Scale of need for families is on the rise in schools amid financial crisis
Schools in Renfrewshire are seeing a rise in the “scale of need”caused by households facing financial difficulty during the cost-ofliving crisis.
The stark situation was highlighted during a meeting between council officers and headteachers, confirming the extent of the pressures being inflicted on children and families as a result of soaring energy costs and inflation.
A report presented at Wednesday’s Fairer Renfrewshire subcommittee – a panel which aims to focus help for vulnerable people – disclosed the seriousness of the crisis in the local authority area.
The paper also revealed the council had met with education staff to discuss the effect it was having in schools.
It warned: “Schools are witnessing increases in scale of need and demand caused by households facing financial difficulty.”
Two groups of families were highlighted during the session, according to the report, including those already struggling who now face an “impossible financial situation” and others going “under the radar” because they are not eligible for certain support.
Annabelle ArmstrongWalter, the council’s strategic partnerships and inequalities manager, said: “We have had an initial engagement session with headteachers, both in primary and secondary school settings locally.
“It was just to understand from their perspective how they see the cost-of-living crisis manifesting within the school environment and with the families that they’re working with.
“It won’t come as a surprise to committee members that teachers and headteachers are seeing that need and demand rising and changing.
“That’s both in terms of families who were maybe financially struggling previously now being in an almost impossible, if not impossible, position financially but also this group of people who previously were not struggling financially and now are as a result of the cost-of-living crisis and particularly, I think, that group of people who are not eligible for a number of the other supports that exist.”
The report said the meeting with headteachers provided “valuable insight” and highlighted actions that could be taken forward to better support schools and their communities.
Ms Armstrong-Walter added: “It was a really good session and I think it’s something that we’ll repeat and keep overseeing through our Fairer Renfrewshire officer group.
“There’s a couple of actions for us to take away there, so that was a positive exercise.”
Councillor Jacqueline Cameron, chair of the subcommittee, said: “The work going on with schools looks really positive. It’s good to see that.”
Last year, a series of relief measures – worth around half-a-million pounds – were approved by councillors in response to the cost-of-living crisis.
The intervention included money for clothing payments, a warm spaces programme called Winter Connections, an advice pilot in high schools and funding for community food initiatives.
Headteachers are seeing that need and demand rising Annabelle ArmstrongWalter