Policy Forum for Wales Keynote Seminar
Poverty and welfare reform in Wales
with
Stephen Crabb MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales, Wales Office
and
Councillor Tom Bond, Newport City Council; Lee Canning, TaxPayers’ Alliance; Katija Dew, Wales Co-operative Centre; Kathryn Edwards, Charter Housing; Dave Evans,Working Links; Dr Jim McCormick, Joseph Rowntree Foundation; Joshua Miles, Federation of Small Businesses Wales; Siân Morgan, Remploy; John O’Shea, The College Merthyr Tydfil; Rhian Rees, Ceredigion County Council; Mary Powell-Chandler, Save the Children; Jassa Scott, Estyn and Fran Targett, Citizens Advice Cymru
Chaired by:
Mark Isherwood AM, Shadow Minister for Communities and Housing, Welsh Conservatives and Gwyn R Price AM, Member, Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee, National Assembly for Wales
This event is CPD certified
Morning, Thursday, 13th February 2014
Central Cardiff
Please note there is a charge for most delegates, although concessionary and complimentary places are available (subject to terms and conditions - see below).
This timely conference focuses on the Welsh Government’s proposals to reduce poverty, set out in the July 2013 Tackling Poverty Action Plan - and the Welsh response to UK-wide welfare reforms.
The agenda includes a keynote address from Stephen Crabb MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales.
Delegates will discuss the role of the recently introduced Anti-Poverty Champions for each local authority - with a presentation from Councillor Tom Bond, Anti-Poverty Champion, Newport City Council and Dr Jim McCormick, Scotland Adviser, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, will present an overview of policy initiatives to reduce poverty levels in Wales, with reference as well to initiatives in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Overall, the agenda focuses on:
- Welfare reform and access to finance
- Steps that can be taken to mitigate the impact on Wales of UK-wide welfare reform, including the introduction of Universal Credit;
- Issues related to pay-day lending and the alternative role that credit unions can play in Wales;
- Early intervention and reducing inequalities
- How funding for early intervention programmes such as Flying Start and Foundation Stage can best be coordinated;
- Steps to reduce health inequalities within Wales - including the role of Communities First programmes;
- The impact of poverty on educational achievement and how schools can reduce the impact on pupils, including a presentation from Jassa Scott, Assistant Director, Estyn on their recent report on this issue;
- Skills and unemployment
- Skills gaps in Wales, and how to involve Further and Higher Education institutions in routes out of poverty;
- Steps to tackle unemployment in Wales and the record of the respectiveWork Programme and Jobs Growth Wales schemes in getting people into to work.
The conference will bring together key policymakers from the UK and Welsh Government with a wide range of interested and affected stakeholders - including local authorities, local health boards, skills and training providers, health and child development professionals, employers and work-programme providers, housing associations, academics and charities.
The draft agenda is copied below my signature, and a regularly updated version is available to download here. The seminar is organised on the basis of strict impartiality by the Policy Forum for Wales.
Speakers
We are delighted to be able to include in this seminar keynote addresses from: Stephen Crabb MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales, Wales Office; Councillor Tom Bond, Anti-Poverty Champion, Newport City Council and Dr Jim McCormick, Scotland Adviser, Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Further confirmed speakers include: Lee Canning, Wales Coordinator, TaxPayers’ Alliance; Katija Dew, Financial Inclusion Programme Director, Wales Co-operative Centre; Kathryn Edwards, Corporate Director, Charter Housing; Dave Evans, Director, Wales, Working Links; Joshua Miles, Policy Advisor, Federation of Small Businesses Wales; Siân Morgan, Wales Business Development Director, Remploy; John O’Shea, Principal and Chief Executive, The College Merthyr Tydfil; Rhian Rees, Flying Start Manager, Ceredigion County Council; Mary Powell-Chandler, Head of Wales, Save the Children; Jassa Scott, Assistant Director, Estyn and Fran Targett, Director, Citizens Advice Cymru.
Mark Isherwood AM, Shadow Minister for Communities and Housing, Welsh Conservatives and Gwyn R Price AM, Member, Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee, National Assembly for Wales have kindly agreed to chair this seminar. Additional senior participants are being approached.
Networking
This seminar will present an opportunity to engage with key policymakers and other interested parties, and is CPD certified (more details). Places have been reserved by legislative pass-holders from the House of Commons and the National Assembly for Wales and officials from the CSSIW; DWP and the Welsh Government. Also due to attend are representatives from Afan Valley Communities First; Bron Afon Community Housing; Caerphilly County Borough Council; Caerphilly County CAB; Carmarthenshire County Council; Carmarthenshire Youth & Children’s Association; Christians Against Poverty; Citizens Advice Cymru; Cole y Cymoedd; Community Foundation in Wales;Educ8; Flying Start-Cardiff; Glyndwr University; LiNKS; Melin Homes; Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council; Money Advice Service; Monmouthshire Housing Association;Newport City Homes; NIACE Dysgu Cymru; Powys County Council; Race Council Cymru;Serco Welfare Services; Seren Group; Spice Innovations; The City & County of Swansea, Social Inclusion Unit; Torfaen CAB; Torfaen County Borough Council; Trussell Trust;United Welsh; Vale of Glamorgan Youth Service; Wales Audit Office and Wales Probation Trust.
Overall, we expect speakers and attendees to be a senior and informed group numbering around 120, including Members of the National Assembly for Wales and senior officials from the Welsh Government and DWP, local authorities, local health boards, skills and training providers, health and child development professionals, employers and work-programme providers, housing associations, academics and charities together with representatives of the national and trade press based in Wales and elsewhere.
Output and About Us
A key output of the seminar will be a transcript of the proceedings, sent out around 10 working days after the event to all attendees and a wider group of Ministers and officials in the Wales Office and Welsh Government departments affected by the issues; as well as Assembly Members with a special interest in the subject. It will also be made available more widely. This document will include transcripts of all speeches and questions and answers sessions from the day, along with access to PowerPoint presentations, speakers’ biographies, an attendee list, an agenda, sponsor information, as well as any subsequent press coverage of the day and any articles or comment pieces submitted by delegates. It is made available subject to strict restrictions on public use, and is intended to provide timely information for interested parties who are unable to attend on the day.
All delegates will receive complimentary PDF copies and are invited to contribute to the content.
The Policy Forum for Wales is strictly impartial and cross-party. The Forum has no policy agenda of its own.
Booking arrangements
To book places, please use our online booking form.
Once submitted, this will be taken as a confirmed booking and will be subject to our terms and conditions below.
Please pay in advance by credit card on 01344 864796. If advance credit card payment is not possible, please let me know and we may be able to make other arrangements.
Options and charges are as follows:
- Places at Poverty and welfare reform in Wales (including refreshments and PDF copy of the transcripts) are £190 plus VAT;
- Concessionary rate places for small charities, unfunded individuals and those in similar circumstances are £80 plus VAT. Please be sure to apply for this at the time of booking.
For those who cannot attend:
- Copies of the briefing document, including full transcripts of all speeches and the questions and comments sessions and further articles from interested parties, will be available approximately 10 days after the event for £95 plus VAT;
- Concessionary rate: £50 plus VAT.
If you find the charge for places a barrier to attending, please let me know as concessionary and complimentary places are made available in certain circumstances (but do be advised that this typically applies to individual service users or carers, full-time students, people between jobs or who are fully retired with no paid work, and representatives of small charities - not businesses, individuals funded by an organisation, or larger charities/not-for-profit companies). Please note terms and conditions below (including cancellation charges).
I do hope that you will be able to join us for what promises to be a most useful morning, and look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours sincerely
Siân
Siân Nicholson
Forum Lead, Policy Forum for Wales / Arweinydd Fforwm, Fforwm Polisïau Cymru
T: 01344 864796
F: 01344 420121
UK Headquarters / Y Brif Swyddfa yn y DU: 4 Bracknell Beeches, Old Bracknell Lane West, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 7BW
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