Children who live in poverty are more likely to be born early and small, suffer chronic diseases such as asthma and face greater risk of mortality in early and later life. As digital connections become a key requirement of the future economy, it is important to focus on digital technology as a key element of an inclusive economy.

Businesses have a profound impact on the wider determinants of health as employers and advocates and through their social and economic impact on local areas

Examples of our current approaches

Northumbria Healthcare Foundation Trust has a Community Promise recognising that as major employer, a major buyer and user of products and services, that they can address wider inequalities, for example through using local suppliers or creating apprenticeships for local people

Through the Poverty Intervention Fund, the following initiatives have been supported:

• Poverty-proofing the school day to identify and overcome the barriers to learning that children and young people from families with fewer financial resources face
• Benefits take-up campaign and support for older people
• Providing funding for school appropriate clothing
• Providing vouchers for food during school holidays

The North Tyneside Council Digital Strategy 2021-2024 promotes digital inclusion and services are designed in a way that create equal access for all; ensuring residents, business and visitors are safe, digitally confident and connected both in terms of physical access to technology and digital connection

Cross-sector partnership working on digital inclusion, considering the barriers and accessing funding for projects to respond

North Tyneside Carers Centre ensures that carers are assessed around wider wellbeing needs, including eligibility for Carers’ benefits

Many VCSE sector organisations provide food in an emergency to individuals and families who find themselves in financial crisis

Targeted activity to relieve financial hardship experienced by communities across North Tyneside is delivered by statutory and VCSE organisations

Key local challenges and areas for action

• In-work poverty is a real issue for many families who are trying to survive on very low wages
• There are significant financial cliff edges between being in and out of work, which need to be reduced
• Low-income families have been hit the hardest by the pandemic as financial instability has risen
• Large increase in the numbers of working age residents claiming Universal Credit over the last 18 months, largely due to the widening of the eligibility criteria
• The benefits system should not act as a disincentive to returning to work
• The benefits system is complex and difficult to navigate for some residents
• Digital exclusion is a key issue that is a barrier to participation and access to some services
• Heating or eating is a reality for many families on low income
• Fuel poverty is a significant problem and likely to grow as the cost of fuel increases
• Transport costs to appointments and prescription costs can be prohibitive

Being paid a real living wage

Justice Prince is a Community Interest Company in Longbenton and a Real Living Wage Employer, which means a wage that meets the costs of living, not just the government minimum. Justice Prince supports increased community power through the active engagement of local people in strategies to tackle inequalities and social injustice.

"I'm very thankful to have my first job in the UK with a Real Living Wage. As we came to this country 20 years ago, one of the most shocking things was how expensive it was to live here. We had to count every penny to survive. It is very important to me and my family to be paid a Real Wage, which has enabled me to make more choices, afford to do more nice things with family and friends, and – best of all – to live a better life."

Winnie, Longbenton resident, Community Garden & Volunteer Manager, Local Conversation Project.