The Chair welcomed those present and attendees introduced themselves.

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Anstee, Beswick, Davidson, Emsley, Gartside, R. Massey and Wardle, Naomi Burke (Healthwatch Rochdale), Jane Catz (Back O'Th Moss Community Centre), Scott Hardy (Your Trust), Maddy Hubbard (Action Together) and Kathy Thomas (Rochdale Connections Trust).

To consider the Minutes of the Voluntary Sector Partnership meeting held on Thursday 21 March 2024.

Resolved:

That the minutes of the Voluntary Sector Partnership meeting held on 21 March 2024 be approved as a correct record.

To discuss and note the current terms of reference of the Voluntary Sector Partnership.

Resolved:
That a discussion on the current terms of reference of the Voluntary Sector Partnership be deferred to the next meeting.

To receive a presentation of the Employment & Training Officer and the Affordable Warmth Officer on Riverside support that is available to residents.

The Partnership received a presentation of the Employment & Training officer and Affordable Warmth officer at Riverside UK which detailed the services provided by the organisation.

The Partnership were informed that Riverside was a registered provider of social housing in the UK, offering affordable housing and support to residents. There were currently over 2,000 Riverside homes in the Langley area of Middleton, however residents were supported across the whole of the Rochdale borough.

With the aim to transform lives and revitalise neighbourhoods, the Employment and Training Team provided free support to anyone living in a Riverside home. Customers were supported into working through assistance with job searches and application writing, as well as being provided with work wear and travel expenses. Customers were also signposted to local providers such as Get Rochdale Working for training and support.

It was noted by the Employment and Training Officer that there was no criteria for Riverside customers to be supported into employment. Residents that were already in employment could also receive support if they were seeking a change of career, better pay or wanting to gain qualifications.

74% of Riverside customers had completed employment training or had been successful in securing employment in 2023-24.

The Affordable Warmth officer covering the North West further detailed how Riverside can also support customers that were struggling with energy bills, energy debt or affording to heat their home. Affordable Warmth Team services included:

·         Supporting tenants to manage energy and water arrears;

·         Applying for grant funding to combat fuel poverty;

·         Providing advice on payment methods and payment plans;

·         Ensuring all tenants received support with secure energy supply.

It was noted by the Head of Townships and Libraries that regular local drop in services were provided by the Council and were available at various venues in the borough to assist with the issues mentioned, as well as with council tax support, housing and homelessness and Cost of Living advice.

Council drop in services included:

-       Number One Riverside, Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm

-       Middleton Library, Tuesdays 9am - 5pm

-       Heywood Library, Thursdays 9am - 5pm

To make an appointment for a local drop in service, residents were urged to contact 01706 924403 or email Customer.Services@Rochdale.Gov.UK.

The Chair recommended that Riverside’s details be added to the relevant sections of Rochdale Borough Council’s website, such as the pages dedicated for welfare advice or fuel poverty.

Concerns were raised by Partnership members that some residents are in digital poverty and therefore do not have access to the internet. The Affordable Warmth officer further informed members that some residents would be eligible for free fibre broadband from the Department for Work and Pensions. If residents were not eligible, they could be signposted to one of the 16 Rochdale libraries that offered a free internet service or leaflets could be produced.

Resolved:
That the presentation be noted.

To receive an update from the Public Health Development Manager.

A presentation was received by the Partnership from the Public Health Development Manager which provided an update on the Household Support Fund.

Following concerns that were raised at the meeting of Voluntary Sector Partnership in January 2024, Members were informed that a further round of funding had been received by the Council at the end of March 2024.

The nationwide provision was originally announced by the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in August 2020. The government grant was utilised by the Council in October 2020 when the Rochdale Borough Council Household Fund was launched.

The purpose of the grant was to support households who would otherwise struggle to buy food, pay essential utility bills, or meet other essential living or housing costs. The fund could also be used to provide supplementary advice and support to residents.

Following receipt of funding in March 2024 discussions with portfolio holders had concluded and five schemes had been agreed to be funded through the grant, namely:

1.    Household Assistance Fund through supermarket and fuel vouchers;

2.    Warm Homes Scheme in partnership with Groundwork to support vulnerable residents by managing cold and damp in their home;

3.    Food and Wider Essentials grant administered by Action Together. Fifteen groups had currently been funded including Heywood Food Bank, Freehold Pantry, Rochdale Food Bank and the Lighthouse Project;

4.    Work and Skills which provided employment and skills advice to residents, and;

5.    Targeted support for low-income families through the provision of food vouchers during school holidays.

Resolved:
That the update be noted.

To receive an update from the Public Health Development Manager and to discuss how the strategy could support communities.

Consideration was given to a presentation of the Public Health Development Manager which detailed Rochdale’s proposed Anti-Poverty Strategy.

Titled ‘The Future We Deserve: Rochdale Borough’s Anti-Poverty Strategy 2024-2029’, Members were informed that the strategy was not currently a public-facing document, but would set out the Council’s vision and priorities for tackling poverty over its five year duration.

The strategy outlined specific poverty related issues in Rochdale and highlighted, in particular, the impact of the Cost of Living Crisis, including what had been done so far to try and mitigate its impact. The strategy also suggested how poverty might be defined, some of the main reasons why it existed, and its impact on the health and wellbeing of residents.

The Public Health Development Manager informed the Partnership that the work that would take place as a result of the five-year strategy had been separated into four themes and 11 objectives. The first three themes - Intervening Early, Alleviating Poverty and Solving Poverty – aimed to directly help residents across the borough. The fourth theme - Inclusive and Collaborative Delivery – would focus on improving the delivery of services to ensure that the Council was more inclusive and collaborative.

Some of the objectives identified to coincide with the themes were ‘Raise skills and provide opportunities for higher value employment for people currently on low-incomes’ and ‘Meet people’s basic needs of food, warmth, shelter and health’.

To facilitate the objectives, four places where anti-poverty work would be carried out had been identified and included Poverty Strategic Group, Anti-Poverty Network, Lived Experience Circle and Locality Board.

In addition to the objectives, several actions had been put into an implementation plan. A number of key performance indicators (KPIs) had also been identified to help the Council understand long term changes in the borough.

The Public Health Development Manager concluded that collaborative working and information sharing was essential for the strategy to be a success.

Partnership Members showed support for the proposed strategy and agreed that help could be provided to facilitate the themes and objectives through joint working.

A member of the Voluntary Sector Partnership requested that presentations be distributed ahead of meeting dates where possible in future.

Resolved:
That the presentation be noted.