Agenda item

11.1

The report provided the Strategy and Resources Committee with an update Sheffield’s response to the cost-of-living crisis.

Following the decisions made at the S&R Committee meeting on 31st May 2022, incident-style response arrangements have been established with the first citywide Cost of Living (CoL) Crisis Strategy Group meeting on 23rd June.

The CoL Crisis Strategy Group developed a draft action plan for S&R Committee to consider which outlines the actions we are and will take as a city to support communities across Sheffield. This will continue to develop over the coming months based on evidence and insight from our Page 51 Agenda Item 12 communities about the support they need and to ensure we prepare as best we can for additional cost of living pressures in the winter.

Finally, the paper provided an outline of the Food Access Plan for Sheffield, which will focus on the themes of responding to immediate need, responding to underlying causes of food poverty and coordination and capacity building. The Food Access Plan will ultimately form part of the city’s new Food Strategy (expected Sept 2022) but S&R Committee are asked to agree the outline focus and initial investments.

11.2

UNANIMOUSLY AGREED: That Strategy and Resources Policy Committee:-

1.     Notes the work that has been done to establish an incident response-type arrangement to help the city respond to the current situation and prepare for the forthcoming autumn and winter period, including the establishment of a strategic-level group chaired by the Leader of the Council and a tactical partner group led by a senior SCC officer.

2.     Endorses the strategic aims, objectives, principles and draft action plan that have been developed in response to this work, as set out in Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 of the report which will be developed further in collaboration with partners.

3.     Agrees the outline Food Access Plan and proposed funding allocations as set out in paragraphs 21-24 and Appendix 3 of the report.

4.     To the extent that further decisions reserved to this Committee will be required in order to finalise and implement the action plan, delegates authority to take those decisions to the Director of Policy, Performance and Communications, in consultation with the chair of the Strategy and Resources Committee following discussion with the Cost-of-Living Crisis strategic group.

11.3

Reasons for Decision

11.3.1

The recommendations build on the commitments made by the Strategy and Resources Committee on 31st May to support Sheffielders through the cost of living crisis. Working with communities and partners across the city, the recommendations ensure that SCC will play a leading role through the strategic and tactical incident-type response.

11.3.2

The recommendations also propose investments in supporting food access in the city in line with the developing Food Access Plan.

11.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

11.4.1

Focus the Food Access Plan purely on immediate need and allocate the full £200k to purchase food. This would support food banks in the short term but would not address any of the systemic issues or underlying causes of food poverty. The approach proposed seeks to strike a balance between addressing underlying causes, building capacity within the current system and ensuring that food banks and food relief projects are able to cope with anticipated increase in demand.

11.4.2

Focus the Food Access Plan and resource purely on prevention and addressing the underlying causes of food poverty. There is consensus that prevention should be a priority and that in an ideal world there would be no need for food banks to exist. However, the reality of the current cost of living crisis means this is no short term prospect of eliminating poverty and there is a very real need for emergency food support that cannot be ignored. These proposals mean that we can provide real support to food banks in the short term so that emergency food provision is accessible to those who need it, but where possible can also try to continue to shift away from a dependency model of emergency food provision to one of prevention.

11.4.3

Do nothing. The cost of living crisis affects those on the lowest incomes the most as they have the least amount of disposable income. As food is often one of the more flexible items in a household’s budget (compared to rent or utility bills for example) this often leads to food poverty and households being unable to purchase sufficient nutritious food for their needs. This has both physical and mental health consequences.

11.1

The Director of Policy and Performance presented the report which provided the Strategy and Resources Committee with an update on Sheffield’s response to the cost-of-living crisis.

Following the decisions made at the S&R Committee meeting on 31st May 2022, incident-style response arrangements have been established with the first citywide Cost of Living (CoL) Crisis Strategy Group meeting on 23rd June.

The CoL Crisis Strategy Group developed a draft action plan for S&R Committee to consider which outlines the actions we are and will take as a city to support communities across Sheffield. This will continue to develop over the coming months based on evidence and insight from our Page 51 Agenda Item 12 communities about the support they need and to ensure we prepare as best we can for additional cost of living pressures in the winter.

Finally, the paper provided an outline of the Food Access Plan for Sheffield, which will focus on the themes of responding to immediate need, responding to underlying causes of food poverty and coordination and capacity building. The Food Access Plan will ultimately form part of the city’s new Food Strategy (expected Sept 2022) but S&R Committee are asked to agree the outline focus and initial investments.

11.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That Strategy and Resources Policy Committee:-

1.     Notes the work that has been done to establish an incident response-type arrangement to help the city respond to the current situation and prepare for the forthcoming autumn and winter period, including the establishment of a strategic-level group chaired by the Leader of the Council and a tactical partner group led by a senior SCC officer.

2.     Endorses the strategic aims, objectives, principles and draft action plan that have been developed in response to this work, as set out in Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 of the report which will be developed further in collaboration with partners.

3.     Agrees the outline Food Access Plan and proposed funding allocations as set out in paragraphs 21-24 and Appendix 3 of the report.

4.     To the extent that further decisions reserved to this Committee will be required in order to finalise and implement the action plan, delegates authority to take those decisions to the Director of Policy, Performance and Communications, in consultation with the chair of the Strategy and Resources Committee following discussion with the Cost-of-Living Crisis strategic group.

11.3

Reasons for Decision

11.3.1

The recommendations build on the commitments made by the Strategy and Resources Committee on 31st May to support Sheffielders through the cost of living crisis. Working with communities and partners across the city, the recommendations ensure that SCC will play a leading role through the strategic and tactical incident-type response.

11.3.2

The recommendations also propose investments in supporting food access in the city in line with the developing Food Access Plan.

11.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

11.4.1

Focus the Food Access Plan purely on immediate need and allocate the full £200k to purchase food. This would support food banks in the short term but would not address any of the systemic issues or underlying causes of food poverty. The approach proposed seeks to strike a balance between addressing underlying causes, building capacity within the current system and ensuring that food banks and food relief projects are able to cope with anticipated increase in demand.

11.4.2

Focus the Food Access Plan and resource purely on prevention and addressing the underlying causes of food poverty. There is consensus that prevention should be a priority and that in an ideal world there would be no need for food banks to exist. However, the reality of the current cost of living crisis means this is no short term prospect of eliminating poverty and there is a very real need for emergency food support that cannot be ignored. These proposals mean that we can provide real support to food banks in the short term so that emergency food provision is accessible to those who need it, but where possible can also try to continue to shift away from a dependency model of emergency food provision to one of prevention.

11.4.3

Do nothing. The cost of living crisis affects those on the lowest incomes the most as they have the least amount of disposable income. As food is often one of the more flexible items in a household’s budget (compared to rent or utility bills for example) this often leads to food poverty and households being unable to purchase sufficient nutritious food for their needs. This has both physical and mental health consequences.