Growing up in coastal communities

Helping address the challenges faced by children in 'left-behind' coastal communities
Coastal Communities growing up, family, grandfather and grandson, walking

Education and employment

Research has identified child poverty has shifted towards Britain’s periphery, away from inner cities. It is widely recognised that children in coastal communities are often not able to access the resources and activities available on the coast and a lack of education capital means coastal communities have:
  • lower GCSE grades, on average
  • a pronounced ‘attainment gap’ between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged children
  • lower rates of higher education participation
  • a higher than average working adult population with low or no qualifications
  • a limited range of employment opportunities, especially in economically marginal coastal areas distant from large urban centres.

Deprivation and social displacement

Deprivation and social displacement are key factors that impact the wellbeing of children growing up in coastal areas. Evidence shows these children are more likely to experience adverse exposures to:
  • mental ill-health
  • addiction
  • domestic violence.
And as a result coastal areas see:
  • higher rates of hospitalisation for self-harm, alcohol and drug use 
  • a disproportionately large number of children in care of the local authority.

Addressing the challenges faced by children

The Class of 2010: A seven year study of a coastal academy in England

University of Plymouth leads: Dr Rowena Passy and Dr Tanya Ovenden-Hope
Partners: Cornwall College Group
Part-funded by: the Academies Enterprise Trust
Exploring the role that coastal academies played for children in coastal communities, Dr Passy and her team found that academies in some of the most socio-economically deprived areas of England were proving to be successful in raising academic achievement and aspirations among pupils.
Classroom with colourful lockers and raised chairs on the tables

Intergenerational Codesign of Novel technologies In Coastal communities (ICONIC)

Led by Professor Ray Jones MBE and the Centre for Health Technology
Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
ICONIC explores the role that intergenerational connections can play in reducing digital exclusion among older people while promoting greater self-esteem and self-efficacy among young people. Helping people to connect to their communities and cultural landscapes, participants work with researchers to co-develop novel technologies that create connections in the region.
Senior couple looking at an iPad.

Towards a new Children’s Social Service formula

Technical lead: Dr Alex Gibson
Project Partners: University of Huddersfield, LG Futures
Funded by: Department of Education and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
The Fair Funding Review, which is yet to be introduced, allocates funding to local authorities. This project saw Dr Gibson as the technical lead on the development of a methodologically innovative funding formula for Children and Young People’s Services. 
The approach analysed child-level social care activity against the characteristics of both individual children and the areas in which they live. Based on multi-level modelling, the formula was designed to provide a new and robust method for allocating funding to local authorities as part of the Fair Funding Review.
Smiling ChildrenA multi-ethnic group of school-age children are standing together in a row at the park on a sunny day. They are smiling and looking at the camera.

People

Coastal communities