London Councils and the Government Office for London have today launched the country's first Child Poverty Network, which will help local authorities and their partners work more closely together to tackle child poverty across the capital.

The network's purpose is to help local authorities and their partners share good practice, discuss local issues and to support pan-London approaches to tackling child poverty.

Designed for senior staff from local authorities and their partner organisations such as primary care trusts, Jobcentre Plus and housing associations, the network will link up staff tasked with developing policies to combat child poverty with those in charge of implementing policies on the frontline.

This will not only help raise awareness of child poverty, but also help policy-makers work more closely with those charged with delivering services to identify the barriers to making their policies a success.

The network will meet quarterly to allow members to discuss what works in their local area, explore new approaches and to talk with colleagues from across the capital. The network is also supported by an online resource for members