Content

Our purpose is to – reduce poverty across East Devon

The Council’s approach set out in this strategy reflects updated evidence on the nature of poverty in East Devon and changes in the national context over the past decade.

It also builds on the learning from the Council’s existing approach to supporting individuals and communities. This learning includes:

  1. The importance of balancing efforts to address the immediate effects of poverty, with preventative work to address the root causes of poverty. 
  2. Being clear on which issues can be addressed by direct delivery by Council services, which issues can be achieved through partnership working (where more can be achieved through collaboration), and which issues require influencing and lobbying activity (where powers lie with Government or other agencies).
  3. A need to build the capacity and resilience of residents and communities. 

Strategic Actions:

  1. Helping people on low incomes to maximise their household income and minimise their costs, building financial resilience and reducing indebtedness.
  2. Strengthening families and communities, including supporting groups of people that are more likely to experience poverty, and community and voluntary groups working to combat poverty.
  3. Promoting an inclusive economy, by raising skills and improving access to a range of employment opportunities for people on low incomes.
  4. Addressing the high cost of housing, improving housing conditions, creating affordable warmth and reducing homelessness.
  5. Improving health outcomes for people on low incomes, including access to good diet, health care and ill health prevention.