The rising cost of energy, food and other essentials are combining with existing disadvantage and vulnerability within our communities to put more households at greater risk of both immediate hardship and reduced opportunity and wellbeing.
The issue is subject of two motions put before Solihull Council this week (11 October). This is an in-depth look at the preparatory work being undertaken.
There are a range of subsequent impacts that can be anticipated on the physical and mental health of households, which are likely to increase the number of excess winter deaths, lead to the deterioration of existing health conditions (e.g. respiratory and cardiovascular), as well as increase demand on the social care and health system. It is therefore important local authorities plan for the foreseen problems and what can reasonably be expected to happen. It is also important local authorities are also able to react to problems that occur without notice.
The National Context:– The ‘cost of living crisis’ refers to the fall in ‘real’ disposable incomes that the UK has experienced since late 2021. This is predominantly caused by high inflation outstripping wage and benefit increases and it is further exacerbated by recent increases in energy costs.
Inflation is expected to remain high for the next two years, with the Bank of England expecting that inflation will not reach its 2% target until the third quarter of 2024. A rapid increase in energy costs, particularly the wholesale price of gas, has been a key driver of the recent increase in inflation. Cost pressures have also been more apparent since mid-2021 when many countries reopened their economies from the coronavirus lockdowns.
Our Local Context:– A range of financial wellbeing and employment indicators improved across the country during 2021. Solihull was particularly resilient with better than average outcomes for many of these measures. As the direct impacts from the COVID Pandemic receded, below-average levels of deprivation and benefit dependency meant that overall the Solihull population fared better than many other areas of the country. The latest median gross annual earnings for Solihull are £35,516, above the England figure of £31,490 (Source: LG Inform).
Solihull Council:
‘With our partners, working alongside our community, the council will continue to do what we can to support people by targeting help at those facing the most complex challenges. It is hoped that this will help to alleviate some immediate hardship that households may face, as well as help to reduce and prevent anticipated demands on statutory services.’
This is not a problem that the Council alone can solve. However, we know from experience in how we responded to the COVID pandemic, working with partners and our community ensure we can respond quickly and effectively to get essential information and advice to communities and provide the necessary support to our most vulnerable residents.
The objectives of this approach are to: · Horizon scan to assess the short, medium and long-term impacts of cost-of living pressures. · Track impact across a series of local metrics and local intelligence. · Promote and maintain staff wellbeing, welfare and ability to “function”. · Promote and maintain capacity and capability of organisations and services to function and respond to crisis. · Build capacity to prevent crisis and provide early help. · Build our capacity to work collaboratively with community groups and local assets, based on the learning from COVID. · Promote and support partnerships and collaborations across services and orgs. to be able to respond to multiple needs. · Role model response for other organisations/borough in general.
One of these points is especially important – no body, whether a local council or voluntary sector, can help its citizens to the extent it wishes unless its own staff have the wellbeing and welfare support to function properly. More about this can be found in bullet point 4 below.
Coordinating and Accelerating Solihull’s Response to Cost-of-Living Pressures – Four Main Strands:
1. Support People to manage income, reduce costs and access financial support:
• Updated ‘Here to Help’ website as the front page to access all types of help and support pulling together information in one place on money, debt, heating, food and advice from across the system. Including identification of content owners for Here2Help themes.
• Coordination of in-person and phone-based access to help via Connect, Community Advice Hubs and Act On Energy (SMBC and Commissioned Providers) and “Warm Hubs” ideally a single point of contact for triage.
• Research of best practice locally, regionally and nationally to inform local response and to regularly update content picking up on good practices advice and guidance from Gov., partners and advice agencies.
• Comms plan so that information and links to website are regularly communicated to the public front line staff (Council, NHS, other), elected members, partners and our employees. Directed comms and engagement to promote access to advice and support for most vulnerable households. Information sharing, coordination and collaboration between services and orgs, which are part of the cost-of-living response.
• Financial Inclusion Group that coordinates access to support and guidance:
• Coordination of all forms of help concerning financial inclusion, fuel and food poverty, from agencies and the VCSE sector.
• Look at the impact of rising costs and the effect this will have social care financial assessments.
• Coordination of SCH, Council, VCSE Money and debt services.
• Establish money management support.
• Consider Council Tax and Rent Recovery timetable and impact.
2. Collaborate with Public Sector and VCS:
• The development of ‘warm hubs’ working in partnership with the VCSE, parish councils and libraries:
• Regular engagement with the wider VCSE who work with the vulnerable to see how can support them to keep going and to manage demand.
• Develop the Warm Hub principal in line with the Community Development aim, places to go, things to do where people can talk and listen (but also access advice and support).
• Ensure the correct narrative about these being places where people can go to do activities (ideally free activity) where they can get a ‘warm welcome’ i.e.cup of tea and a warm environment rather than come in here to get warm.
• Work with the VCSE, parish councils and faith groups to encourage them to be a ‘warm hub’ and supporting them with access to small grants towards their running costs.
• Establish how we use our libraries as active spaces where people can access books and free activities such as films, art and culture – invest in that activity using any new Government Grant Funding.
• Understand the response required by services and emergency planning to breaks in energy services or blackouts.
• Maximise Opportunities for Household Support Fund/Domestic Energy Support/Food bank Network:
• Allocation, distribution and oversight of Household Support Fund via internal and external delivery partners
• Underpin the supplies to the foodbank network.
• Work with Partners to ensure we are consistent in our messaging and we are all aware of the support available:
• Establish a way to exchange and share information across the borough. Develop the ‘Here 2 Help’ resources and consider ‘My Solihull Maps’ as a tool for partners (Inc. GPs and police officers) to access and to be able to sign post people.
• Look at improved mental health support – reinstate mental health help line and set up a buddy system for frontline staff and VCSE partners to access and use to support residents before they go into crisis.
• Establish a lead officer for all of this work within SCH who will be a member of the lead officer group.
• Establish a lead officer for Childrens Services and a link to schools to understand what they can do in terms of hubs and sharing info and advice with families.
• Work with Solihull ICB to ensure consistency of advice and support and clear referral pathways.
• Link with Community Wellbeing Service to ensure they are well linked into all advice and support and that they are making referrals appropriately.
• Link and review winter warmth offer
• Understand the risks and role of the Fire Service with residents using cheaper forms of heating and lighting, home safety checks – can we target these at specific properties.
• Re-establish the Community Champions Group – and set out what types of support our communities can provide: – Donations of food, clothes, coats, blankets, sleeping bags, gloves, hats, scarfs
3. Work with Businesses to protect jobs and support their employees (to be developed further):
• Support to SMBC Employees Band A to Band D potentially in “low income” households identified as being at risk – access to information and advice.
• Understand additional staff
• Identify warm offices – which offices are we going to open up for staff to work from which are nearer to their homes.
• Employee mental health and wellbeing / resilience.
• Develop a training package on key issues such as mental health and domestic energy bills and a MECC programme for front-line staff to raise awareness of local offer/ access points.
4. Places – increase energy efficiency:
• Link to information provided by businesses i.e. discounts, free to access items (kids eat free), employee support schemes and the national ‘Help for Households’ information (for inclusion in Here2Help
• Work with SCH to plan and deliver energy efficiency improvements to Council housing (including leasehold) – promoting sustainable warmth and tackling fuel poverty.
• Promote and enable energy efficiency improvements to privately owned homes (working with SCH, Act on Energy and West Midlands Combined Authority). This includes direct delivery via government funding and partnership with Trustmark for the “able to pay” market.
• Work with housing associations in Solihull to ensure they are: i) Improving the energy efficiency of their homes ii) Able to connect their customers into the wider cost of living support that is available in Solihull.
• Work with the National Residential Landlords Association and private landlords in Solihull to ensure they are: i) Improving the energy efficiency of their homes. ii) Able to connect their customers into the wider cost of living support and initiatives available in Solihull.
• Act On Energy, promote free energy saving information and advice, home safety and access to community support (working with Warwickshire Rural Community Council and community and voluntary sector
Ken Hawkins 