Agenda item

Briefing Note of the Director of Education and Skills

Further to Minute 10/21 the Scrutiny Board considered a briefing note of the Director of Education & Skills which updated Members on the previous report regarding free school meals (FSM) and the Holiday and Activities Fund (HAF).

FSM numbers in the city have increased from 11,683 (21.6% of pupil population) at the start of the pandemic to 12,683 (23.4% of pupil population) in January 2021 and 13,272 (24.3% of pupil population) currently.  This compared with 20.8% of pupils nationally.  By the end of April 2020 100% of eligible children were recorded as accessing free school meals (FSMs), and with the help of schools during the first lockdown, food vouchers/parcels for benefits eligible FSM children were delivered (including holiday periods).

The briefing note detailed the changes to the funding during the pandemic including various guidance, schemes and amounts over the last 2 years.  Recently Coventry had been indicatively allocated £3.2M by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) via a new grant, the Household Support Fund (HSF) which operated from the 6th October to 31st March 2022 (6 months).  This was the same level of funding as was provided to cover the 10 month period of the Covid winter grant Scheme (WGS) and Covid local grant schemes (LGS) in place between December 20 and September 2021.  It was likely that the increase in funding was due to consideration of the recent reduction to Universal Credit and the significant price inflation currently affecting the energy market.  No further funding had been announced for beyond 31st March 2022.  By this point eligible pupils would have received food parcels / vouchers in holiday periods for almost 2 years.

Alongside FSM, the Holiday Activities and Food Pilot Programme was extended nationwide for children 5-16 during Easter, Summer and Christmas of 2021.  Combining enriching activities with a hot or cold meal, nutrition awareness and signposting.  The Programme would reach approximately a quarter of eligible children and as the other grant schemes remained in place eligible pupils would have had access to this as well as parcels / vouchers.  The briefing note detailed the numbers attending and examples of support they received.  In the spending review further funding was announced for the holiday activities and food programme over the next 3 years at £200M per annum.  The national level was at roughly the same amount as the current year.

The Coventry Food Network had been working to develop a city-wide Sustainable Food Strategy which focused on the links between the long-term sustainable prevention of food poverty, the promotion of public health and the reduction of growing health inequalities.  They were applying for charitable status.

Following a successful 2-years funding bid to Feeding Britain, Coventry Independent Advice Service were supporting each social supermarket, to offer residents a range of advice and support.  The aim was to help residents address and resolve underlying issues that made them vulnerable to hunger or food insecurity; to increase household income or reduce expenditure, thereby contributing to greater financial resilience; reduce their reliance on community food provision; receive support to improve their wellbeing and independence.

Coventry Food Network were supporting the procurement of food and delivery of the HAF ‘Festive Fun 2021’ Programme.  A number of social supermarkets were providers for the HAF programme and delivered activity programmes and meals to children and young people eligible for FSM.  An additional number were supporting the co-ordination and distribution of the ‘Cook at Home Packs’. Coventry Food Network also supported the issuing food parcels to residents who had made requests for food via the Community Support Team. 

Feeding Coventry secured £10,000 to bulk order and distribute food to the social supermarkets during October 2021.  This ensured that the social supermarkets were able to stock-up on essential food items for their members.

A Christmas campaign had been launched by the Community Resilience Team to raise money and secure food donations for the social supermarkets and vulnerable families in the city to address the shortage of lorry drivers and increased demand for help from the social supermarkets during the holiday period and into January 2022. 

The Board questioned officers, received responses, and discussed the following:

•  conditions of the grant schemes

•  concern about the extent of Food Poverty nationally and in the city

•  the end of the current funding schemes in March 2022.

•  support for young people over 16 years 

Officers agreed to provide further information about the conditions of the £3.2m grant schemes funding of which £2.5m, was used for FSM.

The Board were encouraged to circulate the publicity about the support available to their constituents.

RESOLVED that the Scrutiny Board:

1)  Note the content of the briefing note and concern about the extent of Food Poverty nationally and in the city

2)  Write to the Cabinet Member (Education and Skills) and the Cabinet Member (Strategic Finance and Resources) requesting they consider future support for the Holiday Activities Fund taking measures necessary following the end of the current funding schemes in March 2022.

3)  Write to the LGA, Coventry’s MPs and the Department for Education to raise their concerns about the extent of Food Poverty and the end of the current funding schemes in March 2022.