Decision details

This decision is being taken in accordance with the Special Urgency decision taken by Mayor Jones on 23rd December, to receive £5.527m Contain Outbreak Management Fund from central government. This decision allocated the funding for a range of interventions against an agreed resource plan, agreed the carry forward of any underspends into 2021/22 to continue to support containment and intervention measures and delegated future decision making regarding the Contain outbreak management fund to the Director of Public Health in consultation with the Director of Corporate Resources and the Portfolio Holder for Public Health.

The government has provided funding to support the Clinically extremely Vulnerable residents during these challenging times.

Doncaster people who are most in need as a result of the Covid-19 situation. Without doubt, Covid-19 has significantly affected individuals, families and communities in Doncaster including:-

- Local food banks have seen a rise in demand from around 500 people supported each week to almost 2,000 over the period of the epidemic;
- Out-of-work benefit claims have more than doubled in Doncaster compared to the same time last year; this represents an additional 7,400 residents claiming such benefits in June 2020 compared to June 2019;
- Over 3,500 households accessed a council tax payment break during the pandemic;
- 1,093 households received food parcels from our community hub (2,897 deliveries in total);
- A three-fold increase in applications for the Local Assistance Scheme; and
- A significant number of people in b and b’s and temporary accommodation.

As stated above, the current demand of food banks cannot be sustained and it is vital that we use this opportunity to strengthen the support offered to those facing financial difficulties, so that they have a longer-term plan and reduce dependency on food banks and government services.
It is anticipated that the economic consequences of Covid-19 will continue to put greater strain on individuals and families. In an effort to provide more support to prevent individuals and families from accruing new or increasing their existing debt, it is proposed to use £134k funding to pump prime additional debt work and support.

Given the timescales, it is proposed that this is done through an extension of the borough’s existing debt support service at the Citizen Advice Bureau (CAB). Funding will support the establishment of a phone and web chat assessment service with volunteer advisors. With a face to face advisor available to each venue one day a week for those who feel confident to meet face to face. The service will cover a 20-question assessment where residents can be signposted and supported to access other low-level support to increase opportunities for Personal Budgeting. The complex cases will then meet with an expert advisor using video sessions via WhatsApp or Google-Meet. This can be established relatively quickly using existing and trained volunteers. The CAB will work closely with food banks to ensure people are appropriately signposted for support.

The key objectives will be to:

- Prioritise communities who don't or have lower attendance at CAB offices across the borough;
- To set up a way for the client to contact specialist advisers for advice and support on debt issues, utilising online channels such as self-help, web chat, email, video and telephone appointments;
- To provide high quality debt advice in line with citizens advice and FCA quality standards;
- To enable clients who have no access to computers and phones, access to a community pod, so they can speak to advisers in locations they are easily able to access;
- To look at recruiting and training volunteers to give an appropriate level of advice and support, to support, train and upskill other organisations on appropriate signposting and referral options; and
- To look at setting out face-to-face outreach sessions at locations when the climate safely allows for this.

To strengthen the funding to third sector through SIA and VAD, CAB will work alongside local community, the faith and voluntary sector by training them to deliver low-level debt advice and support with an emphasis on empowering and upskilling residents to understand laws and regulations to take control of their own finances and not rely on support services. In addition to this, it is hoped that the CAB will be in a position to begin face-to-face sessions in April 2021 and the funding will be used to establish temporary outreach points in areas of high need across the
borough. Well Doncaster and Stronger Families are looking at the longer-term sustainability of this programme and funding.
Humanitarian Fund to be administered by Social Isolation Alliance (SIA) and Voluntary Action Doncaster (VAD). The criteria and panel will be undertaken by the VCFS task and finish group. (£100k)
Funding Panel

The distribution of this funding will be managed by the Social Isolation Alliance and Voluntary Action Doncaster. These organisations have convened a panel consisting of representatives from the funding providers, the sector and Local Authority. The panel will meet fortnightly to assess the bids submitted and to agree awards. Payments will be processed promptly in order to allow work to be started quickly. This fund will remain open until funding has been allocated.
Eligibility criteria

To be eligible to apply for and receive funding your group must fit the following criteria:

- Be a not for profit, third sector, voluntary or community group.
- Be connected with or meet the needs of Doncaster communities.
- Have a bank or building society account where at least two signatories are required to draw funds.
- Have a governing document that has a minimum of name, aim and membership.
- Meet due diligence requirements especially around safeguarding.
- Have evidence of community involvement in their application.

To award Citizens Advice Doncaster to deliver financial resilience services across the borough with the cost of £134,000 and £100,000 to Social Isolation Alliance and Voluntary Action Doncaster to manage the funds from grants of unto £5,000 for third sector to be funded from the Contain Outbreak Management fund

Due to the tight timescales of this funding, it was agreed that using the boroughs existing commissioned debt advice service and the already established VCFS funding panel would be the most effective mechanism for mobilising the support across the borough. CAB are the only debt advice service in the borough accredited with the Financial Conduct Authority and can provide support that meets their quality standards and would allow the support to be accessible to those in need as quickly as possible.

If the award is not agreed, there would be an unmet demand around financial security and money management. This demand is likely to increase as the financial impacts of COVID-19 become more apparent. There is a risk that residents will incur new and increase existing debt, with potential cost to the Council in unpaid Council Tax, evictions, increased uses of services and greater demand on foodbanks.