Our work currently focuses on the issue of income adequacy.
We work in the following ways:
Capacity building
UKCAP works to building and/or strengthening the capacity of individuals, groups and networks to participate in UK-wide decision-making processes at local, regional and national levels.
We do this through the provision of appropriate and user-friendly training and information, as well as offering financial support from a Network Development Fund.
By 2007, at the end of the three years covered by our current business plan, UKCAP expects to see:
- more individuals participating
- greater skills and training for those who participate
- more widespread groups and networks across the UK
- stronger links and flows of information between groups and networks
- a greater response rate to Government consultations and initiatives
- new ways established to link policy-makers with people who have experience of poverty
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Work with the All Party Parliamentary Group on Poverty
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Poverty is distinctive
among All Party Parliamentary Groups in that, as a priority,
it encourages and facilitates the direct participation of
people with current or recent experience of poverty. It offers
a forum and a procedure which enable people living in poverty
to prepare direct representations to Ministers; and, by the
same token, Ministers engage directly with people affected
by their policy decisions. This has led to greater participation
by those living in poverty in the development of key Government
policy areas (notably the National Action Plan on Social Exclusion).
The value of these dynamic meetings of the Group has been
appreciated both by those experiencing poverty and, increasingly,
by Ministers.
Origins of the Group
After the UK Government signed the Declaration and Programme
of Action at the World Summit on Social Development in March
1995, the UK Coalition Against Poverty (UKCAP) was formed.
This was a broad alliance bringing together people living
poverty alongside voluntary organisations, local authorities,
faith-based organisations and grassroots groups. Once established,
it sought support from MPs, and the All Party Parliamentary
Group on Poverty was set up in 1996.
Key objects of the Group include:
highlighting the UN Decade for the Eradication of Poverty
(1997-2006); and monitoring and pressing for Government progress
promoting the active involvement and participation of people
living in poverty in the development of policies and legislation
which impact on their lives
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Work with the Social Policy Task Force
The Social Policy Task Force was established by a range of
UK networks and organisations whose primary purpose is to
combat poverty and social exclusion. The SPTF is a joint working
vehicle for following up the National Action Plans on Social
Inclusion (NAPSinc). The SPTF meets regularly to develop its
NAPSinc agenda and the organisations involved have held a
number of events including NAPSinc awareness seminars and
workshops on indicators of child poverty.
Representatives of the SPTF meet regularly with civil servants
from the Department of Work and Pensions to pursue their NAPSinc
agenda. Following consultation with the SPTF the DWP have
established a working group that aims to develop recommendations
concerning participation of those with experience of poverty
in the NAPSinc process.
The central aim of the SPTF is to influence the process and
content of the NAPSinc over its planned 10-year life, as one
means to improve the effectiveness of the UK policy to combat
poverty and social exclusion.
Through its connections with European level networks and
organisations the SPTF aims to play its part in influencing
the European Community and European Commission agendas for
the Open Method of Co-ordination (OMC) in the field of social
inclusion. The Social Platform of European NGO’s is
following up the NAPSinc at European Union level.
The SPTF has close links to Social Platform through the European
Anti-Poverty Network (via the UK Liaison Group which is made
up of NIAPN, EAPN England, Scottish Poverty Alliance, EAPN
Cymru/APNC), ATD Fourth World and other member organisations
of the Social Platform.
In the UK the SPTF has good links with grassroots organisations
and particularly so with the UK Coaltion Against Poverty and
Communities Against Poverty Liverpool, as well as many of
the member organisations in the 4 EAPN networks.
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Direct dialogue with UK policy-makers
In order to ensure poverty remains high on the political
agenda UKCAP works directly with Government Ministers, Politicians
across Westminster and key Civil Servants. UKCAP engages in
direct dialogue with UK policy-makers to influence and inform
policy-making and to open up their processes to greater public
participation. UKCAP ensures that the voices of people who
have direct experience of poverty form part of UK-wide decision
making processes.
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