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We are committed to securing a fairer, kinder and more connected East Ayrshire, working with our communities and partners to tackle the damaging effects of poverty and inequality.

Key priorities and goals

PrioritiesHow we will achieve this

Tackle the causes and effects of poverty and inequality, including child poverty

  • Work with key partners to further develop support available at the earliest possible points for children and young people
  • Ongoing promotion of supports such as the Best Start Grant, Young Person's bus pass
  • Break down the barriers to affordable transport

Understand the impact of the pandemic on services and communities and use learning to mitigate the harm caused

  • Build on the community resilience that worked so well through the Pandemic to redouble our efforts to tackle economic and health inequalities in our communities

Take action to support those most affected by increases in the cost of living

  • Utilise cost of living balances to implement proposals to mitigate cost of living challenges for those most in need
  • Implement a cost of living communications engagement campaign

Develop high quality new social housing and invest in existing stock to ensure everyone has access to good quality, energy efficient housing, within safe, healthy and vibrant communities

  • Manage delivery of the Strategic Housing Investment plan to increase supply of affordable housing
  • Manage existing housing stock to accommodate housing need
  • Make best use of community resources to create vibrant empowered communities and increase tenant involvement
  • Develop supported living accommodation and increase supply of social rented housing suitable for older people

Provide good quality advice and assistance to tenants and ensure they are settled in their homes and linked in to all appropriate partnership services and community supports

  • Rapidly rehouse people and families who are at risk of, or who are experiencing homelessness
  • Provide support to tenants to enable tenancy sustainment

Continue to deliver healthy, sustainable and locally sourced food in schools and work with partners and suppliers to provide a range of community food options

  •  Continue to roll out free school meals and early years expansion

Promote digital inclusion and increase digital participation

  • Work to maximise opportunities arising from future phases of programmes such as the Connecting Scotland programme
  • Use key data and insight to develop a Digital Exclusion Risk Index to better understand communities at risk of digital exclusion and adopt an evidenced based pathway to tackle digital exclusion
  • Support communities with the transition to digital and develop learning opportunities to boost digital know-how

Ensure that financial inclusion services have maximum reach to tackle poverty and provide early advice and support

  • Ensure financial inclusion services have maximum reach
  • Work with Social Security Scotland to tackle child poverty and provide up-stream, early advice and support through children’s health services

Strategies and plans

Comments and suggestions

Get in touch if you have any comments or suggestions on the Council Strategic Framework and its strategies:

Comments and suggestions

Contact Information