LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
Lincolnshire County Council Lincolnshire Community Assistance Scheme 2013 – 2014 Year 1 report Date April 2014
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
CONTENTS
1.
Background and Context
2.
Description of the Service
3.
Strategic Priorities (national drivers, local policy and strategies)
4.
Demand
5.
Current Supply
6.
Stakeholder Feedback
7.
Benchmarking/Comparable Services
8.
Measuring Success
9.
Looking to the Future
10.
Options Appraisal
11.
Glossary of Terms Includes words that appear in green throughout this document
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
1.
Background and Context
The Local Welfare Assistance Fund (LWA) (known locally as Lincolnshire Community Assistance Scheme (LCAS)) was introduced in April 2013 to replace Government-provided Crisis Loans and Community Care Grants. LCAS has been designed to meet a range of urgent needs experienced by Lincolnshire residents in a time of crisis. The delivery of the service involves a number of partners and stakeholders and includes Third sector organisations. These organisations arrange the delivery of goods and services including food, clothing and furniture. This first year report discusses how applicants are supported in resolving a multiple of crisis issues (e.g. homelessness, benefit delays, flooding), many of which quite often begin with applying for a food parcel. LCAS food provision is often the trigger point to helping the applicant take control of their life again. To date, LCAS has approved nearly 9,000 applications for goods and services. The long term solutions and vision should be based on the principles of Social Justice – as ultimately this is what LCAS is about. 'Social justice is not achieved by focusing on the poverty line or tweaking the benefits budget. Instead, it requires unleashing the work of change in people’s lives to create in them opportunities and hopes for the future, as well as a level playing field for positive choices' (The Centre for Social Justice). The LCAS project has enabled a joined up approach to an individual's support needs resulting in the improved targeting of services to those in most need. By increasing Third Sector financial resilience, LCAS has the capacity to change our communities for the better. Local support initiatives will continue to develop and grow and make a real difference to the lives of people in Lincolnshire. 2.
Description of the Service
The Lincolnshire Community Assistance Scheme has the overall purpose and scope to: 1. Provide assistance to Lincolnshire residents to manage unexpected problems that will affect their health and wellbeing if they are not urgently addressed. 2. Put Lincolnshire residents who request assistance from the Scheme into contact with on-going support organisations to improve their resilience to unexpected problems in the future. The scope of the Scheme is to be limited to meeting a range of urgent needs, ones that will cause almost immediate detriment to the health and wellbeing of the applicants if not addressed. The needs to be addressed are defined, broadly, as those relating to: • • • • •
Food and drinking water Clothes and shoes Personal hygiene products Essential household items such as beds, chairs and cooking equipment Support for household heating or lighting payments
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
• •
One-off payment of rent or lodging costs if the local housing department cannot help Essential travel
All assistance will be offered in the form of goods or services to meet the needs identified. Cash payments direct to applicants will only be made in the most exceptional circumstances. Applicants must: • •
•
•
be over 16 years of age have been resident in Lincolnshire for 3 months prior to making an application. (Those who are returning from prison or another institution, who lived in Lincolnshire immediately before custody, may make an application straight away) have exhausted all other forms of assistance, e.g. family/friends, benefits, work and pensions agencies and regulated financial services providers, including credit unions be receiving welfare benefits (work and unemployment, housing and disability related); or be living in a low income household as determined by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and experiencing an extreme situation, in addition to meeting the other criteria
3. Strategic Priorities (national drivers, local policy and strategies) 3.1 National Drivers The Local Welfare Assistance Fund (LCAS) was introduced in 2013 to replace Government-provided Crisis Loans, with each local authority area allocated money from the £347 million total over a two year period. Following a national decision to ask top tier local authorities to re-provide a system of Crisis Loans and Community Care Grants, previously delivered by the Department of Works and Pensions (DWP), Lincolnshire County Council set an agenda for the officers to bring forward a proposal for the Lincolnshire scheme. The requirements of the scheme were: 1. That the new approach should put people seeking crisis help into contact with services that could help them to avoid future crises 2. That the new approach should engage the voluntary sector in order to add value by increasing sustainability of organisations in the sector 3. That the overhead costs of the service should be significantly lower than the existing service, making more money available to local people, and 4. That the new approach should focus on supporting people with goods and services rather than cash 3.2 Local Policy Lincolnshire County Council’s Executive took a decision in 2012 on the commissioning of a new scheme for vulnerable people in Lincolnshire to offer assistance in crisis. This commissioning decision was in response to a decision by DWP to close the two nationally run assistance schemes from April 2013, in preparation for the introduction of the ‘Universal Credit’ scheme.
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
In considering the development of a new scheme in the county, it was important to understand the history of the national schemes it replaced, but not to be driven by their history. The decisions on the new scheme were also taken in the context of a stillemerging overhaul of the wider welfare system in England and the known short- and longer-term assistance offers to people from other agencies. Lincolnshire County Council was required to decide how to respond to the transfer of responsibility and resources for the DWP Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans schemes. The previous schemes were largely based on the delivery of cash grants and loans to recipients of certain benefits. Prior to April 2013, Community Care Grants were available to support people who needed support to live independently in the community. Crisis Loans were available to provide help with short term needs in a crisis – please refer to section 4.3. The local scheme was developed in partnership with the Customer Services Centre (CSC) to provide the call handling element and Lincolnshire Learning Communities to administer the goods and services. Learning Communities are best placed to develop a network of voluntary sector providers to deliver goods and services, thus providing opportunity to improve the sustainability of voluntary sector organisations through local investment. 3.2.1 The CSC will deliver the following service on behalf of LCAS: • • • • • • •
Provide a first point of contact for customers requesting support from LCAS; this may include postal applications/electronic applications; and telephone applications Carry out a telephone assessment to identify whether a customer meets the criteria for LCAS as per agreed eligibility criteria Recording contacts on the Adult Information System (AIS) Approving applications received as appropriate Processing approved requests to Learning Communities to administer Contacting appropriate providers by telephone, if a situation requires urgent intervention To signpost and provide advice
3.2.2 Learning Communities will provide administration of goods and services (brokerage): • • •
•
Initial Development Work – helping to form process maps, routes of provision, quality requirements, forms and processes Identify and co-ordinate the network service providers, such as food banks, furniture recycling centre, clothing, white goods, pre-payment of utility services To identify and liaise with suitable agencies for referring clients, as part of conditionality, such as Citizens Advice Bureaux (CABx), Credit Union (CU), Careers Advice and Job Clubs To provide delivery of goods and services to LCAS by delivering a solution-led approach to support individuals and families at times of significant need or crisis, where other services are unable to offer assistance. Applicants will be offered goods or services to meet their needs, utilising the existing network of Third Sector organisations throughout Lincolnshire
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
Where appropriate, goods will be purchased from Third Sector organisations, such as furniture recycling organisations and food banks, this will provide a value for money service and provide financial resilience to the Third Sector Where Third Sector organisations are unable to offer support, established High Street retailers will be utilised eg Lincolnshire Co-op, Argos etc.
•
•
It was agreed to work in partnership with CABx and CU to help people become more financially resilient, to provide financial education and support to enable people to budget better and to prevent unexpected problems in the future. 3.2.3 CABx will provide financial resilience: •
• • • •
by working in partnership with Lincolnshire County Council and other local organisations to help Lincolnshire residents to manage unexpected problems that will affect their health and wellbeing if they are not urgently addressed by providing advice and assistance on a wide range of issues (debt, benefits, employment, relationships, housing) that may have contributed to the crisis to provide financial education and support to enable people to budget better and to prevent unexpected problems in the future through CABx offices situated in 10 locations. Help and advice will be provided on a range of issues to assist people to deal with their crisis by providing on-going help and support to address the issues that have caused a crisis
The project will assist the most disadvantaged and vulnerable members of the community. 3.2.4 The Lincolnshire Credit Union will provide financial resilience by: •
•
providing staff and volunteer resources to manage referrals from LCAS. This will enable applicants to make informed choices around managing and spending their money, leading to increased financial resilience and reducing stress providing budgeting advice, savings, loans, budget accounts and other financial services to applicants referred to the CU through LCAS
To improve access to the products and services of the CU around the county, CU will: • • •
increase the number of Access Points in Lincolnshire provide access to services in areas of high deprivation recruit a volunteer coordinator to recruit, manage and train volunteers
3.3 Strategies LCAS supports and is integral to many local and national strategies, including: Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Lincolnshire 2013-2018 •
Promoting healthier lifestyles
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
• • • •
Improving the health and wellbeing of older people in Lincolnshire Delivering high quality systematic care for major causes of ill health and disability Improving health and social outcomes and reducing inequalities for children Tackling the social determinants of health
Health and Poverty, Lincolnshire area – Citizen Advice Bureau • •
Marmot report (forward of Health and Poverty report) Reference to national CitA reports on ESA (page 8 of Health and Poverty report)
Public Health Service Plan 2011 – 2015 •
To ensure people living and working in Lincolnshire lead long, healthy and happy lives by improving the health of the population whilst reducing inequalities
The Public Health Outcomes Framework for England 2013 – 2016 •
Vision: To improve and protect the nation's health and wellbeing and improve the health of the poorest fastest
Lincolnshire Financial Inclusion Strategy 2013 – 2016 •
The long-term vision for the Strategy is about ensuring that everyone in Lincolnshire has access to appropriate financial services
Universal Credit Local Support Services Update and Trialling Plan December 2013 •
Universal Credit, Local Support Services Framework (“The Framework”) was developed in partnership with local authorities and sets out the principles for providing support for claimants with additional or complex needs to help them make and manage Universal Credit claims and prepare for work
Local welfare provision, low income households and Third Sector financial services provisions – Centre for Responsible Credit, March 2013 •
This report concerns the abolition of the Discretionary Social Fund from April 2013, a twelve- month long project evaluating how local areas are responding to the decision of the DWP to devolve the budgets for Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans
Nowhere to turn? the Children's Society •
This report is based on Freedom of Information requests to all English local authorities, combined with analysis of online information about the schemes that have been made publically available. The report outlines the main elements of the local welfare assistance schemes and highlights key ongoing areas of concern
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
Centre for Social Justice – Social Breakdown and Poverty •
This report highlights the identified five key and interconnected features of social breakdown called 'pathways to poverty' o Family breakdown o Educational failure o Economic dependency and worklessness o Addiction to drugs and alcohol o Severe personal debt
4.
Demand
4.1
Population Demand
'Advice and information services are a way in which local government, working with voluntary sector providers, can take practical action to help tackle the social inequalities in society that lead to the health inequalities we all experience. Advice and information services can lead to improvements in housing conditions, or employment and working conditions, as individuals are able to enforce their statutory rights. Advice services, including financial and debt relief services, housing advice and benefits advice are costeffective ways to increase incomes in low-income households, which can lead to increased standards of living. Of course, given the effect of the economic downturn and the changes to the welfare system, there is also a key role for advice agencies to ensure that affected households are fully informed about the changes, so people know how they will be affected, and are helped to understand their best options' (Professor Sir Michael Marmot, Health & Poverty report 2012) 'Significant numbers of residents in Lincolnshire using advice services are living on low incomes and suffer from other forms of deprivation. In 2011/12, we advised 6372 clients from this area who lived in the twenty per cent most deprived Lower Support Output Areas in England' (Health & Poverty report 2012)
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
4.2
Comparison of Geographic Distribution of LCAS applications with Index of Multiple Deprivation
The 2010 Indices of Deprivation is the latest official measure of deprivation in England. It is through the results of this study that many areas across the country are identified as a priority for funding to improve the quality of life of their various populations. The Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) is a major data set that allows for a comparison of deprivation levels for discrete areas across England. Map produced by LRO showing overall ranking in the IMD in 2010
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
The IMD clearly shows the highest areas of deprivation within the county. These areas are notably along the East Coast, Lincoln, Grantham, Boston, Spalding, Gainsborough and Caistor.
Map showing location of LCAS applications made to the scheme 2013/14
When comparing the two maps above, it is clear to see that the majority of LCAS applications have been from the areas of highest deprivation. This provides evidence that the scheme is being accessed by those in the greatest need of support. However, a low number of anomalies appear in certain geographical areas within the county, the most obvious being:
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
•
•
•
4.3
Caistor is identified as having a high IMD, however there are a greater number of applications made in the neighbouring town of Market Rasen. Assumptions can be made that services are available for Caistor residents across the boundary in nearby Grimsby and that Market Rasen has a high prevalence of younger people accessing the Market Rasen Foyer East Coast areas (eg Wainfleet, Skegness and Mablethorpe) show a high level of IMD. The level of LCAS applications within discrete areas along the East Coast does not always mirror the IMD data. This anomaly could be due to the transient nature of the migrant population along the East Coast, seasonal work patterns and access to other services eg the Salvation Army Kirton and Sutterton (south of Boston) both present high levels of IMD, however there are a comparatively low number of LCAS applications in these two areas. The reason for this is uncertain Demand for services
4.3.1 DWP Under the DWP a large number of service users in Lincolnshire accessed the Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans in each given year. Before April 2013, there averaged around 10,000 transactions per year distributing relatively small amounts of money to meet a wide range of urgent needs. Comparison of total number of Crisis Loans and Community Care Grants awarded between April 2009 and March 2010
2600
Community Care Grants Crisis Loans
7680
Prior to April 2013, Community Care Grants through the DWP were available to support people who need assistance to live independently in the community You could apply for a Community Care Grant if you were:
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
•
•
already getting Income Support, income-based Jobseekers Allowance, incomerelated Employment and Support Allowance, State Pension Credit, or payment on account of one of these benefits likely to start getting one of these benefits within the next six weeks because you were moving out of care
And any one of the following applied: • You were moving out of residential or institutional care to live independently • You were moving to a new home which would be more suitable for you following an unsettled period in your life and were being resettled by an organisation like the Simon Community, Women's Aid, Salvation Army, Extern or Edward Street Hostel • You needed help to stay in your home and not go into residential care or hospital • You needed help because you or your family faced exceptional pressure, such as family breakdown or because one of you had a long-term illness • You looked after someone who was ill or disabled, or had been released from custody on temporary license • You needed help with expenses, such as visiting someone who was ill, or to attend a relative's funeral Crisis Loans through the DWP were awarded to provide help with short-term needs in a crisis. Crisis Loans were available if you needed financial help with an emergency or disaster. There was a requirement to pay a Crisis Loan back, but no requirement to pay interest. You could apply for a Crisis Loan if you: • were aged 16 or over • did not have enough money to meet your (or your family's) immediate short-term needs in an emergency or as the result of a disaster • thought there would be serious damage or risk to your (or your family's) health or safety without the loan A Crisis Loan could help cover the following short-term needs: • Meeting daily living expenses • Rent in advance • Board/lodging charges • Residential charges for a hostel • Pre-paid meter fuel debt • Travel expenses if you are stranded away from home • Household items A Crisis Loan could also help if any of the following applied: • You had suffered a disaster, like a fire or flood, that had caused a lot of damage and you needed help to meet other expenses like replacing household items and clothing • You had been awarded a Community Care Grant because you were moving out of institutional or residential accommodation and did not have enough money to do so • You needed to pay rent in advance to a private landlord
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
Comparison of total number of LCAS awards made per district council between April and September 2013, with total number of Crisis Loans and Community Care Grants awarded between April and September 2011 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000
Total approved LCAS awards
800 600 400
Total approved Crisis Loans & Community Care Grant awards
200 0
The above chart gives evidence that the number of LCAS applications made between April and September 2013 in the seven local authority areas, show a comparative trend to the number of Crisis Loans and Community Care Grants awarded in the same period in 2011. In four of the districts, LCAS applications exceed the number of Loans and Grants; this demonstrates the better targeting of services to the people who need it most.
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
4.3.2 LCAS During the reporting period between April 2013 and March 2014 the CSC received over 9,000 applications for assistance. Of these, nearly 8,000 people have met the eligibility criteria and received goods and services Total number of approved applications made to LCAS between April 2013 and March 2014 1000 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0
LCAS - total approved applications
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
LCAS applications broken down by district council between 2013 - 2014 350 300 Lincoln 250 200 150
North Kesteven South Kesteven West Lindsey East Lindsey
100 Boston Borough 50
South Holland
0
No fixed abode
The graph above highlights significant peaks and troughs in the instance of LCAS applications during the summer months and the Christmas period within East Lindsey. This could be due to the transient nature of some of the population, seasonal working patterns and post-Christmas debt.
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
LCAS applications made between April 2013 and March 2014 showing the range of items requested 900
Food
800 Clothing
700 600 500
Personal hygiene/ baby products Utilities
400
Travel
300
Rent
200
Cash
100 0
Furniture/household items White goods
The graph above presents the range of goods applied for through LCAS and highlights the significant increase in applications in January and February 2014. This trend is reflected in the graph below which also shows a sharp increase in new Benefit claims and sanctions.
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
The majority of LCAS applications have been made due to issues around benefits. The graph below shows the reasons for an application. It is important to note that there has been a steady rise in the number applications submitted owing to new benefit claims and sanctions. Nationally,'the number of Job Seeker Allowance (JSA) sanctions in the year to 30 September 2013 was 874,850, the highest since JSA was introduced in 1996. It compares with 500,000 in the year to 30 April 2010' (Guardian 19 February 2013). 180 160 Bedroom Tax
140 120
Benefit cap
100
Delay in benefit payment
80
New benefit claim
60
Reassessment of benefit
40
Sanction 20 0 Oct-13 Nov-13 Dec-13 Jan-14 Feb-14 Mar-14
Unsuccessful applicants may be signposted to the following services: • • • • • 5.
Gas, electric, heating and oil – Grantham Passage, Home Heat Helpline, Responders to Warmth Furniture – Buttle Trust, Lincoln General Dispensary Fund, Lincoln Municipal Relief Fund, Family Fund (primarily a budgeting loan) Rent – Vicars Relief Fund (via CAB) for those who have been homeless; district council for discretionary housing payment Travel – Addaction, JCP, Probation and NHS for hospital appointments General – Shine Staying Well Grant, British Legion and MacMillan Cancer Support Current Supply
5.1 Costs At the end of year one of the two year scheme, LCAS has demonstrated significant success. The appended report discusses how applicants have been supported through times of crisis when no other options were available to help them. The LCAS project has enabled a joined up approach to an individual's support needs resulting in the improved targeting of services to those in most need. The report demonstrates that LCAS has
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
supported a comparable number of people as the previously run DWP schemes, with an underspend of around £240,000. Goods and services Number of applicants budget 2013/14 Food Vouchers 8,753 Food Larder parcels 3,516 Co-Op food parcels 6,232 *Fridges 633 *Electric Cookers 479 *Gas Cookers 164 *Washers 506 Furniture (recycled) 515 Furniture (new) 713 On line (misc) 1,063 Poundstretcher (household 351 items) Cash (emergency) 477 Clothing 501 Paypoint (utilities) 7,475 *Excludes deliver and fitting charges Travel 52 Rent 151 CABx (short term resilience) 1,114 applicants have resolved their benefits issues Credit Union (short term 350 new members and long term resilience for 6 new Access Points applicants and the service provision) *Estimated spend
£1,487,187.00 £51,502.00 £115,659.17 £159,100.67 £101,913.00 £106,014.00 £56,339.00 £111,826.00 £36,480.00 £93,724.00 £68,028.11 £18,981.11 £7620.34 £29,282.53 £129,141.98 £1,085,450.32 £2,500.00 £10,971.59 £70,000.00
£75,000.00
£1,244,083.70
Estimated underspend
Administration budget 2013/14 CSC (First point of contact) Learning Communities (brokerage of goods and resilience services) Total spend Underspend
£243,103.26
£314,254.00 £178,880.00 £113,185.79 £292,065.79 £22,188.21
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
5.2
Breakdown of emergency cash/credit card payments
Reason for cash/credit card payments Travel payments Emergency food funding Coal – payments made directly to supplier when possible Gas bottles – payments made directly to supplier when possible Payments of £10 for Gas or Electricity
5.3
Number of applicants 30 7 31
Spend £1595.00 £550.00 £678.30
29
£997.04
380 477
£3800.00 £7620.34
Examples of current suppliers include:
Food providers Horncastle Community larder (Horncastle) Lincoln Community Larder (Lincoln) St Luke's Church Food Larder (Lincoln) ACTS Foodbanks (Lincoln) Louth & District Community Larder (Louth) Furnichurch (Mablethorpe) The Storehouse (Skegness) Sleaford Community Larder (Sleaford) Spilsby Community Larder (Spilsby) Agapecare (Spalding) Lincolnshire Cooperative (Countywide) Furniture/White Goods Providers Gainsborough Furniture Recycling Centre (Gainsborough) Nomad furniture shop (Lincoln) Acts/Alive Church (Lincoln) Furnichurch (Mablethorpe) Euronics (Countywide) Supersave (Countywide) Clothing/Shoes/Household items Asda Shoe Zone Poundstretcher 5.4 The Big Society Fund allows all 77 County Councillors within Lincolnshire to make awards of funding to a range of local groups and organisations. The following Big Society Fund awards have been made to support food banks:
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
2011-2013: Stamford Foodbank Agapecare Foodbank (Spalding) Boston Foodbank St Lukes Community Larder (Lincoln)
2013-2014: Boston Foodbank Grantham Foodbank Agapecare Foodbank (Spalding) Lincoln Community Larder St Lukes Community Larder (Birchwood Lincoln) Horncastle Community Larder New Life Community Larder (Sleaford)
1 award = £400 1 award = £1,000 1 award = £500 1 award = £500 Total: £2,400
2 awards = £600 1 award = £1,000 1 award = £750 2 awards = £885 1 award = £200 1 award = £100 2 awards = £700 Total: £4,235
5.5 News report BBC news website 04 March 2014 Almost £3m of public money is being used to help tackle food poverty, BBC Panorama has discovered. A third of all councils in England and Wales said they had subsidised food banks. The government said local authorities were now responsible, and better placed, for providing emergency help. •
•
•
• •
•
Derbyshire County Council said it would be investing £126,000 from its Public Health budget into food banks this year "I'm responsible for promoting the health of the people of Derbyshire, and if people haven't got enough food to eat, I've got to do something about it” Julie Hirst, Public Health Specialist, Derbyshire County Council Panorama asked all 375 councils in England and Wales if they were funding food banks and, if so, how much money was involved. Of the 323 councils that responded, 140 said they were providing funding - more than a third of all councils The news comes as the right-of-centre think tank, Policy Exchange, says about 68,000 benefit claimants are having their welfare payments stopped "unfairly" each year, which is increasing demand for food banks Panorama discovered that £2.9m of public money has been spent by councils over the last two years to help feed people The exact number of people using food banks is not known, but the Trussell Trust, the biggest network of food banks in the country, said it helped feed hundreds of thousands of people last year. It said the number of people asking for free food has tripled since 2012 The Trussell Trust and Citizens Advice say the main causes of the rise in demand are problems with benefits, low income and debt, but the government has said that food banks themselves are helping to increase the demand by offering free food
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
6.
Stakeholder Feedback
6.1 Louth Community Larder, Trinity Centre, Louth 'The LCAS project as far as the Louth Community Larder is concerned has been extremely successful, in one way that is good as it’s getting the help to people who need it most, however it’s a sign of the times unfortunately that more and more people are requesting access to the service, the service is becoming more accessible and the referral process is clear and user friendly'. 'The LCAS project has enabled the Community Larder to provide additional time within the centre to focus on the larder and allow additional resources to be made available to ensure the service is responsive and flexible to service users’ needs and requirements. It has also enabled the centre to develop a short- and medium-term strategy to ensure that the larder will be available for future provision'. 'The LCAS provision has made a great deal of difference to individuals, families and local communities. This is due to the availability of a service that is responsive to customer needs and, in the main, user friendly and accessible. This service has provided a safety net for many families and individuals who have found things both difficult and challenging. It has also enabled families to stay together where possible and taken off a great deal of pressure that has accumulated through often no fault of their own'. 6.1.1 Good news stories/outcomes (Louth Community Larder) 'A referral was received from LCAS to the Louth Community Larder for a single homeless male following heart surgery. The person is now living in his own accommodation. He has also accessed the Credit Union for budgeting advice, has been referred to local Health Trainers and is now a volunteer at the Trinity Centre and is attending regular exercise sessions at the local leisure centre'. 'A referral was received for a couple; it became apparent that both had issues with alcohol. Now living in own home and have support through Addaction, they have also received advice from Credit Union & CAB. The male has now found part-time work'. 'A referral was received for a single homeless male, he had been living rough for over 2 years. The person is now living in temporary accommodation with his dog, he has accessed the food larder and drop in services and is currently awaiting permanent accommodation. He has registered with the Credit Union and attends the computer drop in sessions where he has registered on several employment sites. He has registered with the local Job Centre and his dog will be receiving free vet treatment from the Dogs Trust very shortly'. 6.2 The Storehouse, Skegness 'The LCAS project has been extremely successful in Skegness. It has enabled us to provide over 500 food parcels to families and individuals who are experiencing financial hardship in unforeseen circumstances'.
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
'The LCAS project has enabled the Storehouse to grow and pioneer new projects in order to better serve the issues and problems that people in our community face. By interacting with different agencies, we are able to explore new and innovative ways to meet the needs that are specific to the Skegness community'. 'LCAS has enabled us to develop the Storehouse as a growing community hub by meeting one of society’s big issues - food poverty'. 'From a start point of people accessing The Storehouse for food parcels we have been able to engage customers and signpost to other organisations through integrated working in order to deliver a holistic provision for the community'. 'LCAS has enabled us to deliver provision based on the needs of the community at the current time'. 'The LCAS project has also helped to promote The Storehouse as a provider that carries a significant amount of trust from the local community and a place where the public feel they can find help'. 6.2.1 Good news stories/outcomes (The Storehouse) 'We have had many people in Skegness access LCAS who have found themselves homeless or sofa-surfing and in need of food'. 'John and Stephen both found themselves with no fixed abode after personal issues and accessed LCAS in search of food'. 'Through the LCAS food provision, we were able to spend time signposting in search of local accommodation'. 'Through working partnerships developed on the back of LCAS with local sheltered housing, we were able to quickly find housing for John and Stephen that also included two years floating support that will enable them to bring their life situation back on track'. 'The story (above) has been duplicated many times in issues of homelessness, benefit delays, sanctions and debt, to name a few. LCAS food provision has always been the starting point to helping the client take control of their life again'. 'Food parcels are often the end result of a much bigger problem. We aim to deal with and help solve every client’s bigger problem'. 'We feel more secure financially since the LCAS project commenced and find we can be more generous to all our clients, especially when it comes to purchasing fresh food, e.g. fruit and vegetables which we now do on a regular basis rather than now and then if there was something especially cheap on offer. We are now also looking at ways to make our service more accessible to people who are not able to reach the Larder due to ill health or lack of money to buy a bus ticket'.
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
'I am not sure we are in a position to judge what, if any difference the LCAS project has made to the local community, we just know it is of enormous help to the people we give food parcels to. Doubtless the project helps to prevent petty crime and shoplifting by people desperate to obtain some food, though how this could be measured, we are not sure'. 'One woman told us she had barely slept for a week with the worry of how she would feed the family when the last of her money was spent'. 6.3 Acts Trust, Alive Church, Lincoln 'Acts Trust works with the Lincolnshire Community Assistance Scheme (LCAS) to provide food parcels and furniture to customers in the Lincoln City area'. 'Working with LCAS has brought incredible benefits to both our own organisation and those that we seek to support: 'Working with LCAS has enabled us to support people who otherwise we would not have met'. 'Having a central contact point for customers across the county is invaluable, it improves the success of referring people for support who may live outside of our own catchment area. It also gives us confidence that we are referring people to trusted service providers through LCAS'. 'This is particularly evident when we are approached by individuals who are not yet engaged with any agencies but need support. We are able to refer confidently to LCAS as an initial contact point for them'. 'Through LCAS we have been able to connect with, and learn from similar service providers in the county. This encourages best practice and joined up working and reduces duplication of support' 'Our own project development has benefited from working with LCAS, as we have been able to explore new initiatives with their advice and support. For example, we have considered providing Kitchen Starter Packs for customers coming out of homelessness as well as changing from 3 day food parcels to 5 day parcels'. 'By working with organisations like ourselves, LCAS are able to offer customers holistic support because of the other project work that providers can offer. For example, all customers referred to us through LCAS have access to our free mentoring and befriending service, free debt advice and Job Club etc'. 'Working with LCAS has without doubt improved the sustainability of our project as the financial claims have contributed to our project workers' salaries, without which we would not be able to administer the Lincoln Foodbank project effectively'. 'Working with LCAS has also helped to raise the profile of our project work and that of other charities in the city'.
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
'We believe that LCAS is one of the most successful initiatives in the county for supporting people out of poverty. The strategy to partner with local charities and organisations that already exist to support people is excellent, as it has prevented a ‘reinvention of the wheel’ as well as providing considerable financial sustainability to those organisations alongside hosting a working network for them to participate in. It also allows customers to receive holistic care, beyond LCAS’ primary remit of aid'. 6.4 LCAS stakeholders The below organisations are a small selection of projects/organisations or schemes Learning Communities signpost to, have signposted to or referred customers to: • Adult Social Services • Boston Mayflower • British Legion • Christians Against Poverty – Job Clubs/Debt crisis teams • Citizens Advice Bureau • Credit Union • D.A.R.T • European Social Fund Project • Families Working Together • First Contact Plus • Framework • Freecycle • Job Clubs (various) • Job Centre Plus • Kooth.com • Lincoln College • Local Libraries • Make a Start (MAST) • Male Advice Line • NACRO • Payplan • Responders to Warmth • SSAFA • Step Change • Warm Home Discount 7.
Benchmarking/comparable services
It is important to note that the funding provided for establishing local welfare assistance schemes has been provided on a non-ringfenced basis. This has resulted in local authorities across the country establishing different schemes of provision. Examples of how the LWA fund is being used across the country include: •
In Portsmouth the LWA scheme has made a total of 533 awards for the period 02/04/13 to 17/01/14. Around 75 per cent of awards have been made in order to: improve living conditions to enable someone to remain in their home; resettle into more suitable accommodation; or meet needs caused by domestic abuse
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
•
•
•
•
The Surrey LWA scheme has helped more than 1,500 Surrey residents, including families forced out of their homes during the winter 2014 floods, who were assisted with food, clothing and utilities as well as new bedding In Lambeth, the LWA scheme has allowed the council to support people with the process and costs of moving house in response to the benefit cap and spare room subsidy, which has affected around 4,400 households in Lambeth. They say that the LWA funding has been invaluable in supporting their efforts to prevent families becoming homeless Brighton and Hove City Council operates a scheme of payment for prisoners at the point of release to provide some initial support for basic needs and minimise the risk of reoffending. The scheme was designed with HMP Lewes and has been standardised and coordinated with neighbouring authorities, so prisoners are treated the same even if they return to different local authorities Nottingham News report Six months after it was introduced, Nottinghamshire County Council has announced plans to abolish its local welfare assistance fund - a scheme created to provide emergency financial and in-kind support for the poor and destitute. The Labour-run authority proposes to scrap the scheme in April 2014, a year after crisis loan and community grant elements of the social fund were devolved to local authorities. The council's proposal would save a total of £2.1m, part of a cuts programme that seeks to chop £154m from the authority's budget over the next three years.
Only 11% of local authorities are providing cash assistance following the Social Fund model. Some are providing solely cash assistance and some are providing a mix of cash and vouchers. The cash will be provided through bank accounts, post office accounts or collected at local pay points. Types of support provided: 'in kind' or cash assistance
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
The ‘in-kind support’ provided ranges from pre-pay cards/vouchers, furniture/household goods, direct payments to companies (e.g. for utilities), fuel top- ups, food packs to passes for emergency travel. Many local authorities state that it will be recycled, second hand or charity goods that will be provided. Solely providing ‘in-kind’ support is concerning as vouchers and providing goods directly can be inflexible and inconvenient for claimants, and in some cases, stigmatising. For example pre-pay cards and vouchers are often only for certain stores which may be difficult and costly for families to access. Nowhere to turn? the Children's Society 8.
Measuring Success
Given the unknown elements at the start of the LCAS Project it has to be recognised that the hard work of all involved has meant an effective communication link, from referral to delivery of goods. Over the course of this project, Learning Communities has worked hard to increase providers and improve Third Sector delivery within all areas. Building these relationships is one of the fundamental successes of LCAS, as this means that no one community or citizen within Lincolnshire will not have access to financial assistance and increasing financial resilience to the Third Sector. 8.1 Key achievements Over the course of this project, Learning Communities has worked hard to increase providers and improve Third Sector delivery within all areas. This has meant that many food larders are open for more hours and can provide a wider variety of food. 'Since the start of the project, we have engaged several more food providers and are currently in discussions with others about delivering under LCAS' (Learning Communities) The following new providers have been engaged: • • •
Agapecare, Spalding – joined October 2013 Horncastle Community Larder – joined October 2013 Spilsby Community Larder – November 2013
Currently, discussions are underway with Be-Attitude, Lincoln – to deliver hot meals for the street homeless. Time expected to make a decision (Financial crisis) Nowhere to turn? the Children's Society
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
The above chart shows a small minority (8%) of local authority schemes have not acknowledged the need for a quick response for emergency support. In these areas, claimants will be waiting between four days and two weeks for a decision, even in an emergency. More than 70% of the referrals to LCAS for food are dealt with within two hours. Progression calls and contacts are maintained with the individual to ensure further support and access to other services. 8.1.2 Job Outcomes The chart below evidences the distribution of 134 LCAS customers who have found work after receiving help and guidance through LCAS. It is important to note that these customers are some of Lincolnshire’s hardest to reach residents, many living in absolute crisis
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
8.1.3 Benefit issues resolved The chart below evidences the geographical distribution of 1,114 LCAS customers who have had their benefit issues resolved as part of their application Benefit issues resolved
83 158
Boston Borough 246 140
East Lindsey Lincoln City North Kesteven South Holland
84
South Kesteven West Lindsey 49 354
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
The chart below shows the number of clients who engage with CAB services as part of their LCAS application 50 45 40 35 30
Number of customers engaging with CABx
25 20 15 10 5 0 Apr-13 May-13 Jun-13
Jul-13
Aug-13 Sep-13 Oct-13 Nov-13 Dec-13
The importance of LCAS is not only around addressing an immediate crisis situation which a customer is experiencing but it is also about improving customer resilience to budget better and to prevent unexpected problems in the future. CABx is one of the partners engaged in the delivery of LCAS (refer to section 3.2.3). Currently the responsibility is on the individual to contact the CABx as part of their LCAS application. To increase the number of customers engaging with CABx, it is proposed that CABx directly contact the customer to offer their services, rather than waiting for the customer to contact the CABx. This would increase activity and reduce the waiting time to access the service
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
The chart below shows the locality of the CU Access Points and number of new members from April 2013 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0
New members
The ethos of CU by being a partner of LCAS was to improve the number of members who joined the CU by enabling CU to expand and increase the number of access points across the county. There are currently 17 access points (an increase of six), resulting in 350 new members countywide. People are coming to the CU at a time of crisis. Often the only solution they can see is a loan to give them cash to meet their immediate needs. However, in order to be considered to apply for a loan through the CU applicants must first join the CU and have to be able to show their ability to make regular payments before a loan will be granted. Applicants have to pay a £5 joining fee to CU in order to open an account; this in itself is often a barrier to accessing a loan. When CU first became involved in the development of LCAS, it was discussed that their role would be to help build financial resilience in the county. This will be a longer-term outcome than simply counting the number of people who have been referred following an application. At that point in their lives, many of the applicants will have priorities other than thinking about starting to save and will not have sufficient disposable income to afford a loan repayment. A number of social landlords around the county provide an incentive for tenants to join the CU. This varies in each organisation and this is typically between £3 and £10. Participating landlords include Lincoln City, Longhurst and Havelock Homes, Boston Mayflower and New Linx Housing.
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
8.2 Areas for development We are acutely aware of the gap in service provision within the West Lindsey area; there is currently no available food larder which services this area. It is intended that the Learning Community Network will explore all avenues to address this issue. We have identified gaps for delivery in some areas, although we also have to balance the expectations of services in rural areas and that distance travelled to gain support is a given rather than urban areas where it is expected within a 5 minute walk. Providers we have worked with are all “going the extra mile” to deliver support to the customers in their area. The Trussell Trust community food bank provider remain resistant to accepting payment for food referrals through LCAS, due to their ethics which prevent them from accepting payments for food. Conversations have taken place with the Trussell Trust to encourage them to join the LCAS network of providers to no avail. Financial contributions could help towards rental costs or utility bills to enable them to become a sustainable food bank. 9.
Looking to the future
This year's Local Government Finance Settlement has revealed that the Welfare Assistance Fund will not be renewed in 2015 (draft local government finance report 201516 published 18 December 2013) There is considerable concern that ending this grant in 2015/16 will put further pressure on local authorities' already stretched budgets and could significantly impact upon their ability to support the most vulnerable people in need of emergency financial assistance. The emphasis will now be placed on local authorities to fund the Welfare Assistance Scheme from their general funds Government should rethink scrapping of £347 million emergency welfare fund, councils urge LGA media release 24 February 2014 The scrapping of a government fund used by councils to provide emergency support will make it increasingly difficult to help vulnerable people facing short-term crises, local authorities are warning. The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils in England and Wales, is calling for government to rethink its decision to scrap the £347 million Local Welfare Assistance fund. Independent press release 24 February 2014 Vulnerable people will face hunger and destitution following a decision by ministers to scrap a £347 million scheme to help individuals who face emergencies or have fallen on hard times, town hall leaders claimed Sunday night. They have been taken by surprise by the move to axe the Local Welfare Assistance Fund, which pays for food and shelter for people facing short-term crises such as being flooded out of their homes, suffering ill-health or being forced to flee a violent partner. The Local Government Association (LGA) called for ministers to rethink the decision to end the scheme, which emerged when council chiefs studied the details of their Whitehall spending settlement for 2015-16.
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
Due to the recent proposal to end the LWA fund, Lincolnshire County Council will need to continue to review the eligibility criteria to ensure that it continues to provide financial assistance to people at a time of crisis. One area to explore could be to offer loans to replace the current process of supplying goods. Below is an example of where loans are being administered by Barnsley in 2014/15 to save money for 2015/16 (Mark Wood, Knowledge Hub): • • •
•
•
We offer loans, they are interest free and made via our local credit union We underwrite the loan and pay the admin/joining fee for the CU, so there is no risk to them To reduce admin on our side (invoices etc) we placed a lump sum on deposit at the CU for them to call down for the loans and charges. We then have monthly reports detailing what repayments have been made etc The loans are for relatively small amounts (i.e. less than £100), typically to cover emergency gas, electric or food. However, we do try to use the loans as a last resort, as we would prefer not to get people into (more) debt The scheme is working well and we are thinking of expanding it to cover items such as travel expenses and moving costs
10. Options appraisal A. Continue with the current service Benefits • Continue to review the eligibility criteria to ensure that we maintain effective delivery to the most vulnerable people in deprived areas of Lincolnshire • Focus on prevention and innovative ways to improve people's financial resilience • People who access the scheme will be able to build their financial resistance to better prepare them for a future financial crisis • Identify new partners to deliver goods and services and explore opportunities to work with the Third Sector to achieve effective approaches to delivery and value for money • Ensure Lincolnshire Third Sector organisations build some resilience and sustainability within their projects • To explore this project as an invest to save model – to make the most effective use of available resources • To utilise any underspend from the 2013/14 LCAS budget, to ring-fence this to make it available for the long-term sustainability of the scheme • To report to a Board to give strategic direction, whilst understanding how it impacts on other areas of work. For example, the Financial Inclusion partnership B. Cease the service Disbenefit • Recognise the potential of a legal challenge if we fail to meet the needs of the most vulnerable • This would result in the widening of inequalities, the reduction of routes of poverty and place an increasing financial (and perhaps unsustainable) burden on other
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
•
agencies, for example the DWP, Mental Health services, the justice system and Third Sector organisations Financial exclusion of marginalised and vulnerable individuals at a time of crisis
Impact • Districts to provide a report on the potential impact of the LCAS not being available • Reputational impact upon Lincolnshire County Council C. Remodel the service Loan Scheme • To explore the provision of budgeting loans, while recognising operational costs and the logistics of delivering a loan may be better placed outside of Lincolnshire County Council (as exemplified by Barnsley in section 9 of this report) Saving Scheme • Credit Union – 'The illegal money lending team have been willing to make an incentive payment in various areas around the county to people who join the credit union and then save regularly. We could investigate if we could do something similar on a countywide basis for a trial period and perhaps offer a £5 incentive payment to people to start saving. We appreciate that finding the first £5 to join may be a problem for some people. After the account has been opened, people could then save as much or as little as they can afford. It would be a condition that the incentive payment could not be withdrawn until the member had matched the amount in savings'. Revised Eligibility Criteria • Analyse the number of DWP sanctions against the number of applications to gain a greater understanding of where the applicants are going to access support if they do not access LCAS Aligning of Funding streams • Develop a more advanced data-sharing protocol using the Case Management Partnership Programme (CMPP), which will bring numerous benefits in identifying where an individual is known to another service area • Big Society Fund awards (section 5.3) • To compliment LCAS with a Benevolent fund – the aim of working with a benevolent organisation is to develop a shared perspective on how they might work together in order to help people in need. Benevolent charities provide around £573 million per annum on financial assistance to individuals supplementing rather than replacing the role of the state
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
11. Glossary of Terms AIS (Adults Integrated System)
Big Society Fund
Citizens Advice Bureaux (CABx)
Case Management Partnership Programme (CMMP)
Centre for Social Injustice
AIS is a Lincolnshire County Council information system used primarily by Adult Social Care (ASC) staff for their case recording. Any contact ASC have with service users and their carers is entered on to AIS, thus creating a running record of events and activity to ensure the safety of vulnerable people supported. Information recorded comprises confidential personal data such as contact details, date of birth, national insurance number, case notes, assessment information. The Fund allows for all 77 county Councillors within Lincolnshire to make individual awards of funding to a range of local groups and organisations at their discretion. Through the Fund, all County Councillors are allocated £2000 each year which they can allocate to deserving local causes. Funds awarded are intended for groups and organisations that will use the award to make a positive change in their local area and/or benefit the wider community. CABx offers free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to people from all sectors of the community who require help to solve problems they face and understand their rights and responsibilities. There are 7 district CAB offices located throughout the county which provide a drop-in and signposting service, telephone and online advice. CABx advise on a variety of issues, including money and debt, consumer and legal matters, benefits, housing, employment, discrimination and immigration. Advisers can provide help/support with filling out forms, writing letters, negotiating with creditors, representing clients at court or tribunal. The CABx also work to improve policies and practices that affect people’s lives. Due to go live in 2015, Mosaic is Lincolnshire County Council's new workflow-based case management system being implemented to support the business requirements of Adult Care, Children's Services, Public Health and Finance. The programme vision is to introduce multi-agency case management as an enabler of countywide, joint service delivery, better informed about customers, better able to protect the vulnerable and empowered to work more flexibly and efficiently via secure, shared data services. The Centre for Social Justice is an influential, independent think tank established in 2004 by Iain Duncan Smith to seek effective solutions to the poverty which is inherent within parts of the UK. The aim of the organisation is to put social justice at the heart of British politics. One of its most notable reports was Breakthrough Britain. It has also produced other, well-publicised reports into gang culture, modern slavery, addiction, family breakdown and educational failure.
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
Community Care Grants
Community Sector
Credit Union (CU)
Crisis Loans
Customer Service Centre (CSC)
Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)
These were one-off payments made from the Social Fund to people on benefits who needed extra financial help to enable them to live independently within the community or to ease exceptional personal or family pressure. Grant awards were made on a case by case basis and did not have to be paid back. From 1st April 2013, following the end of DWP provision of these grants, Lincolnshire County Council became responsible for local welfare provision. Organisations that are separate from government, usually run by an unpaid management committee, do not make a profit (or put any income back into their work) and have a set of values or a particular purpose to why they do what they do. They include charities, community groups, social enterprises, co-operatives and clubs. It also includes many faith-based organisations. It is often grouped with the voluntary sector and together they are known as the Third Sector, civic sector or not-for-profit sector. A financial co-operative owned and controlled by its members. In Lincolnshire, the CU provides access to reasonably priced financial services to people living or working in the county. This is done in a not-for-profit way so that cash is only used to run the services and reward the members and not pay outside shareholders. The CU promotes the benefits of saving and encourages members to save what they can and borrow only what they can afford to pay back. Small loans of £100 – £7,500 to members and provision of financial services to less well-off individuals unable to access ordinary bank products, are a life-line in deprived areas and a welcome alternative to payday loans and door-step lending. These were payments made from the Social Fund intended to cover essential costs following an emergency or a disaster. Loans were made from a limited pot of money so not everyone who claimed automatically received a payment; they had to be paid back but attracted no interest. From 1st April 2013, following the end of DWP provision of Crisis Loans, Lincolnshire County Council became responsible for local welfare provision. Based at Witham Park House, Lincoln, the CSC offers joined-up working across partners and Council directorates. The Centre provides a customer-focused, centralised support service for all customers (both internal and external) as a single point of contact and resolution for all advice, questions, problems and issues. The CSC delivers advice and information on all Lincolnshire County Council services and forwards service requests/referrals where necessary. The 2010 Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) is the latest official measure of deprivation in England. Through the results of this study, many areas across the country are identified as a priority for funding to improve the quality of life of their various populations. IMD is a major data set that allows for a comparison of deprivation levels for discrete areas across England. It is
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)
Learning Communities (LC)
Lincolnshire Advice Network (LAN)
published by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) every three years; the latest data set released was 24 March 2011. Areas are ranked from least deprived to most deprived on seven different dimensions of deprivation and an overall composite measure of multiple deprivation. Most of the data underlying the 2010 IMD relates to the year 2007. The domains used in the 2010 IMD include deprivation relating to income, employment, health, disability, education, crime, barriers to housing, services deprivation and living environment deprivation. Each of these domains has its own scores and ranks, allowing users to focus on specific aspects of deprivation. Studying different sets of IMD results for Lincolnshire reveals how deprivation within different domains has changed within the county over time. It is possible to determine how these changes compare to those which have occurred nationally and to establish to what extent deprivation may have reduced or increased. JSA is a government-funded unemployment benefit, administered by the DWP, intended to help people with their living expenses whilst they are out of work. There are two forms of JSA: incomebased; and contribution-based. How much an individual receives depends upon personal circumstances and the type of JSA they might qualify for. To qualify for JSA, claimants must be over 18, but below the State Pension age, able to work, available for work and meet other rules of eligibility. In Lincolnshire, LC aim to confront and help alleviate local issues that local people encounter, which impedes their potential for personal progression. LC projects seek to bring the community together, provide residents with information and local access to services and enable those living in deprived areas to move forward in their lives, addressing issues such as employment, debt, housing, improving skills and learning and returning to work. Services offered are varied and community driven. All LC activity is undertaken in Priority Intervention Areas as defined by IMD (Indices of Multiple Deprivation) and the Local Area Agreement. LC collaborate with strategic partners and other groups. A link to Third Sector organisations is made via the LC Team (who have overall management responsibility), which itself links together a network of community organisations throughout the county, including food banks, furniture recycling centres, Credit Union, CABx, community learning providers, housing associations etc. LAN is an advice network made up from a consortium of providers from across the county. The consortium is led by the Advice Services Partnership Board and comprises representatives from countywide CABx, Age UK, Lincolnshire CU and other partner organisations and stakeholders. LAN provides a streamlined advice service for local people across Lincolnshire, which enables their advice needs to be met effectively. Services include advice around money, debt, income maximisation, access
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
to affordable credit, fuel poverty etc. The local government finance settlement is the annual determination of funding to local government. It is produced by the Department for Communities and Local Government and has to be approved by the House of Commons. With regard to the Local Government Finance Settlement 2014/15, a draft was issued for consultation on 18 December 2013 and the final version presented to the House of Commons on 5 February 2014 by Local Government Minister Brandon Lewis. Lincolnshire Through the LRO website (www.research-lincs.org.uk) data and Research intelligence from demographic to economic profiles can be seen Observatory (LRO) about the county and areas within it. Users can gather and present data using various tools, including interactive mapping, and can benefit from a selection of reports, analysis and further information provided by a range of local and national agencies. There are over 1,000 intelligence reports and 2,000 datasets providing key information on a range of local issues. The LRO encourages sharing of information and produces the robust shared evidence base essential for service planning, targeting of need and effective policy and decision making. The Local Welfare Assistance Fund (locally known as LCAS) was Local Welfare Assistance introduced in April 2013 to replace government-provided Crisis Scheme / Loans and Community Care Grants. LCAS has been designed to Lincolnshire meet a range of urgent needs experienced by Lincolnshire Community residents in a time of crisis. The delivery of the service involves a Assistance number of partners and stakeholders and includes Third Sector organisations. These organisations arrange the delivery of goods Scheme (LCAS) and services including food, clothing and furniture. The Lincolnshire The LSSR has been developed with partners in response to Sustainable significant current challenges facing the Health and Social Care Services Review system in the county. The aims of the LSSR are to develop a (LSSR) model of care that will help the health and care community provide quality services that are safe, accessible and suitable for the future. The recent Keogh Review identified some key areas of concern over quality and safety of some services; some of which have significant patient outcome challenges. In Lincolnshire, like the rest of the NHS, and social care nationally, there is evidence from patients and service users of services being fragmented. Office for National The ONS is the UK’s largest independent producer of official Statistics (ONS) statistics and is the recognised national statistical institute for the UK. It is responsible for collecting and publishing statistics related to the economy, population and society at national, regional and local levels. It also conducts the census in England and Wales every ten years. The ONS plays a leading role in national and international good practice in the production of official statistics. It is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority and, although they are separate, they are still closely related. Sanctions If a JSA claimant fails to follow the rules of a benefit that they are receiving, such as not going to an interview or medical Local Government Finance Settlement
LCAS - Service review V0.16 07 05 14
Voluntary/Third Sector Organisations Universal Credit Scheme
examination, refusing to take part in or leaving a compulsory scheme before completing it, they could lose benefit/suffer a benefit sanction. This means that Job Centre Plus will stop, or in some cases reduce, a claimant's JSA for a certain period of time. New sanctions and hardship payments came into effect in April 2014. A term used to describe organisations that focus on wider public benefit as opposed to making profits. It includes small informal groups, larger charities with incomes of millions of pounds and social enterprise organisations. Universal Credit is a new benefit scheme which started in April 2013. Stage-by-stage it aims to simplify the benefits system by eventually bringing together six existing working-age benefits (income-based JSA, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefit) into one, single monthly payment. The Scheme is designed for people who are looking for work or are on a low income and to help claimants and their families become more independent.
