Agenda item

The Cabinet Lead Member for Equalities, Mrs. P. Posnett CC, has been invited to attend for this item.

The Commission considered a report of the Chief Executive concerning progress made by the County Council and its partners against those recommendations in the Bishop’s Poverty Commission report entitled “How Do They Get By?” that relate to the County Council’s area of business. A copy of the report, marked “Agenda Item 8”, is filed with these minutes.

The Chairman welcomed to the meeting Mrs. P. Posnett CC, Cabinet Lead Member for Equalities, who was present to respond to any questions members of the Commission had on the report. By way of an introduction, the lead member stated that addressing poverty was an important area of the Council’s work both as a means of supporting communities and reducing dependence on the services of the County Council and other public bodies.

Arising from a discussion, the following points were noted:

·                Though the implications of the Bishop’s report were still being understood at a corporate level, the formulation of the report before the Commission had enabled officers to fully appraise the activity being carried out in support of its aims and enable a dialogue to take place with senior management about how this work could be fully embedded across Council departments;

·                Loan sharks were a known contributor to poverty with high interest rates that often proved unsustainable for those who often sought loans when struggling to make ends meet. The Council was already tackling loan sharks via its Regulatory Services department, though more would be done to promote credit unions as a more viable means of borrowing at times of need;

·                Concern was raised that, instead of simply adopting the Bishop’s Report’s recommendations, the Council should devise its own definition of poverty in its various forms. A further view was made that County Councillors could play an active role in this work and broaden awareness for services amongst communities;

·                The Lead Member attended meetings and received reports from an officer level Communities Board and a Fair Finance Group. These bodies aimed to increase awareness for the services available relating to poverty and encouraged agencies providing these services to be more joined-up in their approach;

·                In response to a point made that, whilst there was a wealth of services available to those who suffered poverty, there appeared to be duplication, it was noted that the County Council aimed to develop a policy framework to address poverty in a more strategic way. It was hoped that work would provide linkages to the Council’s economic agenda to increase skills employment opportunities and growth;

·                Whilst the importance of addressing the needs of families who were suffering from poverty was stressed, the need to also address the needs of single adults who had perhaps fallen on hard time was of equal importance. The need to ensure joined-up thinking in relation to mental health services was also stressed;

·                The location of “Keep Safe Places” was publicised. These locations were often libraries or shops and provided a place of refuge for those who found themselves with difficult situations at home. Those accessing these locations were offered trained support and signposting to important services that would assist them in their rehabilitation;

·                A suggestion was made to hold a facilitated discussion around the issues associated with poverty in the company of two agencies providing poverty-related services as a means of aiding members’ understanding on this issue.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the report be noted;

(b)       That a report on the outcomes thus far of meetings of the officer level Communities board and the Fair Finance Group be submitted to the Scrutiny Commissioners in the New Year;

(c)       That the suggestion to hold a facilitated discussion around the issues associated with poverty in the company of two agencies providing poverty-related services be considered as a means of aiding members’ understanding on this issue.