Written evidence from KeyRing - The Ancora Project, Oldham (CPN0005)

1-     I’m unsure what the answer is and how to decipher figures. My role is on a local not national level. The challenges in counting/estimating means it relies on figures from different agencies, including different departments within a local authority. Children’s social care is likely to have better figures if a family has come to their attention but other organizations such as churches and other voluntary agencies may know families that are not known.

2-     From the data above – an estimation could be used.

3-     As above

4-     I would imagine that the majority of children under this category live in poverty if families do not have means to establish themselves and progress. I would think that children whose families do have access to public funds could fair better.

5-     Access to schools and face-to-face input from services were greatly restricted during the pandemic making it harder to identify.

6-     Legal advice is limited. Voluntary and faith based agencies may offer financial support.

7-     These agencies have been the lifeline for some families when available. Many were not open during the pandemic and those that were open, were further stretched with limited resources

8-     The lifting of NRPF enables people access usual services but if there is limited discretion, this will surely mean people/families are in a never-ending revolving situation.

September 2021