Agenda item

RESOLVED: That:

1.    The work done to date to support residents be noted.

2.    The proposed work to be carried out by the Cost of Living working group be noted.

3.    The Healthier Communities Select Committee review the draft Food Justice Action Plan and look at the commitment to providing Warm Havens for residents where they can spend time when the weather turns colder.

4.    The Safer Stronger Communities Select Committee review the Cost of Living programme from an equalities perspective to ensure that support is being provided in an equitable way for Lewisham residents.

5.    It be noted that the Children and Young People Select Committee would be looking at the cost of living crisis from the perspective of children and young people at its November meeting.

6.1       Councillor De Ryk, Cabinet Member for Finance and Strategy, introduced the item and outlined what the Cost of Living Programme aimed to achieve and the important role of the Local Strategic Partnership. London wealth was not being shared and whilst there was 78% employment in the borough, Lewisham residents were the eighth lowest earners.

6.2       Catherine Mbema, Director of Public Health, was leading the programme alongside Pinaki Ghoshal, Executive Director for Children and Young People. Catherine introduced the report, noting that the Lewisham Cost of Living programme was focussing on the following areas for action:

·         Food justice programme

·         Energy advice and fuel poverty support

·         Income maximisation

·         Debt triage.

6.3       In the committee discussion that followed Catherine’s introduction, the following key points were noted:

·      A range of stakeholders were being consulted on the Food Justice action plan, building on the pre-existing Good Food Lewisham network which ran during the pandemic, and included local Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations and the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. The consultation would help galvanise support and generate “buy in” to the programme.

·      A lot of funding was one off but was being made the most of – central Government grants tended to be provided with not a lot of notice and local authorities needed to react quickly which can make allocation tricky.

·      In terms of staffing the programme, lessons were being learnt from the covid response with some staff reallocation and volunteering. The Council’s current financial pressures were having an impact on resourcing.

·      “LIFT” software (an online interactive tool combining central government and local authority data to track families on low incomes) was being purchased. This would also assist in terms of identifying the issues facing those with no recourse to public funds.

·      The Council was contacting libraries, leisure centres and adult learning institutions as part of its “warm havens” work to create warm and welcoming community spaces. Schools would also be asked to be part of the approach.

·      The activity being undertaken in other boroughs was being considered so good practice could be shared.

·      Mental Health was a key part of the programme, ensuring that residents badly affected by the crisis did not fall into despair. Efforts were also being made to ensure those in need of support were not being stigmatised.

·      The communications team were an important part of the programme and comprehensive signposting information was on the website – there had been 48,000 redirects to support services from those pages. Lewisham life in November would be dedicated to the cost of living.

6.5         It was agreed that further information would be provided on:

·      Whether the Council had/could engage with the Advice Lewisham Partnership and the capacity of the VCS to respond to the cost of living crisis.

·      Whether the Household Support Fund had been fully allocated.

6.6      It was also agreed that an information pack would be prepared for councillors so they could signpost residents to Cost of Living resources at surgeries and at other points during their activities as Ward Members. Councillor De Ryk reported that Lewisham Local had co-produced a comprehensive sector leaflet. Officers and Cabinet Members were thanked by the Committee for their speedy response to this crisis.

6.7       RESOLVED: That:

1.     The work done to date to support residents be noted.

2.     The proposed work to be carried out by the Cost of Living working group be noted.

3.     The Healthier Communities Select Committee review the draft Food Justice Action Plan and look at the commitment to providing Warm Havens for residents where they can spend time when the weather turns colder.

4.     The Safer Stronger Communities Select Committee review the Cost of Living programme from an equalities perspective to ensure that support is being provided in an equitable way for Lewisham residents.

5.     It be noted that the Children and Young People Select Committee would be looking at the cost of living crisis from the perspective of children and young people at its November meeting.