Agenda item

Consider report by Director Resilient Communities.  (Copy attached.)

There had been circulated copies of a report by the Director Resilient Communities proposing that, in recognition of the significant challenges that households were facing because of the increasing costs of living, the Council establish a financial support package and, along with key partners, immediately establish both strategic and operational multi-agency groups to respond to the needs of communities.  The report explained that the current cost of living crisis was already affecting many residents in the Scottish Borders, and it was clear that this situation would significantly worsen as we moved towards autumn and winter.  It was acknowledged that there was a significant number of supports already in place, but in a similar way that the Council and partners responded during the Covid-19 pandemic and the current Ukrainian crisis, we needed to build on what was currently being provided and step up with immediate action to further support those in need.  Scottish Borders Council, along with Community Planning Partners and any other relevant partners, must prepare for these unprecedented and exceptional autumn and winter pressures on our communities and put plans in place to provide practical, as well as financial assistance and support as a priority. The proposal was to set up strategic and operational multi-agency officer groups with representatives from across the Community Planning Partnership and other external organisations that were either already providing support or assistance, or could have the potential to do so.  The purpose of both these multi-agency groups would be to generate agile and rapid response proposals/ideas/actions/support plans to alleviate some of the impacts of the cost of living crisis, and would report into the Anti-Poverty Members Reference Group as well as provide regular briefings to Members in relation to local requirements and response.  As reported through the 2021/22 outturn report, approved by the Executive Committee on 14 June 2022, the Council delivered a £1.4m underspend in 2021/22 which was directed to reserves at the financial year end.  In response to the current cost of living crisis it was now proposed to release this underspend from the Council’s reserves to provide £1.2m support to communities during 2022/23.  The remaining £200k would be released to top up existing financial support to businesses which would be presented to Members for approval in a future report.  There would also be a requirement to report to the Community Planning Partnership, as this action was also a key priority within their 12 month Work Plan.  Director of Resilient Communities, Mrs Craig, advised that work was underway with the Communications Section to publicise this support.  Members supported the proposals.  Mrs Craig answered Members’ questions and confirmed that the most appropriate methods of payment would be sought to ensure support reached the purchases to which it was aimed.  The excellent work of the CAB was also highlighted.  The support for businesses was also welcomed.  The need to make older people aware of pension credits was also emphasised.

         DECISION

         AGREED:-

(a)     to approve the creationof a short term multi-agency Cost of Living Crisis Strategic Group and an Operational Officers Group in order to provide an enhanced response to the exceptional autumn and winter pressures our communities were facing;

(b)    that these multi-agency groups would report into the Anti-Poverty Members’ Reference Group and the Community Planning Partnership and provide regular briefings to Members in relation to local requirements and response across each of our five localities;

(c)     to release £1.2m underspend from 2021/22 outturn from reserves to provide support to communities during 2022/23 and:

          (i) allocate £585k of this to allow immediate dispersion of financial support as detailed in the report; and

(ii)     to delegate authority to the Director of Resilient Communities, in consultation with the members of the Anti-Poverty Members Reference Group, to allocate the remaining £615kas required.