Agenda item

Rebecca Scott, Public Health South Tees

Rebecca Scott, Advanced Public Health Practitioner provided an update to the Board on the work being carried out in response to the Cost of Living Crisis.

 

The Board heard that both Local Authorities had been working with partners to coordinate a planned approach to advise on where people can access support for food, warmth, money, health and transport throughout the crisis.

 

Following a discussion at the Live Well South Tees Executive a workstream was established led by Public Health South Tees to focus on how to get targeted messages to those most at risk.

 

To support the response, it was agreed we would like to ensure that staff/organisations working directly with the identified at risks groups have information on where people can access support.  

 

To achieve this a series of briefing sessions in partnership with our Local Authority leads for financial support were arranged throughout December 2022 via the South Tees Wellbeing Network.

 

The Board were advised that 235 delegates attended the two sessions in December from a wide range of organisations including LA’s, NHS Trusts, GP practices, VCS and Education.

 

The sessions covered the following information;

 

·        Background

·        At Risk Groups

·        Government Support offer

·        Local support offer for South Tees

·        Making Every Contact Count

·        South Tees Wellbeing Network

·        Q&A

·        Sessions were well received and follow up materials had been distributed to attendees

·        The sessions will be running again at the end of January through February

·        Public Health South Tees have also been providing information and training to ensure that the council and wider partners adopt a MECC (Making Every Contact Count) approach as part of the normal interactions with residents.

 

Public Health South Tees had also been providing information and training to ensure that the council and wider partners adopt a MECC (Making Every Contact Count) approach as part of the normal interactions with residents.

 

Public Health South Tees had also been working with key partners to implement several actions including:

 

·        Taking the lead on developing the warm welcome, warm spaces brand across South Tees from accessible community venues

·        Developing a “heat map” for warm welcome, warm spaces

·        Engaging with marketing to ensure a joined approach to promotion of warm welcome/warm spaces

·        Developed the process and venue check lists

·        Developed venue packs and posters for the project

·        Developed monitoring processes to engage with service providers and venues to oversee engagement

·        Hosting a monthly collaboration call for all service providers and venues of warm welcome, warm spaces

 

In partnership with the Financial Inclusion Group, Public Health South Tees have been leading forward some insights into poverty which consider the following aims:

 

·      Develop a broader understanding of poverty and its impact;

·      Start to understand how we can work with people in our communities  to understand better the local experiences of poverty & build better relationships between the council and our communities

 

In total 89 community interviews were carried out

 

·        Key themes identified and shared with a wider stakeholder group:

·        Opportunities – 60 participants felt that people in Middlesbrough didn’t have the same access to opportunities only those in the nicer areas of town have access

·        Value of community – Around a quarter mentioned community spirit, resilience and community assets including transport links, access to coast and countryside's

·        Crime – Almost 1/3 felt crime was an issue listing fear of crime, violence and areas being intimidating

·        Drugs & Alcohol – Almost half mentioned this as a problem in the area with comments that there is nothing left for some people but drugs and alcohol

·        Financial worries – respondents acknowledged worry and instability of their current situation

·        Lack of employment – ¼ of respondents felt jobs were far and few between unless you wanted to work for minimum wage

 

Next steps:

 

·        The subgroup will continue to work closely with both Local Authorities financial leads to continue to contribute to the ongoing development of the Cost-of-Living offer.

·        The subgroup will also lead on the coordination of more briefing sessions monitoring the uptake from key partners and ensuring the distribution of key communications materials.

·        The subgroup will also continue to support the development and implementation of the Local Authorities cost of living action plans which will evolve over time as the implications of the cost of living become more recognised.

·        Progress to phase 2 of the poverty insights work, we are working with the Local Motion and sharing the findings with the Poverty Truth Commission to incorporate the themes into their approach

 

ORDERED: The Board noted the progress of the work being carried out in relation to the Cost of Living Crisis