Exhibitors:

Sponsor:

TALKING ABOUT POVERTY: WHAT WORKS AND CHANGES MINDS

CHAIR:AIDAN WARNERSENIOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS OFFICER, NCVO

SPEAKERS:ABIGAIL SCOTT PAULDEPUTY DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS,JOSEPH ROWNTREE FOUNDATION

LUCY BUSHASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, BRITAIN THINKS

Talking about poverty – what works and what changes minds

6 September 2016

Abigail Scott Paul, Deputy Director Communications JRFLucy Bush, Associate Director Britain Thinks

Agenda

    

2.00 – 2.45pm

• Talking about poverty – launch of JRF Strategy to Solve Poverty

• Talking about poverty – reframing the conversation

2.45 – 3.15pm

• Q+A

• Activity

Talking about poverty: our vision

    

Talking about poverty: our vision

    

Talking about poverty – the challenge

  

WHAT we say about poverty

WHO wesay it to

HOW wesay it

WHERE we say it

Talking above poverty: changing the game

What we say about poverty

What we say about poverty

What we say about poverty

What we say about poverty

What we say about poverty

What we say about poverty

What we say about poverty

What we say about poverty

What we say about poverty

Who we say it to

Who we say it to – Centre Right

• What we heard:– That these stakeholders think the welfare system has failed as a poverty reduction

strategy– They see tackling poverty as being about a) improving education, skills and housing

and b) encouraging strong economic growth– They want to see more emphasis on the role of civil society in tackling poverty– They are aware of JRF and whilst consider it a well respected organisation, also think

it is predictable (and often dismissed without proper engagement)

• What we recommended:– 5 rules for engaging the centre-right

1. Position JRF as being interested in pragmatism not ideology 2. Forge surprising alliances3. Show that you understand Conservative views on poverty4. Emphasis a bottom up, community led approach5. Make JRF’s role in delivering on this explicit

We conducted tele-depth interviews with 22 right/centre-right political stakeholders and discussed with them their views on poverty in the UK, the role of the different actors in tackling the issue and the narrative we had developed for JRF

Who we say it to – Business

• What we heard:– Stakeholders recognise that their sectors have a role to play in tackling poverty

and are already engaged with ways in which this can be done – There is no real business case for supporting low income customers; activity in

this area is more about regulatory requirements and consumer fairness – Business stakeholders raised a number of major/overarching issues that are

currently attracting a lot of industry debate and activity

• What we recommended:– That engagement needs to be in the context of those debates in each

sector (e.g. financial illiteracy amongst the public in banking, commuter fares in transport)

– Take into account current practice/legal frameworks in which businesses have to operate and provide ambitious and realistic recommendations to help businesses build on the good work they’re already doing

We conducted four roundtable sessions with business and with employers a further two alongside 8 tele-depths

Who we say it to – People with Experience of Poverty

• What we heard:– Those living in poverty struggled day-to-day and had experience of

crisis• Described their situation as ‘living in poverty’• Wanted recognition for ‘surviving’

– Views on individual culpability vs. structural oppression very muddled and often contradictory

– Government is considered to have primary responsibility for tackling poverty and failing

• For the in-poverty groups especially, it was seen as actively being ‘not on their side’

We conducted co-creation workshops with members of the public living in poverty and four focus groups with the same demographic

“I’ve been in that situation myself, not food banks, but regarding the heating. My son contributed when he was working at JD Sports but they kept cutting his hours. We do struggle from week to week.”

Living in poverty, 45-64,

Walsall“They [politicians] live in a bubble… They don’t have to worry about whether they pay the electric or gas bill this month. They don’t have that kind of thing to decide. We should make them live on minimum wage. Make them struggle.”

C1/C2, Female, Luton

How we say it: our narrative

How we say it: from this…

How we say it: to this…

How we say it: to this

Where we say it

Where we say it

Where we say it

Where we say it

Summary + Q+A

• Be clear who your target stakeholders + listen and understand them

• Turn people on – not off – your issue: language matters!

• Be constructive and collaborative ; offer solutions

• Keep it simple: messaging/content

• Go outside your comfort zone - be surprising!

• If you need help/insight – get it!

Talking about poverty – time for a new approach?

  

Talking about poverty: the challenge

  

Q.1 What are the most important issues facing the country at the moment?  • Immigration and asylum (32%)• The economy (26%)• Health (14%) Only 7% of people ranked ‘poverty’ as their top issue facing the country. Older people were less likely to rank this as their top issue (4% of 55+) than younger people (8% of 18-34 and 35-54).

The result: stalemate!

Talking about poverty - are we changing minds?

  

The result:

  

We are the problem!

  

Why reframing?

  

Q.1 What are the most important issues facing the country at the moment?  • Immigration and asylum (32%)• The economy (26%)• Health (14%) Only 7% of people ranked ‘poverty’ as their top issue facing the country. Older people were less likely to rank this as their top issue (4% of 55+) than younger people (8% of 18-34 and 35-54).

Why reframing?

  

Where are we at?

  

  

Activity: Table Discussion

  

• Do you think we as a sector are effective at talking about poverty?

• What are the barriers for us being a more effective collective voice?

• How can we work more effectively together?

• In light of what you have heard, how might you approach your communications differently?