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During a meeting of the children and families select committee, Coun Anne Callaghan, who represents Mansfield North and is known locally as ‘supernanny’ for her former role helping hundreds of Nottinghamshire families with parenting problems, pointed to data from the End Child Poverty Coalition, which shows that in 2015 there were 5,953 children in poverty in Mansfield, but as of 2022 it is now 8,216.

Likewise in Ashfield, the numbers are up from 5,939 in 2015, to 8,749 in 2022.

The figures also show a total of 54,221 children are currently living in poverty across Nottinghamshire, while a separate study published earlier this month by Loughborough University, identifed that 71 per cent of children in poverty are living in households where at least one adult is working.

Mansfield councillor Anne Callaghansays the Conservatives should be more worried by the rise in child poverty rates

During the meeting, Coun Tracey Taylor, Conservative cabinet member for children and families, said she “did not have the levers to step into the shoes of the Department for Work and Pensions”.

Coun Taylor also said she “did not accept the notion of getting our house in order” when questioned by fellow Conservative, Coun Johno Lee.

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Labour and Independent councillors attempted earlier this year to submit a motion to full council which would have seen automatic enrolment on free school meals for all eligible children.

However, Coun Taylor suggested this was “not currently legal” due to rules over data sharing with district councils, although there was confusion as to whether or not the council had contacted the Information Commissioner’s Office to confirm this.

Speaking after the meeting, Coun Callaghan said: “Sadly, in light of these rising child poverty numbers, our calls for action are met with nothing but excuses from this Conservative cabinet.

"They are simply not taking rising child poverty seriously enough.”

“Many children in Mansfield and Nottinghamshire need support – the latest figures show things are getting worse – but the Conservatives have no answers.”

During the meeting, council officers suggested data sharing by council’s respective ‘data controllers’ is possible where consent is agreed.

It was also confirmed the Local Government Association is campaigning for automatic enrolment and to expand the limit for FSM.

Mansfield ‘supernanny' councillor accuses Nottinghamshire Conservatives of ‘not taking rising child poverty seriously enough’