Issue - meetings

(i)            to note the Council’s planned actions to be taken in response to the Scottish Women’s Budget Group Study on Gender Inequality and Poverty in Aberdeen;

(ii)          to thank members of the Scottish Women’s Budget Group Steering Group, Aberdeen Youth Movement and all other stakeholders who participated in improvement action planning process;

(iii)         to instruct the Chief Officer - Education and Lifelong Learning and Chief Officer – Data Insights, to review questions in future surveys on early learning and out of school care in order to ensure analysis by socio-economic status is possible, so that any variations can be identified and additional targeted measures can be introduced where required;

(iv)         to instruct the Executive Director of Corporate Services to map women’s groups across the city with a view to highlighting where support might be available;

(v)          to note the importance of wrap around childcare to enable women to return to the workforce and to lifting children out of poverty. Notes the expansion of breakfast club provision in 2025/26 through the Bright Starts breakfast fund and instructs the Chief Officer Education & Lifelong Learning to look at external funding opportunities to support expansion for the end of the school day provision; and

(vi)         to instruct the Executive Director of Corporate Services to provide an update on the 52 improvement actions presented in this report by December 2026.

(i)            to note the findings of the final report on the Scottish Women’s Budget Group Study on Gender Inequality and Poverty in Aberdeen;

(ii)          to thank all those that participated in this project;

(iii)         to instruct the Executive Director of Corporate Services to bring a response to the findings and recommendations of the Scottish Women’s Budget Group Study on Gender Inequality and Poverty to the Committee meeting on 26 November 2025, taking cognisance of priorities and financial implications;

(iv)         to instruct the Executive Director of Corporate Services to share the report and recommendations for action with Scottish Government, UK Government, Police Scotland and Financial Services Ombudsman;

(v)          to instruct the Executive Director of Corporate Services to bring an evaluation report on the process to the Committee meeting in January 2026; and

(vi)         to instruct the  Strategic Lead, Prevention and Community Empowerment to provide further information in respect of new childminder provision in the previously identified blackspot areas.

The Committee had before it a report presenting the findings and recommendations of the Scottish Women’s Budget Group Study on Gender Inequality and Poverty in Aberdeen. 

Heather Williams – Training Lead, Scottish Women’s Budget Group, introduced the report and handed over to Steering Group members Natasha Franklin, Arantxa Garcia de sola and Jacquie Westland who presented the findings and responded to questions from Committee Members.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee:

(a)          note the findings of the final report on the Scottish Women’s Budget Group Study on Gender Inequality and Poverty in Aberdeen;

(b)          thank all those that participated in the project;

(c)          instruct the Executive Director of Corporate Services to bring a response to the findings and recommendations of the Scottish Women’s Budget Group Study on Gender Inequality and Poverty to the Committee meeting on 26 November 2025;

(d)          instruct the Executive Director of Corporate Services to share the report and recommendations for action with Scottish Government, UK Government, Police Scotland and Financial Services Ombudsman; and

(e)          instruct the Executive Director of Corporate Services to bring an evaluation report on the process to the Committee meeting in January 2026.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice Convener, moved:-

that the Committee approve the recommendations.

Councillor Kusznir, seconded by Councillor Brooks moved as an amendment:-

that the Committee:

(1)          note the Scottish Women’s Budget Group Study on Gender Inequality and Poverty and expresses its gratitude to participants for their valuable engagement on issues of concern to the Council and its citizens;

(2)          welcome the holistic approach to the report, which acknowledges the diverse causes of inequality and relative poverty;

(3)          believe the report would have benefited from detailed explanations and case studies for concepts referenced and praised but not explained in detail such as recommendations #9 (community navigator role), #36 (feminist urban planning), #47 (Confident Conversations training), and #58 (community diner project);

(4)          recognise the challenges to the Council in implementing all 96 recommendations due to financial and resources constraints, which therefore means prioritisation is key;

(5)          agree not to pursue:

a.            the translation element of recommendation #45;

b.            recommendation #44 due to the importance of tackling illegal immigration through the UK Government, including the so called ‘hostile environment’ policies; and

c.            recommendation #77, given the significant costs and complexities of publicly operated bus services.

(6)          instruct the Executive Director of Corporate Services to:

a.            focus on high impact, feasible recommendations on (a) childcare and education (recommendations such as #1, #4, #6, #17, #27); (b) welfare access (#45, #51, #52, #53); (c) safety and community (#37, #48); and (d) data and transparency (#3, 26, #49, #55); and

b.            bring an evaluation report on the process to the Committee meeting in January 2026.

Councillor Blake, seconded by Councillor Bonsell, moved as a further amendment:-

that the Committee:

(1)          note the findings of the final report on the Scottish Women’s Budget Group Study on Gender Inequality and Poverty in Aberdeen;

(2)          thank all those that participated in the project;

(3)          instruct the Executive  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7

(i)            to instruct the Executive Director – Families and Communities to circulate the ABZWorks Commissioning of Rocket Science study looking at barriers into employability for parents;

(ii)          to instruct the Executive Director – Families and Communities to circulate an update in respect of the study period stated for reporting of breastfeeding;

(iii)         to instruct the Executive Director – Families and Communities to circulate details of the national Childminding Recruitment campaign;

(iv)         to instruct the Executive Director – Families and Communities, to follow up with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation as part of the further investigations in respect of the increasing local trend around hospitalisations due to asthma;

(v)          to note the progress made in delivering the Aberdeen City Integrated Children’s Services Strategic Plan and associated work to address child poverty from April 2024 to date; and

(vi)         to note the comments on the report in advance of it being presented to the Education and Children’s Services Committee for internal approval and thereafter Community Planning Aberdeen for full ratification

The Committee had before it a report outlining the work undertaken by the Children’s Services Board during 2024/25 and incorporating the Local Child Poverty Action Report for 2024/25. The report outlined proposed changes to be made to the agreed Aberdeen City Integrated Children’s Services Strategic Plan to support Community Planning Partners to positively respond to changes in published data and changed national policy intent.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee:

(a)         note the progress made in delivering the Aberdeen City Integrated Children’s Services Strategic Plan and associated work to address child poverty from April 2024 to date; and

(b)         comment on the report in advance of it being presented to the Education and Children’s Services Committee for internal approval and thereafter Community Planning Aberdeen for full ratification.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)            to instruct the Executive Director – Families and Communities, to circulate the ABZWorks commissioned Rocket Science study looking at barriers into employability for parents;

(ii)          to instruct the Executive Director – Families and Communities, to circulate an update in respect of the study period stated for reporting of breastfeeding;

(iii)         to instruct the Executive Director – Families and Communities, to circulate details of the national Childminding Recruitment campaign;

(iv)         to instruct the Executive Director – Families and Communities, to follow up with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation as part of the further investigations in respect of the increasing local trend around hospitalisations due to asthma; and

(v)          to otherwise approve the recommendations.

to approve the appointment of a new external adviser representing the charitable sector, as named in the report, to the Anti-Poverty and Inequality Committee.

The Committee had before it a report prepared by the Community Planning Manager seeking approval of the appointment of a new external adviser to the Committee.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee approve the appointment of a new external adviser representing the charitable sector, as named in the report, to the Anti-Poverty and Inequality Committee.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendation.