POLICIES about improving the lives of children in the poorest areas, need to be translated from words into action a charities has warned.

Ensuring children have a safe environment, are properly fed and their parents are supported, are the priorities of Home-Start, a family support group operating in Glasgow and throughout Scotland.

The organisation has produced its 'manifesto,' All Our Children, calling for greater intervention and for polices to make a visible and tangible difference to the reality affecting thousands of children

Home-Start helps around 4000 children across the country and argues there is a gap between "the will and commitment" of government and agencies to help and the changes needed to benefit the lives of children.

The manifesto states: "The disconnection between the language of early intervention and the reality for families has to continue to be vigorously addressed by the Scottish Government."

It highlights the difference between the discussion and promotion of policies and principles and the experience of children living in poverty and in vulnerable situations.

The report states: "The language of SHANARRI safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included) and GIRFEC (Getting It Right For Every Child) are promoted but local practice is often inconsistent.

"So children, often very vulnerable children are not getting the support they need."

The three priorities for action that Home-Start calls for are:

l Safe places to live and play.

lSupport when parents suffer mental illness.

lProtection from hunger and poor nutrition.

The manifesto was launched at the Scottish Parliament with a call for more information to be gathered about the numbers of children going hungry or poorly nourished

The charity estimated 30,000 children live in families who cannot afford to eat properly. At the same time poor nutritional health is rising among young children.

Another study highlighted showed almost one third of boys and more than one in five girls aged two to six were classified as overweight

The reports states: "We need to be better at identifying when children start to gain weight, what the influences are on their weight gain and how to ensure all children receive access to affordable healthy foods."

Home-Start wants the Scottish Government to gather evidence on food poverty to allow child health policies to be better informed and targeted.

Home-Start Glasgow North branch is quoted in the report stating: "Several families we support have to use local food banks.

"Many parents lack insight into their children's dietary requirements and families do not have enough support in this area."

Rob Parkinson, Home-Start UK chief executive, said: "These really are basic needs, but inconsistent local practice and often inadequate funding means many children are not getting the support they deserve."