Agenda item

Report of the Head of Communities (SC/23/1), attached

(Councillor  R Croad attended in accordance with Standing Order 25 and spoke as the Cabinet Member for Public Health, Communities and Equality). 

The Committee considered the Report of the Head of Communities (SC/23/1)

Food Insecurity and Response to Household Support, a second report since the last full report on this issue in November 2021. The Council, as part of its Strategic Plan 2021-25, had highlighted the need to work in partnership to help tackle poverty and support people that were experiencing hardship.

The Report updated the Committee on progress made to date in this arena and covered a definition of ‘food insecurity’; Understanding and Learning in Partnership, current quantitative and qualitative research, the Household Support Fund (HSF), community resilience (capacity and capability building) and use of locality budgets by Members; wider strategic work and The HAF (Holiday Activity & Food) Programme and the role of  NHS Devon via the Integrated Care Partnership for example.

Details of these gateways and the wider support available on the Council’s website: Cost of living | Help and advice for people in Devon | Devon County Council

The Council continued to work with a range of partners on the long-term opportunities to understand, learn and develop practice and approaches, alongside the equally important short-term immediate distribution of direct support from funds such as the Household Support Grant and community resilience building enablers, such as the GCF. Over the next 12 months the County Council would continue to help deliver the initiatives described in the Report in partnership with other agencies and Team Devon principles.

Members’ questions and discussion points with the Head of Communities, and Communities Collaboration and Resilience Lead included:

·         the need to prioritise those hard to reach groups for additional available support and the valuable work of he CAB in this area to help people maximise their benefit entitlements;

·         the various groups/segments of the community in need of support including working households and on which more information would be provided for Members;

·         the operation of the Growing Communities Fund on which more information was available at: Growing Communities Fund - Communities (devon.gov.uk)

·         the operation of the Household Support Fund funded by the DWP which included direct help for children who received free school meals for food vouchers during school holidays and the efforts of Schools to identify more eligible children;

·         the ways used by the DWP in identifying households in need via Council tax information for example,

·         the separate provision and support for asylum seekers; and

·         the view in regard to the complex systems of various forms of support available for vulnerable families; and

·         arrangements for a Food Security Summit in Spring 2023 via the Devon Food Partnership to connect a range of partner organisations with an interest in Food Insecurity. 

The Chair thanked the Officers for their report and responses to members questions.  

It was MOVED by Councillor A Dewhirst, and SECONDED by Councillor  C Slade and

RESOLVED that the convening of a Food Summit in 2023 with other agencies/partners be welcomed and that Member (s) from this Committee  be invited to attend.