Despite ranking as having the fifth strongest economy in the world, societal inequality in the UK remains unacceptably high – especially when it comes to children.
In November 2022, the Government published its latest figures on the estimated number of children living in households that are dependent on state benefits.
It found that there are 11.3 million children living in England, Scotland, and Wales. Of these, 6 in 10 (59%) live in households that claim Child Benefit plus other benefits, such as Universal Credit.
In fact, according to Save the Children, around 3.8 million children live in households receiving Universal Credit – a monthly payment giving support with living costs to those on a low income or out of work.
Although the Government has agreed to uprate (increase the amount received) Child Benefit, for example, by £3.65 in the next financial year from £36.25 to £39.90 per child, families are struggling in the here and now.
Indeed, also in November, Inside Housing reported that the number of families in the UK living with children who are currently living in temporary accommodation has increased by 57% since 2010 to just under 121,000. Perhaps more worrying is that 1 in 5 (22%) of them are infants under the age of five years. We’re talking child poverty at levels not seen for over 25 years.
The Trussell Trust estimates that food bank usage increased by 40% in 2022, while the Joseph Rowntree Foundation states that one in five people are now living in poverty.
There are many reasons for the statistics that we are seeing – soaring rents, wages lagging behind inflation, higher rising energy prices and increasing fuel costs to name but a few. Of course, whilst the figures above are representative of Great Britain as a whole there will likely be regional disparities.
In Bath and North East Somerset alone, we have around 6,000 people under the age of 15 living in poverty, according to data provided by BaNES Council. This means 1 in 5 (20%) of children and young people in BaNES were technically living in ‘absolute’ poverty.
Location aside, regardless of whether families with children are living in BaNES or Merseyside, East Lanarkshire or Gwent, they need support because both the short and long-term implications this will have on young people within our respective communities are significant. The educational attainment gap (the gap between socially disadvantaged children and their peers) at Key Stage 2 among children in BaNES is, regrettably, one of the widest of all local authorities in England. The solution is not simply a case of giving children access to better education although is critical. Rather, having access to nutritious and affordable food is not only an imperative, but it has also been shown to better facilitate cognitive skills and brain development as a whole, especially during the first three years of a child’s life. Getting this ‘right’ has “long-term consequences with respect to education, job potential, and adult mental health.”
Tackling child poverty in BaNES takes a multifaceted approach. There is no single solution. St John’s Foundation is committed to improving the lives of infants, children and young people across our community through initiatives delivered through our Foundation Fund including our nutritious food and safe spaces programme.
These initiatives are making a difference and will continue to play a major role in leading the charge for change for those most vulnerable in BaNES. When the information we have requested is available, the data that we receive and share with you will enable us all to really understand the full extent of the challenge to hand.
The price of essential items is significantly rising, and furniture is no exception to the trend. Furniture poverty is on the rise and with the cost of living reaching an all-time high, many in our community are experiencing the effects first-hand.
Research states that 4.8 million people in the UK are living without essential items in their homes including cookers, fridges and even flooring. A study by End Furniture Poverty explains: ‘there are harmful physical, emotional, social, and financial consequences to Furniture Poverty, and it’s not just about material needs as furniture poverty is a consequence of the broader issue of poverty.’
Living in poverty can have a devastating impact on an individual’s sense of worth, wellbeing and mental health. The financial impact of furniture poverty is considerable – and set to get worse. For an average household living without essential items a significant cost is added to annual bills; living without a cooker and a fridge/freezer adds £1,365 adds £3,465 to a food bill; living without a washing machine adds £1,000 in washing expenses and living with faulty or inefficient white goods adds over £100 to energy bills.
According to Turn2Us, furniture prices have risen by 32 per cent in the last 10 years and the price of appliances by 17 per cent. Those most at risk of furniture poverty are working-age families, single mothers, those with a disability and universal credit claimants.
Being with no furniture is merely surviving, which is why our Crisis Programme can provide a lifeline for those in need. We provide financial support to families and individuals who are struggling to make ends meet, typically by purchasing them essential items such as beds, white goods and furniture. Our work often goes further than this and, for those that need it, we can also fund services such as counselling, debt support and basic employment skills and training. However, housing continues to be the Crisis Programme’s largest spend. Last year alone, over 400 applicants were supported, with nearly 70% of the funding going towards furniture (£52,690); white goods (£35,787); carpets (£67,873) and general household items, such as microwaves, vacuum cleaners and utensils (£12,497)
Only 2% of social houses are furnished when occupants take up their tenancy and furniture is the biggest cause of year-one debt. This is why we have worked in partnership with Curo to launch a new Furnished Tenancy Scheme.
The pilot will furnish 20 social houses prior to the tenant moving in, allowing them to make it more than just walls and a roof; instead a real ‘home’. It is a preventative measure which avoids the need for many to incur debt, to approach doorstep lenders or High Street ‘rent-town’ stores; we hope it will minimise the risk of building up rent arrears and other debts. We also hope it will give those in need quicker access to a better quality of life and a cosy start to their new chapter.
For nearly eight and a half centuries, St John’s Foundation has been working to support the community of Bath and the surrounding area. It all began in 1174, when Bishop Reginald Fitzjocelyn established a medieval refuge to provide food and shelter for the poor and vulnerable in his parish.
Eight hundred and fifty years later, the St John’s of today continues to offer accommodation and support; to say that we’ve had to adapt over time, is an understatement. The length of tenure is testament to our ability to move with the times and continue to deliver a wide range of services that address the changing needs of our community.
So, with hundreds of years of experience under our belt, what lessons have we learned in staying relevant?
Stay in tune with the community
The mission which underpins the basis of St John’s is to support and meet the needs of our community. Unsurprisingly, this means staying in tune with the current challenges that people are facing and which areas need the greatest support.
Issues are not stagnant; they morph and evolve over time. They ebb and flow in relation to the broader economic landscape and for a charity at the centre of it, the implications are two-fold.
It requires knowing how to get help to those who need it most and checking in regularly to ensure that needs are still being met. Having employees who are part of the fabric of the community and live within it, is of course helpful, but so is opening up lines of communication with the wider population.
Gathering feedback via surveys and research or simply speaking to people is crucial to measuring that our decisions remain grounded in data and evidence, not assumption.
The success of information gathering also boils down to reputation within the region. A relationship of mutual trust needs to be built with those we are serving, so they feel comfortable in providing reliable feedback whether positive or negative.
Be willing to adapt
Any long-standing charity needs to be open and willing to make changes. Whilst this might sound straightforward, being able to swallow ones pride and admit that something is no longer working is easier said than done. Despite best intentions, not every project or initiative will achieve its intended goal, that is the nature of life, but what counts is how an organisation is able to take this on board.
Understanding that a plan is not coming to fruition is not a reflection on the charity itself, it allows an organisation to use the experience to adapt and move forward, rather than taking it to heart. Lessons drawn from failures are far more beneficial to staying relevant, and for every project that doesn’t hit the mark, there will be one that exceeds expectations. Good charity leaders understand that life is unpredictable and will make a plan A, B and C to ensure they are prepared no matter what.
Realise your limitations
If you’ve ever decided to donate to charity, you will know how many good causes there are to choose from and the dilemma of being unable to give to all of them. No cause is more ‘worthy’ than the next so there isn’t a wrong decision to make, but that doesn’t make it any easier.
Charities are the same – whilst it would be amazing to be able to solve every issue out there, budgets and resources simply cannot stretch that far, and it can be bitter pill to swallow. But ultimately charities are gatekeepers of the precious funds they have been given, and as such are responsible for ensuring that funds are reaching where they are needed most.
This means prioritising and streamlining processes. It also means recognising your limitations. Understanding where your limits lie and accepting that you cannot address everything is a true skill, and one which, once mastered, will allow you to put all your energy and enthusiasm into what you can change, rather than dwelling on what you can’t.
Those in the charity and not-for-profit sectors face a unique set of challenges – they cannot simply stockpile reserves for a rainy day, there are limits to what they are allowed to keep back for ‘emergencies.’ So, for them, ensuring that the charity can continue functioning will always be of the upmost importance.
There is not a whole lot of room to manoeuvre and therefore leaders must be extremely considered and targeted in where and when they spend money. Although it may be difficult to decide not to continue with a worthwhile campaign because the money is needed more urgently elsewhere, this is a better scenario than throwing caution to the wind and losing the ability to help anyone if funds become depleted. Hard decisions will always need to be made but being able to move forward positively is what sets a charity apart.
Passionate employees
The people are what make your charity and are the key to ensuring that you stay innovative, creative and ahead of the curve. That is why it’s so important that your workforce contains a diverse range of voices.
To make good decisions, differing perspectives are crucial, whether that be age, ethnicity, gender, or background. Somewhere along the line, the absence of diversity of thought risks ‘missing a trick’. Employees bring with them their own experiences and may point out solutions or considerations that have been missed – not to mention the fact that each will likely represent a part of the community that the charity is supporting.
Employing passionate, innovative people, that think outside of the box and aren’t afraid to say what they think, will guarantee that your cause stays front of centre of everything you do.
At St John’s Foundation, our work within the local community is driven by our mission to affect change in the lives of those who are marred by stark disparities, inequality, and inequity in their daily lives.
Our work is centred around ensuring everyone – from children to older adults – have access to opportunities that allow them to lead happy, healthy lives.
In the past, we have used the word ‘disadvantaged’ to refer to those who face inequity, and as a result, have experienced unequal opportunity at the hands of a prejudiced system at some point during their lives.
The word ‘disadvantaged’ is a common place phrase and one which most people can understand and use in various contexts. However, we believe that when referring to inequality across our community nothing should be ‘common place’ and in fact should be addressed with the care and understanding with which we would all wish to have our problems approached.
In response to this thought process, and following the example of Olivia Taylor, who speaks candidly about the effects of being labelled in an incredibly moving video, we have made the conscious decision to move toward using the term ‘underserved’ to describe those who rely on our charity to give them a helping hand.
Olivia talks about how labelling anybody – though especially a child – can result in the creation of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Through this vicious cycle, children suffer from being denied the attention they require, due to being considered a ‘naughty child’. It is vital we recognise and understand the harmful effects of labelling children and instead identify and address their individual needs rather than assuming them a ‘lost cause’ or ‘beyond help’.
‘Disadvantaged’ puts emphasis on the individual and what some would consider ‘weaknesses’ within that individuals upbringing, or life experiences. We believe this to be incorrect. The individuals and families whom we support are unfortunately underserved by the overall system that society adheres to, and we are eager to move away from negatively defining people who have needs that may have been forgotten or neglected.
Whilst no one is to blame for the mistreatment suffered by these individuals and families, the disparity in who receives a fair and equal chance is glaring. We want to change the narrative surrounding those who need our support and that begins with how we perceive not only the inequity they are subject to, but also the circumstances which in a lot of cases, are unavoidable.
At St John’s, we strive to create a fair foundation for all, regardless of age, class or standing in the community and to do so we must identify first the underlying issues within the society in which we all live and contribute.
Moving to using the term ‘underserved’ is a conscious step from our organisation to create a more caring and inclusive community. We want to start a conversation about those who are underserved throughout our community and ensure we identify and acknowledge these individuals as human beings, whilst we work to support them in creating a happy and healthy future for themselves and their families.
Mental health and wellbeing have become among the most talked about issues of the last couple of years. Yet it took a worldwide pandemic to move the conversation from being one that was relatively muted before 2020 to one that is now widely recognised as being of critical importance.
The impact of COVID-19 on people’s wellbeing and mental health quickly became all too clear to see. In fact, the World Health Organisation has reported that on a global scale incidences of anxiety and depression saw a 25 per cent increase in just 12 months.
As the conversation around mental health and wellness issues continued to evolve so too did our general awareness of the causes – or triggers – for people of all ages and every stage of their lives. One such study captured our attention as it is very much linked to the work we do here at St John’s Foundation.
In November 2022, researchers at the University of Exeter managed to prove a link between child poverty and an individual’s sense of mental health and wellness in later life.
They found that the financial circumstances of a child are “significantly linked to their sense of well-being once they reached the age bracket of 41–65.” Lead author Karyn Morrissey warned of the dire need to “address childhood poverty as a matter of urgency, to help benefit the cycle of mental health from one generation to the next.
She added: “The impact of financial hardship in childhood on wellbeing in adulthood found in this study is particularly concerning as levels of child poverty increase in the UK.” We agree.
Both a plethora of research coupled with our own experience of working with those families in most need throughout BaNES shows us is that a child’s diet has a direct impact on their behaviour, academic attainment, and future life prospects. Yet child poverty is anything but an issue of the past, it is very much part of our present and future.
Indeed, data provided by BaNES Council reveals the extent of the challenge being faced, which highlights that in the year 2019/20, 1 in 5 (20 per cent) of children and young people in BaNES were technically living in ‘absolute’ poverty – that’s around 6,000 people under the age of 15 years.
More worrying is what is expected to come in 2023. Current estimates suggest that a worsening cost of living crisis will likely push more than 1.3 million people UK-wide into poverty – 4,000 of whom are based in BaNES and almost 1 in 3 (1,500) of which are children.The impact of this is not just in the here and now, it is long lasting. In March 2022, figures adapted from a Resolution Foundation study indicate, for BaNES, a 28 per cent attainment gap at Reception age between those children who receive free school meals and those who don’t – this is some 10 per cent worse than the national average.
The overall picture suggests that between 1 in 4 and 1 in 3 children in the UK right now are living in poverty. At St John’s Foundation, we are working with local stakeholders who share our commitment and determination to eradicate child poverty for good and in doing so help ensure a better, brighter future for the next generation.
Outside, crowds of spirited shoppers browse quaint chalets, the smell of mulled wine and chestnuts fill the air, carols are being sung.
After a two-year break, Bath Christmas Market has returned to our city, and we couldn’t be more excited. From 25th November until the 11th December, we will see the streets of Bath host over 200 chalets with handmade decorations, bespoke jewellery, artisan food, drinks, and much more. St John’s is delighted to be part of such a fantastic event which sees visitors from across the UK come to enjoy it’s delights.
For those exploring the festivities of the market, why not take a wander off the beaten track, along cobbled streets to find our Chapel, St Michael’s Within. Tucked behind the Thermae Baths, through the corridor of twinkling lights into St John’s courtyard, take a left and find yourself in our sanctuary of peace.
Open 3pm until close every day during the Bath Christmas Market, join us for a moment of calm. Regardless of your faith, our Chapel is a safe space for you to come and drop the shopping bags for a while and breathe.
For those that are struggling with the loss of a loved one this Christmas, we have put up a memory tree. Leave a photo, some words, or light a candle to help cherish their memory. We look forward to welcoming you.
So much in life depends on being a good communicator, so it’s vital that children learn the importance of oracy from a young age. Oracy is having the ability to say what you want to say, structure your thoughts, and express yourself while making sense to others.
Having good communication and language skills supports children’s ability to learn, think about and understand the world, and interact with others. Children who start school with limited communication skills are six times less likely than their peers to reach their age-related expectations in English at the end of Year 6. Good oracy also leads to improved performance in other curriculum areas, including maths and science.
Developing early oracy skills isn’t just important for children’s education. Children who communicate well are more likely to form good relationships with other children and adults and may be less prone to behavioural issues as they can express their frustrations verbally rather than turning to anger. Children who are good communicators are less likely to have mental health problems as adults, possibly because they’re more able to express their feelings.
Focusing on oracy in primary schools is key to improving children’s life chances. On entry to school, disadvantaged children’s spoken language development is significantly lower than their more advantaged peers. There is a 19-month gap between the language skills of five-year-olds in the lowest and highest income groups. [1] Without intervention, these gaps grow, as pupils with the strongest language skills make the most progress in all areas of the school curriculum.
Students receiving free school meals are 1.6 times more likely to be below language expectations at age 5, compared to their non-free school meal peers. This gap grows to twice as likely to be below language expectations at age 11[2].
On average, pupils who participate in oral language interventions make approximately five months’ additional progress over the course of a year[3].
St John’s is dedicated to providing these effective intervention tools. In 2020, we launched the Foundation Fund to help eliminate the educational inequality faced by children in our community. We work closely with seven schools across the local area that have high levels of disadvantaged children on their registers. Through working with national oracy education charity, Voice 21, we help provide children with essential communication and language skills.
Voice21 works tirelessly to transform children’s learning and life chances through speech. Their mission is to empower all children and young people to use their voice for success in school and in life. Since becoming a delivery partner of the Foundation Fund, Voice21 has worked in partnership with the schools to help enhance the quality of oracy education.
They have begun developing and implementing an oracy-rich approach to teaching and learning in the schools through professional programmes, providing leaders with the knowledge and skills to build staff capacity and embed oracy across the school. Next year their experts will start to work with the schools to build an ambitious, context-driven curriculum for oracy which is embedded across different phases and subject disciples.
St John’s also supports improving the speech and language outcomes for under 5’s through our Language for Life project. Working in partnership with HCRG and Bath and North East Somerset Council’s Early Years team, the project focuses on supporting pre-school children to reach age-related expectations in communication and language development before they make the transition into Primary School settings in Bath and Keynsham.
By working together, we hope to see long-term change in the schools within our Primary Empowerment Programme and ensure that all young people have access to a high-quality oracy education.
[1] Source: Communication Trust 2017, Talking About a Generation
[2] Moss and Washbrook 2016 Understanding the Gender Gap in Literacy and Language Development
[3] Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) evaluation of oral language interventions.
St John’s Foundation, alongside Bath and North East Somerset Council, are embarking on a joint project to support schools in BaNES. The project addresses the persistent attainment gap in our region, with the overall aim to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.
Big Education, an organisation with extensive experience in working with education providers to effect change, has been successfully appointed as project lead. The venture will see Big Education analyse local needs and data from different approaches used by schools across the region, in order to formulate a new strategy that will deliver best outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in Bath and North East Somerset.
A joint report detailing findings on the disadvantage gap in BaNES will be published early in 2023. Once published, Big Education will work with schools to implement the report’s recommendations.
This project is closely linked to St John’s Foundation Fund; a fund that helps level the educational playing field, ensuring all children in BaNES are meeting their age-related expectations. St John’s is already working closely with BaNES Council on the Language for Life project which supports improving the speech and language outcomes for under 5s.
Other initiatives within the Fund include the Primary Empowerment Programme, which provides children with additional support for reading, writing, oracy and mathematics, as well as support with emotional and behavioural needs.
David Hobdey, Chief Executive of St John’s Foundation said:
“Commissioning the ‘Improving Educational Outcomes for Disadvantaged Pupils’ project in collaboration with the council is an exciting next step for St John’s. The project is part of a suite of new programmes our Foundation Fund is supporting to address educational inequality in Bath and North East Somerset with the aim of ensuring all children have the same start in life. We look forward to seeing the crucial recommendations that will be formulated by Big Education and working with the schools to implement change.”
Councillor Dine Romero, cabinet member for Children and Young People, and Communities at Bath and North East Somerset Council, continues:
“This project is really important in improving learning experiences for disadvantaged children in B&NES. It will give our young people the targeted support they need to fulfil their potential, putting them on a level playing field with their peers and on course for living happy and successful lives.”
Liz Robinson, CEO of Big Education added:
“Our commitment is to transform learning for pupils in the most deprived communities. We know that it takes something different rather than just ‘more of the same’, and a holistic view of children in their contexts. We are really excited to be working with the Bath and North East Somerset schools on this important project. The long term vision and commitment to change is really impressive and we are delighted to be part of this collaborative effort to address the persistent attainment gap in the region.”
The Foundation Fund works closely with seven schools across the local area that have high levels of disadvantaged children on their registers. Through working with delivery partners, the Foundation Fund provides children with additional support with foundational reading, writing, oracy, and mathematics, as well as emotional and behavioural support. Our ‘In the spotlight’ series shines a light on the delivery partners who support our vision to improve children’s lives. This month, we sat down with Ed Harker from Brighter Futures.
Can you tell me a bit about Brighter Futures?
Brighter Futures provides specialist emotional and behavioural support to children across Bath and North East Somerset. We do this through a mixture of bespoke services including Education Psychology, assessments, therapeutic interventions, leadership consultation, counselling, staff supervision, Thrive Approach training and support for schools, nurseries, and other organisations.
Last year we were appointed as one of the Foundation Fund’s delivery partners with a focus on improving emotional and behavioural outcomes for vulnerable and disadvantaged children. Since then, we have had a presence in all seven schools for at least one and a half days a week, helping to tackle any immediate concerns and working on building long-term capacity.
How has the pandemic affected the way you work with children and schools?
During the lockdowns we had to be as flexible as possible in the ways we work with schools, moving online where appropriate and creating activity packs to be shared at home, but trying wherever possible to maintain direct contact with the children and staff we work with.
The longer-term impact of the lockdowns is now becoming apparent through the rising emotional, behavioural, and speech and language needs of the children. This impact is disproportionately affecting children from vulnerable and disadvantaged families.
The pandemic also continues to affect staff who are off sick due to Covid or related illnesses, and it’s proving incredibly challenging for schools to secure the staff cover they need; senior leaders are often having to cover lessons. It’s now more difficult to recruit Teaching Assistants and Learning Support Assistants: jobs which are crucial in providing front line 1-1 support for vulnerable children. All these factors are increasing workloads for everyone, putting a big strain on the whole school system.
The Foundation Fund’s work has started at a time when schools most need this support and we’re making sure we adapt our services to meet their developing needs.
How are you working with schools supported through the Foundation Fund?
We worked with the seven schools to create a core offer that’s consistent across all schools, but flexible enough to meet their very different needs.
Our core offer is a blend of several approaches; consultancy from a Brighter Future Co-ordinator, working closely with the school’s senior leaders on short, medium and long-term strategies for emotional and behavioural development; a Thrive Practitioner working with individual children or groups; an enhanced educational psychologist offer, enabling schools to use EP expertise to address issues they wouldn’t be usually be able to tackle due to a lack of capacity; relevant professional development; and weekly forest school group sessions. These outdoor sessions have been particularly popular as children respond well to being in a different environment using different learning techniques.
The Thrive approach is at the heart of much of our work and is used in most BaNES schools. It’s based on neuroscience, attachment theory and child development and helps us to profile children and classes and create action plans to work with them to best support their social and emotional wellbeing.
What are your key objectives/ what are you trying to achieve by working with the Foundation Fund?
Our overall goal is to help improve emotional and behavioural outcomes for disadvantaged children across the seven schools. This can be measured in a variety of ways, including rates of exclusions, and attendance levels.
As well as improving children’s immediate outcomes, we want to help build the schools’ overall capacity, so they have the infrastructure in place to be able to effectively support emotional and behavioural development beyond the Foundation Fund support. We are actively looking for ways to build and share good practice across the schools, creating a supportive network for this type of work.
