6
There was submitted an update report by the Chief Executive relative to the Social Renewal Plan which had been approved by Council in March 2021 to set out the high-level actions which the Council and its partners would take moving forward from the pandemic, with a focus on tackling inequality and improving well-being.
The report intimated that since the last update report to this Board at its meeting held on 16 June 2021, officers continued to work with partners to progress all actions with a specific focus on income, poverty and financial insecurity and details of progress made were highlighted in the report, including additional information on the wider tackling poverty programme and its existing range of activities.
The report noted that during the pandemic and through the community impact assessment undertaken in 2020, people living across communities continued to have very complex needs and the holistic support model would be piloted in early 2022 would allow partners to support recovery in a person-centred way.
The report highlighted that moving forward into 2022, a key priority for the Council and its partners would be in relation to supporting community resilience and working with local communities to identify priorities and local action plans in response to the pandemic and that this would be progressed through the Local Partnerships.
The Head of Policy & Commissioning confirmed that the Council continued to work closely with the food bank and that work was planned early in the new year with the local Poverty Alliance to explore options to support low income households and that a further report would be submitted to the Board on this.
Councillor Paterson, seconded by Councillor Hughes, moved
(a) That the work that had been undertaken to progress the Social Renewal Plan in Renfrewshire be noted;
(b) That the allocation of £8,940 from the Community Food Fund, to support the initiatives outlined in Section 4 of the report be approved;
(c) That the allocation of £80,000 to Renfrewshire Leisure to co-ordinate a Digital Champions programme be approved, with a further £20,000 allocated to support further research and evaluation in digital exclusion in partnership with SCVO and a community device refurbishment initiative. This would be drawn from the £100,000 of social renewal funding agreed by Leadership Board in June 2021 to support digital exclusion;
(d) That the allocation of £10,000 from Tackling Poverty funding to provide support to Renfrewshire Foodbank to respond to additional demand over Winter 2021 and into 2022 be approved and £20,000 be approved to support community youth engagement over this period by Youth Interventions;
(e) That the allocation of £200,000 to support the delivery of a holistic support service to local people impacted by drug and alcohol use be approved from the £2 million funding previously allocated by Council to respond to the findings of Renfrewshire’s Alcohol and Drugs Commission;
(f) That the Scottish Government funding that had been allocated directly to the third and community sector in Renfrewshire to support the COVID response and recovery and mental health and wellbeing be noted;
(g) That the additional funding which was likely to be allocated to the Council from the Scottish Government to support low income households over the Winter be noted; and
(h) That the Chief Executive be authorised to develop and implement local arrangements to allocate this funding expediently, in consultation with the Council Leader, with an update to be provided to the Leadership Board in February 2022.
Councillor Andy Doig, seconded by Councillor Devine, moved as an amendment that in addition this Board commends the work of the Renfrewshire Drug and Alcohol Commission, in particular, its positive focus on holistic and preventative approaches from a health and wellbeing perspective.
This Board notes the same preventative approach from many GP Practices and therefore asks Renfrewshire Leisure to evaluate and consider the introduction of subsidised membership of RLL for those on benefits, and to bring a report back to a future Leadership Board.
On the roll being called, the following members voted for the amendment: Councillors Devine, Andy Doig, Harte, Graham and McIntyre.
The following members voted for the motion: Councillors J Cameron, Hughes, McCartin, McEwan, McGurk, McNaughtan, Nicolson, Paterson and Shaw.
5 members having voted for the amendment and 9 members having voted for the motion, the motion was accordingly declared carried.
DECIDED:
(a) That the work that had been undertaken to progress the Social Renewal Plan in Renfrewshire be noted;
(b) That the allocation of £8,940 from the Community Food Fund, to support the initiatives outlined in Section 4 of the report be approved;
(c) That the allocation of £80,000 to Renfrewshire Leisure to co-ordinate a Digital Champions programme be approved, with a further £20,000 allocated to support further research and evaluation in digital exclusion in partnership with SCVO and a community device refurbishment initiative. This would be drawn from the £100,000 of social renewal funding agreed by Leadership Board in June 2021 to support digital exclusion;
(d) That the allocation of £10,000 from Tackling Poverty funding to provide support to Renfrewshire Foodbank to respond to additional demand over Winter 2021 and into 2022 be approved and £20,000 be approved to support community youth engagement over this period by Youth Interventions;
(e) That the allocation of £200,000 to support the delivery of a holistic support service to local people impacted by drug and alcohol use be approved from the £2 million funding previously allocated by Council to respond to the findings of Renfrewshire’s Alcohol and Drugs Commission;
(f) That the Scottish Government funding that had been allocated directly to the third and community sector in Renfrewshire to support the COVID response and recovery and mental health and wellbeing be noted;
(g) That the additional funding which was likely to be allocated to the Council from the Scottish Government to support low income households over the winter be noted; and
(h) That the Chief Executive be authorised to develop and implement local arrangements to allocate this funding expediently, in consultation with the Council Leader, with an update to be provided to the Leadership Board in February 2022.