Child Poverty Act 2010

23 Joint child poverty strategy for local area

(1) The arrangements made by a responsible local authority under section 21 must include arrangements to prepare a joint child poverty strategy in relation to its area and to modify it in accordance with this section.

(2) The joint child poverty strategy must set out the measures that the responsible local authority and each partner authority propose to take for the purpose of reducing, and mitigating the effects of, child poverty in the responsible local authority’s area.

(3) Those measures—

(a) must include measures relating to matters identified in a local child poverty needs assessment;

(b) may include measures relating to other matters identified by the responsible local authority or a partner authority in connection with child poverty in the responsible local authority’s area.

(4) The responsible local authority may at any time modify the joint child poverty strategy.

(5) When a responsible local authority revises a local child poverty needs assessment it must consider whether any modification of the joint child poverty strategy is required.

(6) In preparing or modifying the joint child poverty strategy, the responsible local authority—

(a) must consult such children, and organisations working with or representing children, as the authority thinks fit,

(b) must consult such parents, and organisations working with or representing parents, as the authority thinks fit, and

(c) may consult such other persons or bodies as the authority thinks fit.

(7) The responsible local authority and each partner authority must, in exercising their functions under this section, have regard to any guidance given to them for the purpose by the Secretary of State.

(8) The responsible local authority and each partner authority must have regard to the joint child poverty strategy in exercising their functions.

(9) References in this section to a local child poverty needs assessment are to a local child poverty needs assessment prepared by the responsible local authority under section 22.