FAMILIES across Inverclyde are set to benefit from a £1.57 million Scottish Government investment aimed at tackling child poverty. 

Inverclyde is set to become a location for one of the Fairer Futures Partnerships being launched by the Scottish Government which will help provide 'wrap-around' support for families. 

The partnerships will help 'at-risk' families to make sure they're able to access the right services and support, and could change the way services are offered. 

The partnerships will 'build on' pathfinder projects which have been running in Dundee, Glasgow and Clackmannanshire, and will also run in North Ayrshire, East Ayrshire, Aberdeen, and Perth and Kinross.

Natalie Don-Innes, MSP for Renfrewshire North and West, said she's 'delighted' that Inverclyde will benefit from the investment. 

She added: "Eradicating child poverty is the SNP Scottish Government’s single greatest priority, but this relies on the contribution of many partners.

"We know families will only be able to thrive if they have access to the right support at the right time."

Organisations will work with families on the 'community around children', and will use schools as 'anchor points' to support 'holistic child development and family wellbeing'. 

In Dundee and Glasgow the pilot schemes have seen keyworkers helping at-risk families and ‘walking alongside’ them until the right services or support have been identified and provided, and changing the way services are offered.

In Clackmannanshire, activities have focused on supporting the community around the child, using schools as anchor points for breakfast clubs, after-school childcare, holiday provision, food services, childcare support and transportation to support holistic child development and family wellbeing.

Full details of how the funding will be used in Inverclyde have yet to be revealed.

Ms Don-Innes added: "Designing services around people's needs means they work better for low-income families, for example to help maximise their incomes, support parents into work and improve overall wellbeing. 

"We want to work together with local government to deliver our shared priorities, which include tackling child poverty, to embed this model of whole family support with the potential for this to continue to be expanded further over time across more of the country."