By Councillor Lauren Oxley SNP
We are very pleased that West Dunbartonshire has been chosen as one of the new areas to benefit from the SNP Scottish Government’s Fairer Futures Partnerships.
This was announced by First Minister John Swinney at a Whole Family Support summit in Glasgow, which brought together frontline workers from across Scotland to focus on the shared goal of tackling child poverty.
Fairer Futures Partnerships bring services like childcare, education, housing, social care and employment together – working closely with local communities to provide whole-family support. Instead of families having to navigate different services on their own, this approach joins things up, making it easier to get the right help at the right time.
These partnerships have already made a difference in places like Dundee, Glasgow and Inverclyde, helping families out of poverty, improving access to childcare and jobs, and making services more responsive to people’s needs.
The impact of these policies is highlighted in the fact that Scotland is the only UK nation where child poverty is falling.
And with funding for this scheme doubled to more than £6 million in the 2025-26 SNP Budget, this expansion into West Dunbartonshire has the resources behind it to deliver real and lasting change.
The Scottish National Party has already delivered transformative support through the Scottish Child Payment, and now with record investment in Fairer Futures, more families here will benefit from joined-up local services.
I’m especially grateful to our brilliant MSP, Marie McNair, whose tireless efforts in Holyrood to stand up for families across Clydebank and West Dunbartonshire will have played a huge role in securing this investment for our area.
Eradicating child poverty is a national mission and the SNP Scottish Government is taking practical action within its limited powers to make sure no child grows up in poverty.
Top of page: Cllr Lauren Oxley, SNP Clydebank Waterfront.