Agenda item

8.1

The Director of Policy and Democratic Engagement submitted a report that provides an update on the cross-partner response to the Cost-of-Living Crisis. It summarises the support we have put in place to date and how we have implemented the action plan and recommendations agreed by this committee in previous reports in May and July 2022.

The report makes recommendations relating to how we can learn from and build on the work already done to continue to support communities with the challenges ahead. Including plans to:

• Invest £400,000 across the LACs, ringfenced to address the cost-of-living crisis

• Build on our Welcome Places model to support communities across the city

• Arm frontline staff with the information they need to link communities with the right support when they need it

• Make it easier for the people who need it most to access £10.4 million Household Support Fund and other hardship support over the coming year

• Improve access to food using £150,000 of South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority funding to support food banks -and community pantries in our neighbourhoods.

The report outlines our approach to planning for the upcoming winter, data insights about the continuing impacts of Cost-of-Living crisis on our city and how this work can contribute to a long-term, strategic plan to prevent and reduce poverty and inequality in Sheffield.

8.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That Strategy and Resources Policy Committee:-

(a) notes the approach and work undertaken to respond to the Cost-of-Living Crisis to date, in line with the strategy agreed by Strategy and Resources Committee, and approve a continuation of the cross-partner incident response arrangement and governance structure;

(b) notes the insights from our data dashboard and the latest available research, what it tells us about the impact of the Cost-of-Living Crisis across Sheffield and the likely impact over the year ahead;

(c) agrees the approach to planning for the winter ahead, including plans to develop and sustain welcome places, learn lessons from the past year and build on the infrastructure we’ve put in place;

(d) agrees that Strategy and Resources Committee will receive further updates on the response; and

(e) notes that the funding for the Cost-of-Living Support Hub ends in March 2024 and endorse the proposed work to develop a long-term strategic approach to preventing and reducing poverty and inequality in Sheffield.

8.3

Reasons for Decision

8.3.1

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

8.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

8.4.1

Stop our response. Dismissed as supporting our communities and businesses through the cost-of-living crisis is critical to the wellbeing of our city. We are committed to standing alongside communities in the face of the crisis.

8.4.2

Continue as is. Sustain our response as is the current. Dismissed as while there has been some excellent collaboration to support our communities, we need to continue to review and adapt our approach in response to the changing crisis. Further, we need to focus on the forthcoming challenge of winter 2023/24 and pivoting towards a longer term, sustained approach to tackling poverty in Sheffield.

8.4.3

Move to a wholly preventative approach. Rejected because of continuing acute need to provide support for people facing crisis now and in the immediate future.

8.1

The Director of Policy and Democratic Engagement submitted a report that provides an update on the cross-partner response to the Cost-of-Living Crisis. It summarises the support we have put in place to date and how we have implemented the action plan and recommendations agreed by this committee in previous reports in May and July 2022.

The report makes recommendations relating to how we can learn from and build on the work already done to continue to support communities with the challenges ahead. Including plans to:

• Invest £400,000 across the LACs, ringfenced to address the cost-of-living crisis

• Build on our Welcome Places model to support communities across the city

• Arm frontline staff with the information they need to link communities with the right support when they need it

• Make it easier for the people who need it most to access £10.4 million Household Support Fund and other hardship support over the coming year

• Improve access to food using £150,000 of South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority funding to support food banks -and community pantries in our neighbourhoods.

The report outlines our approach to planning for the upcoming winter, data insights about the continuing impacts of Cost-of-Living crisis on our city and how this work can contribute to a long-term, strategic plan to prevent and reduce poverty and inequality in Sheffield.

The meeting noted the motion agreed at the Council meeting held on 5 July 2023   requesting that the Strategy and Resources Policy Committee considers allocating from unallocated resources from the 2023/24 budget setting process, an additional £600,000 to assist the response to the cost-of-living crises. It was noted that the Cost-of-Living strategy group would consider the use of the funding identified in that motion and that a further report would be submitted to this Committee following that discussion.

8.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That Strategy and Resources Policy Committee:-

(a) notes the approach and work undertaken to respond to the Cost-of-Living Crisis to date, in line with the strategy agreed by Strategy and Resources Committee, and approve a continuation of the cross-partner incident response arrangement and governance structure;

(b) notes the insights from our data dashboard and the latest available research, what it tells us about the impact of the Cost-of-Living Crisis across Sheffield and the likely impact over the year ahead;

(c) agrees the approach to planning for the winter ahead, including plans to develop and sustain welcome places, learn lessons from the past year and build on the infrastructure we’ve put in place;

(d) agrees that Strategy and Resources Committee will receive further updates on the response; and

(e) notes that the funding for the Cost-of-Living Support Hub ends in March 2024 and endorse the proposed work to develop a long-term strategic approach to preventing and reducing poverty and inequality in Sheffield.

8.3

Reasons for Decision

8.3.1

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

8.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

8.4.1

Stop our response. Dismissed as supporting our communities and businesses through the cost-of-living crisis is critical to the wellbeing of our city. We are committed to standing alongside communities in the face of the crisis.

8.4.2

Continue as is. Sustain our response as is the current. Dismissed as while there has been some excellent collaboration to support our communities, we need to continue to review and adapt our approach in response to the changing crisis. Further, we need to focus on the forthcoming challenge of winter 2023/24 and pivoting towards a longer term, sustained approach to tackling poverty in Sheffield.

8.4.3

Move to a wholly preventative approach. Rejected because of continuing acute need to provide support for people facing crisis now and in the immediate future.