Agenda item

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive

Recommendations:-

1.           That Cabinet agrees provisional allocations of the grant subject to final adjustments for the purposes of:-

a)           Holiday Programme and Food - £492,395.16

b)           Struggling with utility costs/debt - £285,000

c)           Christmas food - £30,000

d)           Help with school uniforms - £200,000

Consideration was given to the report which outlined proposals for the Covid Winter Grant providing valuable support to many vulnerable households and families.  At least 80% of the grant was ringfenced to support those households with children particularly affected by the pandemic throughout the winter period where alternative sources of assistance may be unavailable.

This would be used in conjunction with other Covid related responses including tackling hardship, working across the Council and VCS partners.  The recommendations would ensure that all eligible children in the Borough would receive vouchers to the value of free school meals for the Christmas and February half term holidays.  Along with additional support for the Rotherham Food in Crisis Partnership Christmas appeal, extending eligibility for support with the purchase of school uniforms and £250,000 is committed to support households in financial need who are facing unexpected or unaffordable bills, to prevent them from falling into financial crisis, subject to engagement and support from the Council’s Advocacy and Appeals Service or partners.

The grant was just over £1m and the grant conditions had been met.

The Leader and Cabinet Members noted the Council was working hard to ensure the grant funding was disseminated to those in need as soon as possible.  It was felt that child poverty was in further decline, therefore, this funding and the additional support it provided was welcomed.  They felt that the Government could be offering more support during this time.

This report had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board as part of the pre-scrutiny process who were in support of the recommendations subject to consideration being given to the creation of a single point of contact in order to enable all residents that were eligible for support to be able to access that support easily and that Members were kept updated and informed on how they could support the Council’s efforts to ensure that all residents eligible for support were able to access that support. 

The Cabinet accepted the recommendations from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board explaining that it was likely that the single point of contact would be within the Community Hub.

The Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board, in consultation with the Leader of the Opposition, agreed to waive the right to a call-in process for this decision to enable it to be implemented as soon as possible.

Resolved: - That Cabinet agreed:

1.    provisional allocations of the grant subject to final adjustments for the purposes of:

a.    Holiday Programme & Food - £492,395.16

b.    Struggling with utility costs / debt - £285,000

c.     Christmas food - £30,000

d.    Help with school uniforms - £200,000

2.    to the creation of a single point of contact to enable all residents that were eligible for support to be able to access that support easily.

3.    that Members were kept updated and informed on how they could support the Council’s efforts to ensure that all residents eligible for support were able to access that support.