Agenda item

This report puts forward a process and timeline for developing a food poverty action plan for B&NES and investigating the refresh of B&NES Food Strategy.

Jane Middleton addressed the Panel. A copy of the statement can be found on the Panel’s Minute Book, a summary is set out below.

You may remember I brought the idea for a food poverty action plan to the Council meeting in May 2019. So I’m really pleased to see this work being done. And I’m pleased that the report has used the work by Sustain as the basis for some of its research.

All the research makes clear that the main driver of food bank use is welfare policy, especially Universal Credit. This is significant, because we need to remember that the problem is not food shortages; it’s lack of income, whether from benefits or from work.

The key aim of the food poverty action plan must be to try to ensure that people don’t need that food aid in the first place. Unlike charities, the Council can tackle some of the structural causes of food poverty – for example, make sure that the welfare support scheme provides appropriate tailored support rather than just handing out food bank vouchers.

On the specifics of the report, first of all:

Point 3.6 concerns data collection to assess ‘the prevalence and risk of food poverty’. I would strongly urge you to engage with academics on this (either at the University of Bath or elsewhere), in order to arrive at a rigorous, independent assessment of the scale of the problem. There are academics who have carried out this kind of study, and councils who have worked with them, so it shouldn’t be difficult to set that up.

Point 4.7 lists the specific objects of the food poverty action plan. It is, in parts, quite vague – in particular, the point: ‘To develop a food poverty action plan for B&NES with a focus on preventative activity’. I would suggest replacing this with the wording: ‘To prepare and deliver a formal food poverty action plan to identify barriers to accessing affordable and nutritious food and actions to address them’

I would also like to see the following objectives included:

• ‘To reduce residents’ dependency on charitable food aid’;

• ‘To maximise access to local welfare provision and discretionary funds (such as Discretionary Housing Payments and Council Tax Support) and ‘ensure maximum uptake of other entitlements (such as free school meals)’;

• ‘To take measures to avoid means of support that people find stigmatising, e.g. food vouchers’.

In this way, the emphasis is on council action and, while it’s important that the council should support the work of local charities, the main intention should be to take preventive action so people don’t have to rely on charity in the first place.

The Public Health Consultant introduced the report to the Panel. She explained that the report was in response to the Council passing a motion on Food Poverty on 11th July 2019 requesting:

• The Children, Health & Wellbeing Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel to work with local organisations and develop recommendations for a Food Poverty Action Plan for Bath and North East Somerset; and

• That the Cabinet investigate refreshing the Local Food Strategy for Bath and North East Somerset.

She explained that food poverty is about the affordability and accessibility of a healthy diet. Affordability is tied to household income and the demands on household finances including housing and fuel costs and other costs such as childcare, as well as a lack of savings. Accessibility is about other factors combined with affordability that act as barriers to healthy eating such as local food provision, transport, food storage and preparation facilities, time and skills to prepare healthy meals and prioritisation of convenient, energy dense, low wastage foods when living on a tight budget.

She said it is important to use a range of local data to assess prevalence and risk of food poverty. At a B&NES population level we have begun by including two questions in the resident Voicebox survey carried out late 2019. We will need to explore in more depth how to embed data collection on this issue more systematically through frontline services and via other partner organisations going forward.

She stated that within some areas of B&NES inequality is widening however and deprivation remains significant. Two small areas in B&NES are within the 10% most deprived in the country. The two areas are Whiteway and Twerton West representing 3,061 people (mid 2018 estimates).

She said that demand for welfare support services locally has increased in recent years. The type of support requested has shifted and is now predominantly linked to food poverty. She added that of the total number of Welfare Support awards/referrals made in 2018, 79% were food related i.e. provision of shopping vouchers, help with purchasing cooking equipment/fridges etc. and referrals to foodbanks. This is an increase from 2014 when 61% of awards/referrals were food related. The specific increase in the award of shopping vouchers and food bank referrals is notable from 2016 onwards. B&NES Council moved to Universal Credit full service on 26th May 2016. The B&NES budget for welfare support awards in 2019 was £190,000.

The Public Health Development & Commissioning Managersaid that there was a fair amount of work still to do in terms of data gathering and that there is a need to understand resident’s personal scenarios in more detail.

She explained that a small amount of funding had been identified by the Public Health Team to employ a 0.6FTE Health Improvement Officer-Food Poverty fixed term for 18 months. The total cost of the post including salary, pension and national insurance will be £39,492.

She stated that in terms of prevention the types of actions local authorities can take include;

•  Supporting financial and debt advice services and ensuring they are accessible to people experiencing food poverty

•  Maximising access to local welfare provision and discretionary funds

•  Ensuring maximum uptake of entitlements e.g. free school meals, healthy start vouchers, free childcare

•  Ensuring people can earn a fair income and championing the living wage across contractors and local employers including social care, retail and hospitality

She added that in terms of emergency food aid or more immediate provision local authority actions could include;

•  Fostering greater co-operation and co-ordination, sharing of knowledge, skills and resources across assistance providers

•  Seeking to improve the nutritional value of emergency food aid

•  Maximising opportunities to deliver other beneficial services to users e.g. financial advice, employment skills training or peer support

She said that in terms of taking a wider longer-term approach, actions that local authorities can take include;

•  Mainstreaming the reduction of food inequalities across a range of strategies and plans

•  Measuring and monitoring food poverty at a local level

•  Action to reduce levels of failed tenancies

She explained that the overall aim of this activity is to work with local stakeholders and communities to identify and embed sustainable solutions to addressing food poverty in B&NES, thereby reducing the numbers of people living in food insecure households. Specific objectives of the work to include;

•  To set up a local steering group to scope out, direct and monitor activity

•  To carry out a needs assessment to better understand the scale of the issue locally, who is affected and where there may be gaps in services and/or support

•  To work collaboratively with local stakeholders and communities to identify local sustainable solutions to address household food insecurity

•  To develop a food poverty action plan for B&NES with a focus on preventative activity

•  To oversee implementation of the action plan through local   partnerships

The Chairman commented that this was a significant problem that has been locally acknowledged and urged all members to engage in measures of prevention.

Councillor Paul May said that he was proud of the officers’ work so far and that he welcomed the emphasis the current administration were placing on this issue.

Councillor Liz Hardman said that she agreed with the comments made and welcomed the proposed dates associated with the action plan.

Councillor Andrew Wait wished to add his support to the project. He did say however that additional data in the report relating to Keynsham would have been welcome. He added that a Community Fridge was close to opening in Keynsham and he could provide officers with contacts if they would like.

The Public Health Development & Commissioning Manager thanked the Councillors for their comments and said that people have been supportive so far, in terms of ideas / projects to pursue.

Councillor Jess David said that she supported the work, especially in terms of prevention. She also wanted to raise the issue of food for young people in school holidays and whether all schools were able to provide hot meals. She added that she was keen to also see the future work on the Local Food Strategy for B&NES.

Kevin Burnett suggested officers consider adding the local Chamber of Commerce to its stakeholder list.

The Chairman announced that Councillor Ruth Malloy and Councillor Liz Hardman had volunteered to sit on the steering group of the project. He suggested that officers use the function of the Cabinet Member Update to keep the Panel informed of progress.