Evaluating a new approach to tackling child poverty in Inverclyde

A new report by Urban Foresight has demonstrated the results of an innovative approach to tackle child poverty. The report covers the evaluation of the Inverclyde Approach – a new model for tackling child poverty that puts families at the centre of support.

The project was run by Inverclyde Council and funded under the Scottish Government’s Child Poverty Practice Accelerator Fund. Urban Foresight was commissioned to capture what has been achieved so far, and set out recommendations for the future.

What is the Inverclyde Approach?

In Inverclyde, nearly one in four children live in poverty. Families face many overlapping challenges, from financial and housing insecurity to health and wellbeing concerns.

The Inverclyde Approach brings services together around the family, recognising that traditional single-issue interventions cannot fully address these interconnected needs. The approach aims to reframe support, rather than expecting families to navigate a complex web of services.

It is built on two core principles:

• A whole systems approach: aligning local authorities, health and social care, and third-sector partners to work as one, supported by values-based leadership.
• A whole family approach: a person-centered, place-based approach focused on trust, safety and wellbeing that provides trauma-informed support.

Our evaluation focused on four projects that tested this model, covering employability support, childcare, healthy eating and wellbeing.

We combined quantitative data with ripple effect mapping, a specialist qualitative method that captures wider, often hidden impacts such as improved trust, confidence, and collaboration across the system.

What we found

The evaluation revealed tangible benefits for families and systemic change across services. Key outcomes included:

• 375 families supported, with depth of engagement tailored to complex needs.
• Improved wellbeing, with 100% of Home-Start families reporting better emotional health and 89% reporting feeling less isolated.
• Financial support, with participants being able to secure over £64,000 in unclaimed benefits.
• Employability progress, with participants building confidence and improving their skillset, and parents being able to increase working hours or return to employment by gaining access to childcare.
• Healthier lifestyles, driven by food vouchers, cooking classes, and activities that embedded healthy habits and reduced food insecurity.

Addressing challenges and scaling impact

The evaluation also highlighted systemic barriers: short-term funding, slow internal processes, and resource constraints that make partnership working harder. Our recommendations call for:

• Long-term, collaborative funding models to sustain systemic change.
• Adaptable internal processes to enable agility and joint working.
• Innovative monitoring and evaluation approaches that reflect the shift from transactional services to transformational changes for families.

“This evaluation showcases the transformational power of integrating services to bring support to families. Through the evaluation we were able to evidence this power and capture essential learning on how services can effectively collaborate to create meaningful change. I am looking forward to seeing how this approach is rolled out to the wider locality and beyond.” – said Katie Miller, Consultant at Urban Foresight.

You can read the full report here.

This project builds on Urban Foresight’s experience delivering solutions that improve lives and create fairer opportunities. This includes projects on tackling health inequalities in Wales, applying systems thinking to build a healthier Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan, and unlocking the potential of young entrepreneurs to power UK growth.