Agenda item

The Leader presented the final report, which provided an update on the external pressures facing the Council, this month’s update included the cost-of-living crisis, housing and homelessness pressures and a potential increase in rates of COVID-19.

Links to national research illustrated how the cost-of-living crisis and the effects of the pandemic were impacting residents, schools, and employers across the whole of Wales.

Locally, officers and partners were accessing, facilitating, and promoting local and national schemes and funding to plan the financial support available as the winter months drew near.

Officers were also working closely with health colleagues during the upcoming winter months to help mitigate the impact of general winter pressures on the NHS and social care services whilst monitoring and responding to concerns over the increasing rates of COVID-19.

The Leader of the Council and Chair of OneNewport, continued to advocate for partnership working as being vital for supporting residents and businesses and the report contained information on how collaborative working enabled access to support, advice and guidance to those experiencing difficulties during this time.

The Leader took this opportunity to urge residents experiencing difficulties to please contact the Council for information and signposting on the advice and support available; this could be done in person, by phone or by visiting the support and advice pages on the website.

Turning to the report, the Leader was pleased to share that the additional cost-of-living advisors funded by the Shared Prosperity Fund were now in post and started building on existing partnerships to build a citywide cost-of-living offer. 

To be able to challenge and address the inequality of poverty across the city in a sustainable way, a strategic officer group was tasked with looking at poverty in its widest sense and to support the recommendations highlighted in the recent Building a Fairer Gwent report by the Institute of Health Equity. 

Challenges and pressures on housing and homelessness across Newport were detailed within the report, alongside information on how these were being addressed through different initiatives.

With the introduction of the Streamlined Asylum Process (SAP) by the Home Office; a cross-service officer group was meeting to assess the potential impact of this on existing significant homelessness system and service pressures.

In relation to education, Newport Education Welfare Service continued to work closely with all schools in Newport to support the improvement in rates of learner attendance and re-set a more positive school attendance culture across the city. 

Comments of Cabinet Members:

§  Councillor Harvey mentioned that residents were still needing services and food banks.  Families were struggling to pay for essential items. Councillor Harvey echoed the Leader’s comments to reach out to the Council to get help for signposting to the relevant officers.

§  Councillor Batrouni referred to services led by Councillor Clarke and the team and paid testament to their hard work, meeting challenges with dignity and grace as well as facing immense pressure under the current climate.

§  Councillor Clarke thanked Councillor Batrouni for his kind words and agreed that times were challenging. All the officers involved were trying their best to support residents. Councillor Clarke added that with the strength of colleagues and the Leader everyone was doing their best to deal with this. Councillor Clarke also reiterated Councillor Harvey’s comments that Councillors and Council officers were just a phone call away. 

§  The Leader highlighted that the significant majority of staff lived in Newport, and they were also facing challenges.

§  Councillor Davies referred to women struggling in families who were unable to afford period products which the Welsh Government were funding, lack of these products also led to non-attendance at schools.

§  Councillor Hughes also mentioned the religious communities that provided to foodbanks and thanked them for their help.

Decision:

Cabinet considered the contents of the report on the Council’s activity to respond to the external factors on Newport’s communities, businesses, and Council services.