About us
The Social Mobility and Child Poverty (SMCP) Commission monitors the progress of government and others in improving social mobility and reducing child poverty in the United Kingdom.
Responsibilities
We are responsible for:
- publishing an annual report setting out our views on progress made in improving social mobility and reducing child poverty in the UK, including against the targets in the Child Poverty Act 2010, and describing the measures taken by the Scottish and Welsh governments
- providing published advice to ministers (at their request) on how to measure socio-economic disadvantage, social mobility and child poverty
- acting as an advocate for social mobility beyond government by challenging employers, the professions and universities amongst others to play their part in improving life chances
Priorities
In 2015, our main priorities will be:
- holding the government and others to account through providing our second authoritative ‘state of the nation’ analysis of social mobility and child poverty
- influencing policy via credible and independent advice. As well as inputting to the next UK child poverty strategy, we will advise ministers on what more actors outside central government, including business, can do to promote social mobility. We are interested in employers’ role in opening up professional jobs and enabling progression in lower-level work. We also plan to consider further schools’ role in tackling social mobility.
- undertaking social mobility advocacy including working with the professions, universities and others to drive change.
Who we are
The Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission is chaired by the Rt Hon Alan Milburn and deputy chaired by Baroness Gillian Shephard.
It includes 8 other members drawn from across business, academia and the voluntary sector. It is supported by a small secretariat based in London.