Decision details

Proposed decision:

Accept additional COVID Winter Grant funding of £1.5m and confirm the deployment to support FSM and related assistance during the Easter Holidays.

Background

The purpose of the original grant was “to give vulnerable households peace of mind in the run up to Christmas and over the Winter months during the pandemic by helping those who need it to have food on the table and other essentials, so every child will be warm and well-fed this winter.”

It has proved challenging to identify and get the resources to those most in need in the time period required by the grant and all partners have worked very hard collectively and individually to achieve this.  Whilst we have discretion to determine how to allocate this second tranche of funding, the arguments in favour of using it to provide supermarket vouchers for those families entitled to benefits-related free school meals are very strong:

·       After providing such vouchers in the October, Christmas and February holidays, there is an expectation amongst schools and families that similar support will be offered in the Easter holidays. Although the Government’s Holiday Activities Fund has now been announced, this is only expected to provide meals to those children and young people entitled to FSMs who attend an activity, which under the grant conditions is expected to cover four days during Easter.  Due to Covid-19 it is recognised by the Department for Education that it will not be possible to commission significant amounts of activities and support in time for Easter.

·     It takes time to organise and implement schemes, and whilst we are confident of delivering the first tranche of Winter Grant in full, the logistics of getting resources to the right people at the right time takes planning and organisation, and there is insufficient time to do this by the beginning of April.

The cost of providing supermarket vouchers during the February half term was around £675k so it is estimated that the costs of covering the Easter holidays will be £1.35m, and if there are resources left over they will be used in line with the grant conditions.

Options considered but discarded

·     The option of turning down the grant was not given serious consideration, as there are many Kent families in need who will benefit from receiving this support.

·     We considered using the money to extend the other elements of Winter Fund (KSAS, fuel poverty, extension of the projects being run by the Districts & Boroughs) but it would not be possible to spend £1.5m on these in the first two weeks in April, and if we spend the money on supermarket vouchers for benefits-entitled free school meals that is estimated to take up virtually the full £1.5m.

As Leader of the Council, I agree to:

1) Accept the additional £1.5m COVID Winter Grant for use in line with the guidance published by Department of Work and Pensions and relevant terms and conditions

2) Approve use of the full £1.5m to support the provision of vouchers to families with children in receipt of benefits-related Free School Meals during the Easter 2021 school holidays

3) Delegate authority to the Corporate Director for Finance to, in consultation with the Leader to take any other actions needed to ensure that the £1.5m is spent in full by 16 April 2021.

4) Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Finance to take other necessary actions, including but not limited to entering into contracts or other legal agreements, as required to implement this decision.