Cross cutting policy reviews
From time to time the Council working with its partners in Team Hackney runs policy reviews, to help us devise more effective approaches to the big, complex, cross-cutting issues facing the local area and help support us all to make better progress towards achieving our shared vision set out in the sustainable community strategy (SCS).
A small steering group of elected members, senior managers from local agencies and external experts, including academics, will lead these reviews. Each cross-cutting review will produce a report and recommendations for the Council and Team Hackney to respond to.
These reviews will also be a means of engaging and involving local people and community groups in finding solutions to the biggest issues facing the borough.
There are currently three cross cutting reviews in this policy cycle.
Worklessness
The SCS has a focus on poverty reduction through access to education and employment. It stated that we would carry out a cross cutting review on worklessness to learn more about the characteristics of worklessness in Hackney in order to develop our approaches to tackling the issue.
Focus of the review
The research presented to the steering group included an analysis of the characteristics of the benefit claimant population, the various barriers to work and the services that aim to reduce them.
Documents
- worklessness cross-cutting review
- worklessness needs assessment
- hidden unemployment: incapacity benefit in Hackney
Cohesion
Cohesion is whether people from different backgrounds are able to live and work comfortably alongside their neighbours is central to the vision for Hackney set out in the SCS.
Focus of the review
The Hackney cohesion review looks at community life is changing in Hackney. It considers what could be done to support strong communities where people get on and can deal with change. The review is focusing particularly on how to make sure that all Hackney’s different residents, including the less well-off , will be able to share in the benefits of a growing economy and get involved in local life.
Documents
- cohesion review summary report
- cohesion review full report
- background paper on culture and cohesion
- background paper on housing and cohesion
- background paper on schools and cohesion
- research carried out by Coram in two Hackney primary schools
Child poverty
Addressing child poverty is central to our vision set out in the SCS. It is a cross-cutting issue which will be delivered through the priorities and principles in the SCS and many of the related outcomes.
Focus of the review
The cross-cutting review on tackling child poverty and promoting family wellbeing considers what we can do differently to have most impact, building on what we already do to address the issue. The review recognises that many of the drivers to address poverty, for example through the tax and benefits system, rest with the Government. The emphasis of the review is therefore on what we can do to improve outcomes for children and young people in poverty, for example through health and education, so improving their life chances. Nevertheless the review recommends that we continue to do what we can to support family incomes and that we work with others in an influencing capacity.