Beyond Poverty's Reach

Transforming Children's Lives Through Collective Impact
1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-1-032-98014-0
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 190 Seiten, Format (B × H): 174 mm x 246 mm

This book offers a compelling, relational account of how poverty reshapes everyday family life, and what practitioners, services and policy makers can do differently.

Grounded in social pedagogy, trauma-aware practice and whole family approaches, the book places dignity, partnership and lived experience at the centre of support. Thought-provoking chapters:

- Consider collective impact and how working towards shared goals across education, health, social care, communities and policy allows families to experience support that understands their needs and is coherent, accessible and meaningful.

- Illustrate how small, practical changes, alongside coordinated, system-wide reform, can interrupt cycles of disadvantage and create new possibilities for families.

- Bring theory to life with a powerful, unfolding case study of a family, tracing how structural inequalities, service gaps and daily pressures shape children’s experiences over time.

- Include scenario-based learning and reflective opportunities throughout, along with signposts to additional resources.

Combining research, policy analysis and practice insight, this accessible, solutions-focused book challenges readers to rethink assumptions about poverty, parenting, resilience and responsibility. It is essential reading for students, practitioners and leaders across education, health and social care who are committed to tackling child poverty with compassion, collaboration and impact.

Zielgruppe

Professional Practice & Development

Autoren/Hrsg.

Prowle, Alison

Hodgkins, Angela

Thomas, Rebecca

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Pädagogik Pädagogik Bildungssystem Bildungspolitik, Bildungsreform
• Sozialwissenschaften Pädagogik Pädagogik Philosophie der Erziehung, Bildungstheorie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Dedication

List of Figures

List of Tables

List of Abbreviations

Introduction

Section 1: Understanding Child Poverty in the UK

Chapter 1: The Big Picture: Child Poverty in the UK – Alison Prowle

Chapter 2: Unravelling the Causes of Child Poverty – Rebecca Thomas

Chapter 3: Examining the Effects of Child Poverty - Angela Hodgkins

Chapter 4: Approaches to Addressing Child Poverty – Alison Prowle

Section 2: Responding to Child Poverty in the UK: A Bio-Ecological Systems Approach

Chapter 5: Using the Bio-Ecological Framework for Child Poverty - Angela Hodgkins

Chapter 6: The Child and Young Person at the Centre - Angela Hodgkins

Chapter 7: Partnering with Families in the Context of Poverty – Alison Prowle

Chapter 8: Core Services as Foundations for Reducing Child Poverty – Alison Prowle

Chapter 9: Working with Communities: Services and Power in Addressing Child Poverty – Rebecca Thomas

Chapter 10: Policy for Change - a Collective Impact Approach to Child Poverty in the UK – Rebecca Thomas

Chapter 11: Conclusion – from Understanding to Action – Angela Hodgkins

Section 3: Reducing Child Poverty: A Call to Action

Chapter 12: A Call to Action for Readers – Alison Prowle, Angela Hodgkins and Rebecca Thomas

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Alison Prowle grew up in the South Wales Valleys during the 1970s and 80s. There, she saw first-hand the impacts of poverty on children’s lives and watched far too many of her peers fall through the gaps in services and fail to meet their potential. This instilled in Alison a passion for working with disadvantaged communities. Her career has spanned teaching, family support, community development and Local Government management, actively seeking out those roles where she felt she could make a difference. Alison is now a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Children and Families at the University of Worcester. She teaches across a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, specialising in early intervention, Adverse Childhood Experiences, human trafficking and forced migration, and strength-based family support. Alison’s current research interests centre around supporting families facing adversity and equipping the children and families’ workforce to develop trauma informed and strength-based practice solutions.

Angela Hodgkins has had a varied career in working with children and families, having trained as an NNEB in 1984 and working in a wide variety of settings. Angela is also a qualified and experienced Counsellor, having worked in victim support, GP surgery and Childline. Angela went on to work as a Development Officer for Children with Disabilities and Special Needs and then into teaching adults, first at F.E. colleges and now as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Worcester. She is Course Leader of the BA (Hons) Integrated Working with Children and Families. Angela’s PhD study, entitled “Exploring Early Childhood Practitioners’ perceptions of empathic interactions with children and families” was completed in 2024. Angela’s main research interests are empathy, emotional intelligence, strength-based practice and children’s rights.

Rebecca Thomas was formerly Chief of Staff at Save the Children and now works with the UK STC team, focusing on ensuring children have the money, services, and power to end child poverty. With over ten years of experience leading complex programmes, securing significant funding, and building strong partnerships across government, philanthropy, and communities, Rebecca brings a wealth of expertise in child-centred strategy and advocacy. She is passionate about embedding children’s voices and needs at the heart of decision-making, believing that lasting change comes through collaborative efforts that create a fairer, more inclusive future where all children can thrive.