Scotland’s poverty problem

With nearly a quarter of children in Scotland growing up in poverty, we are storing up mental, physical and emotional health problems for our future. All political parties are committed to tackling the issue, so why has more progress not been made? Does stigma hold back the debate? How can we build a healthier and fairer society for everyone in Scotland? Chair Maggie Chapman MSP Board Director, Scotland’s Futures Forum and Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Panellists Chris Birt leads Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s work in Scotland where the organisation aims to design, advocate for and work with the public, private and third sector to deliver a Scotland free from poverty. Previously, Chris worked for the Scottish Government, latterly as head of the First Minister’s Policy and Delivery Unit. Morag Treanor is Professor of Child and Family Inequalities at the University of Glasgow. She is Deputy Chair of the Scottish Government’s statutory Poverty and Inequality Commission, a member of The Promise Oversight Board, and a trustee of The Robertson Trust. The primary focus of Morag’s research and influencing is on the impacts of poverty and wider inequalities on children and families’ health, education and other outcomes. Satwat Rehman is the Chief Executive of One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS). Satwat has more than 30 years’ experience in the voluntary and public sector in Scotland and England, working in the fields of equalities, education, employability, economic development/regeneration and early years and childcare. She is currently a member of the Just Transition Commission and National Advisory Council for Women and Girls.