Support where it’s needed most
THE decision to give unprecedented new powers to frontline staff like health visitors to authorise emergency payments is a forward-thinking move.
A new £300k hardship fund has been set up and it’s important that the money is distributed in a timely and informed way.
Professionals on the ground working with needy families and individuals are best placed to make decisions on destitution payments.
Public sector organisations can sometimes be guilty of getting caught up in red tape, so this is a welcome and innovative idea that should be applauded.
It will ensure that help is properly targeted — and that it gets to those who need it most as quickly as possible during this cost of living crisis.
FRONTLINE health care workers in Inverclyde are being given unprecedented new powers to help the growing number of families caught up in the cost of living crisis.
In an extraordinary response to the plight facing thousands of needy households this winter, health visitors and community nurses will be among those now able to intervene and authorise destitution payments from a £300,000 hardship fund.
With rising energy and food bills, health and social care partnership bosses are looking at more nimble ways to get help quickly to the increasing number of people who would not normally access social work services.
On top of this there are also plans for 1,500 people relying on care at home to receive a delivery of a warm box with essentials to help them get through the winter.
In a new report, Inverclyde HSCP chief officer Kate Rocks said: ‘Many individuals and families in Inverclyde are already affected by poverty and the current situation is adding to the difficulties faced, affecting increasing numbers of working people and those who would not normally approach our services.
‘Frontline staff are increasingly seeing the effects of this and even with the range of supports available, often a referral to social work is required to access immediate funding for those in crisis.
‘This will improve access to universal early help, reduce duplication from services in their response and improve residents’ ability to access help due to more simplified pathways.’
Inverclyde’s integrated joint board, which oversees services, will be asked to approve the distribution of hardship and destitution funding via the Social Work (Scotland) 1968 Act and The Children’s (Scotland) Act 1995 to a wider cohort of staff.
This will include health visitors, family nurses, advice service team leaders, community mental health nurses, district nurses and occupational therapists.
As part of a wider anti-poverty strategy there are also plans in place to distribute warm boxes for people who get home help visits.
The boxes will include a hat, scarf, gloves, socks, flask, torch, tea, coffee, sugar and powdered milk.
There are also plans to work closely with local third sector organisations to meet rising demand for help over the coming months.