SCIE media releases 2008

We need a better understanding of poverty, parenting and social exclusion says SCIE

13 May 2008

The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) has published a new training resource that helps people working in social care to understand the link between poverty, parenting and social exclusion.

Living in poverty can exclude people from life chances that others take for granted. It makes parenting a greater challenge and can impair the health and development of children. Families living in poverty are the group most likely to come into contact with children and families services, often involuntarily.

Chief Executive of SCIE, Julie Jones, said: “Poverty is about more than not having enough money. It is about a lack of choice and life opportunities, and the way other people perceive and treat you. Families who have lived in poverty tell us that they often lose their dignity, respect and confidence in their parenting skills.

“Without a good understanding of the issues linking poverty, parenting and exclusion from society, there is a risk that children and family workers can misdiagnose poverty as neglect. It is therefore vital that child welfare professionals understand the impact that poverty has on the lives of children and families.”

SCIE has worked closely with the anti-poverty organisation ATD Fourth World to develop a comprehensive set of e-learning resources on the topic. The resources include videos and case studies of families affected by poverty.

National Coordinator for ATD Fourth World, Matt Davies, said: “A lot of work has been done nationally to develop policy that supports the drive to end child poverty. But strong policy can never be implemented effectively unless front-line workers understand the complex issues that lead families to be excluded from participating fully in society. A better understanding of these issues could help practitioners to deliver better outcomes for the children and parents they work with.”

The e-learning resources Poverty, parenting and social exclusion can be used by trainers, managers or practitioners individually. Families affected by poverty have been involved in the development and quality assurance of all the resources.

Media contact

Annie Goss | Media and PR Manager | T: 020 7089 7117 | M: 07739 458 192 | Email: media@scie.org.uk