Issue - meetings

To consider and approve the future welfare provision through crisis loans and support for the provision of food.

Report of the Interim Strategic Director of Finance and Corporate Services

Advisory Cabinet Member – Councillor Yasseen.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the contract with FareShare Yorkshire for “Food in Crisis” provision be confirmed and an extension to the contract be issued to March 2017.

(2)  That LASER Credit Union be provided with a grant of £60,000 to continue the provision of crisis loans to residents suffering hardship for the year 2016/17. The provisions for awarding of loans and reporting to the Council to remain as in 2015/16.

(3)  That the Council enter into discussions with Voluntary Action Rotherham (VAR) regarding the use of the £10,000 contingency budget. This funding (offered on a one off basis) would be to help to support a complementary small grants scheme alongside Food in Crisis, and the co-ordination of support to the “Food in Crisis Partnership” work. A separate contract would be drawn up for this funding with VAR, should it be supported.

(4)  That further reports be presented during 2016/17 to establish future strategic direction to tackle poverty in Rotherham, making best use of the data being collected and informing recommendations for local welfare provision in future years whilst ensuring cost benefit ratio and best value.

(Councillor Wallis declared a personal interest on the grounds that she was a saver with LASER Credit Union and left the room whilst that item was discussed)

Consideration was given to a report presented by Councillor Read, Leader of the Council, which detailed how under the provisions of the Welfare Reform Act 2012 (c. 5), the crisis loans and community care grants components of the Discretionary Social Fund were abolished from April 2013. Local Authorities were then provided with grant to provide Local Welfare Provision (LWP) for two years up to March 2015.

Data collected during 2015/16 for the “Food in Crisis” contract confirmed that both demand and quality criteria continued to be met with 1500 people having needed to use the service over the last six months.

Steve Eling, Policy and Partnerships Officer, pointed out that whilst data had been collected to meet response demand, there needed to be a more strategic context in looking forward through planned strategic welfare support, better integrated with other service provision and focused on improving outcomes for those in need of support. Work had commenced through a partnership working group to achieve this and further reports drawing on this would follow during 2016/17 to include recommendations for future local welfare provision.

Councillor Watson, Deputy Leader, offered his support to the proposals as there was a direct link between poverty and child protection, which would only contribute to Rotherham becoming a child centred borough.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the contract with FareShare Yorkshire for “Food in Crisis” provision be confirmed and an extension to the contract be issued to March 2017.

(2)  That LASER Credit Union be provided with a grant of £60,000 to continue the provision of crisis loans to residents suffering hardship for the year 2016/17. The provisions for awarding of loans and reporting to the Council to remain as in 2015/16.

(3)  That the Council enter into discussions with Voluntary Action Rotherham (VAR) regarding the use of the £10,000 contingency budget. This funding (offered on a one off basis) would be to help to support a complementary small grants scheme alongside Food in Crisis, and the co-ordination of support to the “Food in Crisis Partnership” work. A separate contract would be drawn up for this funding with VAR, should it be supported.

(4)  That further reports be presented during 2016/17 to establish future strategic direction to tackle poverty in Rotherham, making best use of the data being collected and informing recommendations for local welfare provision in future years whilst ensuring cost benefit ratio and best value.

(Councillor Wallis declared a personal interest on the grounds that she was a saver with LASER Credit Union and left the room whilst that item was discussed)