The plight of in-work poverty
According to numerous studies, many working families are increasingly finding themselves in precarious employment, which has catalysed rates of in-work and child poverty in both York and across the UK.
Research from The Island’s Impact Report (April 2018 – June 2019) found that over 1,500 children are living in poverty with a parent/guardian in work in the five wards that accounted for 70% of the Island’s referrals. These findings exemplify the saturated nature of in-work poverty in York and are representative and emblematic of the wider emergence of a Breadline Britain in which millions of children in the UK live in poverty despite having parents in work. Indeed, research conducted by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) found that two-thirds of children who live in poverty live in a working family.
The Island is determined to use its resources and operational capabilities to combat and alleviate the worst extremities of in-work poverty on children in York. This is synonymous with our efforts to mitigate the most deleterious effects of insecure work on working families at a local level. For example, we operate and deliver food parcels for working families living in poverty who are struggling to afford the basic necessities. In addition to this, we also operate a mentoring service that enables and unlocks potential in young people by providing them with qualifications through Asdan and empowering them to enjoy and participate in activities that their circumstances would otherwise inhibit them from doing. This service has a substantial impact on the prospects of young people through improving their confidence, self-esteem and communication skills thereby combatting the self-reinforcing mechanisms associated with poverty.
Tim is one of the many young people referred to The Island for issues correlative with familial struggle and in-work poverty. Tim’s dad belonged to the armed forces meaning he was periodically and consistently away from the family home. This had a substantial impact on Tim and his mother who were struggling to get by and both experiencing issues associated with anxiety/depression. The Island endeavoured to ensure that Tim was matched with a role model who could build a positive, trusting and supportive relationship that could help facilitate Tim to openly share his thoughts and feelings readily and help relieve stress off his mother who was in work. Tim was eventually matched with a married couple that had long supported the Island. The hope of this relationship was that Tim would have the alternating influence of both mentors that could help ensure a stable and dependable structuring of sessions. It was believed that the increase in one-to-one attention would serve as an outlet where Tim could not only be given space from his stresses and anxieties but also allow him to speak openly about them. The mentoring relationship proved to be so positive that it continued beyond a year and mum reported that the outlet it provided significantly improved Tim’s confidence and helped relieve mum of the stress from working.
Tim is an archetypal case study that represents and reflects the wider beneficial impact that the Island has on many working families who are struggling in relative in-work poverty. For every £100 donated the Island can provide 10 mentoring sessions to a young person like Tim offering targeted intervention and helping relieve stress off working parents.
To make a donation towards our work with children experiencing poverty please click here.
