Morning, Monday, 27th April 2026
Online
This conference will examine next steps following publication of the Child Poverty Strategy, with a focus on social security reform, local delivery, and accountability. Delegates will consider priorities for implementing recent commitments - including expansion of free school meals, the Better Futures Fund and additional local authority investment - alongside areas where further policy, regulation, and delivery practice may be required.
It will bring together key stakeholders and policymakers to discuss implications of reform outlined in the 2025 Autumn Budget - including removal of the two-child benefit cap and changes to the National Minimum Wage - and what these could mean in practice for household incomes, local service capacity, and accountability for outcomes. We expect discussion on the balance between national policy design and local delivery models, including how responsibilities are allocated across government, local authorities, and partner organisations, and how progress is monitored over time.
Support for parents & carers
Sessions will consider priorities for initiatives that widen access to secure employment for parents - particularly lone parents and those facing systemic barriers - and examine measures to address concerns about access to childcare and progression in the workplace. Attendees will explore local delivery models, including family hubs, integrated care systems, and multi-agency partnerships, looking at the impact and implications of varying provision across areas.
Housing standards
Approaches for tackling extreme poverty will also be considered, including strategies to reduce the number of children living in temporary accommodation and the effectiveness of current preventative approaches. The potential impact and deployment of funding for the Affordable Homes Programme and additional support through the Local Authority Housing Fund will also be discussed, alongside further reforms aimed at improving housing standards and energy efficiency, such as Awaab’s Law and the Warm Homes Plan.
Oversight
Discussion will look at effective approaches to accountability - such as the use of statutory targets, shared outcome metrics, and independent oversight - with new legal duties for councils to notify schools, health visitors, and GPs when a child is placed in temporary accommodation. Delegates will consider the Child Poverty Strategy’s intended reach across education inequality, housing conditions, and children’s health, and reflect on potential consequences of different partnerships and delivery arrangements.
Roles, responsibilities & monitoring outcomes
Further sessions will examine the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and its implications for schools, safeguarding, and wider system responsibilities, including for school staff in supporting children’s daily welfare needs. We expect discussion on monitoring outcomes, including the use of household income data, risk indicators, and wider impact measures, and implications for evaluation and longer-term planning. Delegates will consider the role of community organisations and lived experience in shaping delivery, and implications of outcomes-based funding models - such as social impact bonds - for the design and operation of future support.
Overview of areas for discussion:
- Child Poverty Strategy:
- links between funding priorities, delivery systems, and accountability mechanisms - roles and responsibilities across national and local levels
- adjustments to existing policy direction and priorities - improving access to baby formula products
- social security reform:
- impact of removal of the two-child limit - effectiveness of income support in addressing hardship - approaches to eligibility, design, and conditionality across benefits
- parental employment:
- barriers affecting entry into secure work - challenges around career progression and job stability - support structures for lone parents and those with complex needs
- childcare and early years:
- differences in access and provision across regions - influence on child development and parental work patterns - food and nutrition support - alignment with wider anti-poverty strategies
- local delivery models:
- assessing service configurations - variation in coverage, accessibility, and outcomes - support needs for building capacity and consistency - local authority duties and information sharing
- cross-government working:
- responsibilities at each tier of government - practical effects of differing priorities and policies - links to broader aims on inequality and life chances
- housing affordability:
- reducing the number of children living in temporary accommodation - Affordable Homes Programme impact - strategies for reducing household bills
- impact of Awaab’s Law - Warm Homes Plan priorities - social housing provision and Right to Buy reform
- accountability and outcomes:
- use of statutory duties and measurement frameworks - independence in scrutiny and oversight - maintaining focus over time amid changing circumstances
- schools and the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill:
- statutory requirements for school-based support - expectations placed on teaching and pastoral staff - school-level approaches to attendance, welfare, and safeguarding
- data and evidence:
- tools for tracking household need and vulnerability - reliability and comparability of indicators - links to performance monitoring and long-term planning
- community role and funding:
- involvement of families and service users in shaping provision - funding approaches tied to outcomes - scope for place-based models and local partnerships
