Agenda and minutes

Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee are asked to consider whether they have an interest in any matters on the agenda and, if so, to formally declare that interest.

Councillor Birchmore declared a personal interest in all items under consideration due to her role as a volunteer at the Trinity Foodbank.

A period of 30 minutes has been set aside for members of the public to ask questions on matters considered at the last meeting and set out in the minutes or on the agenda for tonight’s meeting.

There were no public questions.

Questions are invited from Elected Members about items on the agenda. 15 minutes will be set aside for Member Question Time, if required.

There were no Member questions.

Minutes from the meeting held on 01^st November 2023 are attached.

That the minutes of the meeting held on 1^st November 2023 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Report attached from Councillor Gold, Cabinet Member for Finance and Communities.

Councillor Gold Cabinet Member for Finance and Communities attended the meeting supported by Officers, to provide an update on the Council’s Anti Poverty Strategy. An accompanying report had been circulated in advance of the meeting and provided details of:

1.             DELIVERY OF THE PLAN

2.             PILLAR ONE: TACKLING FOOD POVERTY

3.             PILLAR TWO: WELLBEING AND POVERTY

4.             PILLAR THREE: FINANCE AND DEBT

5.             PILLAR FOUR: WORK AND WAGES

6.             PILLAR FIVE: CHILDHOOD POVERTY

7.             PILLAR SIX: HOUSING RELATED POVERTY INCLUDING FUEL POVERTY

8.             ENABLERS AND RESOURCES

9.             NEXT STEPS

In discussing the report the following issues and questions were raised:

Members discussed the increased use of food banks within the Borough. 

Councillor Gold, Cabinet member for Finance and Communities reported that in relation firstly to the collation of data: this data was previously collated from May 2020 up until March 2023. This data was reliant on foodbanks / food pantries providing returns data returns with this information to the council with numbers supported. Despite working with the Bury Community Support Network to make the data return process as simple as possible and council staff spending a significant amount of time each month chasing numbers, the number of food banks consistently providing the data was very small and as such the reliability of the data was poor. As such a decision was to stop collecting this data and use qualitative updates to better understand the demand.

Bury Community Support Network and Bury VCFA work with the Council to ensure that foodbanks are not working in silos, work to support this has included, invitations to cost of living summits, information, training and learning shared, as well as assistance in providing different advice and support services at foodbanks across the Borough.

The Cabinet Member reported that The council obtains qualitative feedback through the VCFA and the Bury Community Support Network on current needs and demands, this is fed back at the anti-poverty steering group. Local organisations are regularly made aware of and signposted to local and national opportunities for funding including the recent cost of living grants which have been paid out to 48 local organisations.

Members discussed the use of the Household Support Fund to support anti-poverty initiatives. 

The Cabinet Member reported, where possible the Council have tried to encourage activities/one off support that engages those struggling to help them access all ongoing support they are entitled to promote longer term independence.  The Council have also reinforced to local groups who have had funding to consider sustainability once their HSF funding is used up. The VCFA would continue to work with local groups to tap into national funding pots to support this where possible.

However, the impact will be a loss of just over £3 million. The Cabinet Member reported that although he would want to see the HSF monies continue beyond Easter as such some of the support such direct payments, cost of living grants, free school meal and holiday activity funds and CAB neighbourhood support would be unable to be  ...  view the full minutes text for item OSC.13

Report attached from Councillor Cummins, Cabinet Member for Housing Services.

The Committee agreed that this item would be deferred to a future meeting.

It was agreed that:

Following consultation with the Leader, an additional meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee will be held on 14^th March 2024.

Report from Councillor Cummins, Cabinet Member for Housing Services attached.

The Committee agreed that this item would be deferred to a future meeting.