North Yorkshire County Council
Corporate & Partnerships Overview & Scrutiny Committee
24 October 2022
An introductory report on the use of food banks.
Report of Assistant Director Policy, Partnerships and Communities
1.0 Purpose of Report
1.1 To update the Committee on the use of food banks and food support services across the county.
2.0 Background
2.1 Members raised concerns about ‘the growing need for, and dependence on, foodbanks across the county and suggested it be considered as a topic for a more in depth scrutiny review’ at the meeting of the committee on 6th June 2022. It was resolved that an introductory report on the use of food banks be brought to this meeting for consideration.
3.0 Introduction
3.1 In addition to the conventional food bank provision in the county, during the pandemic the county saw a number of other food support projects set up to support people who were experiencing some form of food insecurity. This included people who were on reduced incomes and people who had difficulties accessing food, due to the pandemic restrictions.
3.2 The range of food support projects include conventional food banks, meal delivery services, community pantries and fridges, social supermarkets and direct food deliveries. A full list of the typologies of support is attached as Annex A.
3.3 During the pandemic, funding was provided from Defra to the Council in order to support these projects in order to ensure that people had access to food during national restrictions. Over the pandemic, 30 organisations received support. Most of the projects have continued following the lifting of restrictions and continue to provide support to people in their communities experiencing food insecurity. Some, although not all, also have the reduction of food waste as their primary purpose.
4.0 Post-pandemic support for food insecurity
4.1 On 30 September 2021, the government announced that vulnerable households across the country would be able to access a new Household Support Fund (HSF) to help them with essentials of food, household essentials and utilities. To date the Council has distributed two rounds of HSF grant. The majority of the funding has been used for direct support to eligible households. The Council also used some of that funding to offer grants to food projects under the Food Bank Support Fund (FBSF) grant programme.
4.2 The Food Bank Support Fund has supported 14 food projects in North Yorkshire.
4.3 Grants in the total of £445,000 have been offered (£285k in Phase 1 and £160k in Phase 2).
4.4 Monitoring information from the funded organisations has been collected between October 2021 and June 2022.
4.5 Summary of Data
The table below shows the summary data of individuals and households supported by the 14 organisations between October 2021 and June 2022.
The data shows the highest usage took place during the winter months of January to March 2022. The data received to date does not show a full calendar year and as this programme started in October 2022, there is no annual comparative data available.
|
Period |
Time Period |
Number of beneficiaries |
Number of Households |
|
1 |
Oct - Dec 21 |
4,324 |
2,133 |
|
2 |
Jan - Mar 22 |
7,160 |
3,928 |
|
3 |
Apr - Jun 22 |
6,831 |
2,530 |
|
Total |
18,315 |
8,591 |
4.6 A full breakdown of the data follows including data relating to households with children and those without children. In the second round of HSF funding, data was also collected on those households with people in receipt of pension as they had been added to the HSF eligibility criteria (Period 3 table below).
4.7 Period 1 (October 2021 – December 2021)
|
Reference |
Beneficiaries |
Total No. Households |
With children |
Without children |
|
FBWS-001 |
90 |
90 |
80 |
10 |
|
FBWS-002 |
680 |
200 |
177 |
23 |
|
FBWS-003 |
515 |
186 |
94 |
92 |
|
FBWS-004 |
24 |
12 |
4 |
8 |
|
FBWS-005 |
274 |
113 |
53 |
60 |
|
FBWS-006 |
197 |
98 |
42 |
56 |
|
FBWS-007 |
689 |
557 |
321 |
236 |
|
FBWS-008 |
85 |
35 |
15 |
20 |
|
FBWS-009 |
152 |
50 |
31 |
19 |
|
FBWS-010 |
731 |
329 |
127 |
202 |
|
FBWS-011 |
62 |
43 |
28 |
15 |
|
FBWS-012 |
|
88 |
31 |
57 |
|
FBWS-013 |
720 |
301 |
252 |
49 |
|
FBWS-014 |
105 |
31 |
16 |
15 |
|
Totals |
4324 |
2133 |
1271 |
862 |
4.8 Period 2 (January 2022 – March 2022)
|
Reference |
Beneficiaries |
Total Households |
With children |
Without children |
|
FBWS-001 |
45 |
45 |
1 |
44 |
|
FBWS-002 |
220 |
150 |
123 |
27 |
|
FBWS-003 |
162 |
20 |
13 |
7 |
|
FBWS-004 |
356 |
136 |
64 |
72 |
|
FBWS-005 |
892 |
79 |
52 |
27 |
|
FBWS-006 |
753 |
71 |
28 |
43 |
|
FBWS-007 |
1034 |
1034 |
310 |
724 |
|
FBWS-008 |
1278 |
582 |
208 |
374 |
|
FBWS-009 |
39 |
11 |
5 |
6 |
|
FBWS-010 |
583 |
273 |
138 |
135 |
|
FBWS-011 |
18 |
23 |
12 |
11 |
|
FBWS-012 |
159 |
48 |
111 |
|
|
FBWS-013 |
260 |
64 |
50 |
14 |
|
FBWS-014 |
1520 |
1281 |
85 |
1196 |
|
Totals |
7,160 |
3,928 |
1,137 |
2,791 |
4.9 Period 3 (April 2022 – June 2022)
|
Reference |
Beneficiaries |
Total Households |
With children |
With Pension |
Other |
|
FBS-001 |
75 |
45 |
20 |
10 |
15 |
|
FBS-002 |
471 |
471 |
7 |
464 |
0 |
|
FBS-003 |
190 |
82 |
58 |
9 |
15 |
|
FBS-004 |
1055 |
380 |
201 |
12 |
167 |
|
FBS-005 |
282 |
42 |
23 |
1 |
18 |
|
FBS-006 |
650 |
288 |
89 |
44 |
155 |
|
FBS-007 |
63 |
63 |
30 |
33 |
0 |
|
FBS-008 |
1100 |
226 |
121 |
54 |
51 |
|
FBS-009 |
1750 |
501 |
390 |
68 |
43 |
|
FBS-010 |
201 |
93 |
38 |
13 |
42 |
|
FBS-011 |
980 |
325 |
260 |
32 |
33 |
|
FBS-012 |
14 |
14 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
|
FBS-013 |
awaiting data return |
||||
|
FBS-014 |
18 |
18 |
0 |
14 |
4 |
|
Totals |
6831 |
2530 |
1237 |
740 |
553 |
4.10 Qualitative feedback from projects
In addition to the quantitative measures above, qualitative feedback has also been collected from the organisations. Issues highlighted include:
· The cost-of-living crisis has compounded the issues that were already prevalent because of Covid-19. People who would not traditionally seek help are coming forwards and asking for help.
· The impact of the increased cost of living and in particular fuel costs (transport and heating) in a rural area is a primary concern for people and is driving more demand
· Increases in people coming to project who are experiencing increasing debt (e.g. rent arrears accrued during the pandemic) and seeking advice on budget management
· Information / support to cook healthy meals
· Increasing numbers of families who are experiencing financial instability for the first time
· People presenting with a range of challenges and needs such as those on low incomes both families and individuals, people with addiction issues, people experiencing isolation
· Particular issues in budgeting for bulk purchases of oil where there are no options to spread payments through the year
5.0 Other Support Available
5.1 In addition to support from food banks and other food support providers, people experiencing food or fuel insecurity are also able to access other services such as the North Yorkshire Local Assistance Fund (NYLAF), support from the Council funded ‘Warm and Well’ service, free school meals for eligible families and Household Support Fund direct awards.
5.2 NYLAF has seen an increase in applications over the past three years. There are steady increases across each District.
5.3 Comparative figures for Quarter 1 (April – June) for past three years:
|
Q1 2020/21 |
Q1 2021/22 |
Q1 2022/23 |
|
|
Craven |
60 |
91 |
150 |
|
Hambleton |
172 |
109 |
193 |
|
Harrogate |
249 |
366 |
473 |
|
Richmondshire |
78 |
78 |
108 |
|
Ryedale |
113 |
131 |
244 |
|
Scarborough |
707 |
717 |
1,111 |
|
Selby |
107 |
117 |
244 |
6.0 Food Insecurity Research and Insight
6.1 Following the transition from the pandemic emergency response phase to the recovery phase, the Council jointly commissioned a piece of work with City of York Council to better understand the role and effectiveness of the various types of food support programmes operating across the region.
6.2 This piece of work includes both a review of the national research being undertaken on these issues and carrying out primary research with local food support organisations and people experiencing food insecurity. The research is due to report initial findings in October 2022.
7.0 Recommendations
7.1 Members are asked to note the introductory report and to consider whether they wish to undertake a further in depth scrutiny review.
Report Author:
Marie-Ann Jackson
Head of Stronger Communities
31 August 2022
Annex A
Food Support - Typology of Providers
|
Examples |
|
|
waste as the driver |
Community Fridges (various across county) |
|
|
Community Pantries (various across county) |
|
|
|
|
Social Supermarkets |
|
|
|
Community Kitchens |
|
|
Community Cafes |
|
Community Shops |
|
|
|
|
|
Hot and ready made meals |
Meals on Wheels - hot food delivery |
|
|
Pre-made meals for heating at home |
|
|
|
|
Food Shopping and delivery |
Food Parcels / Food Share |
|
|
Supermarket donations for local charitites |
|
|
Supermarket vouchers - Household Support Fund/NYLAF |
|
|
Food Hampers - local VCSE deliveries to families |
|
|
Personal shopping - as provided by CSOs during covid but based on full cost recovery |
|
|
|
|
Food as part of wider support services |
Integrated support by a 'key worker' that may include information, advice and signposting provided by some food projects e.g. NYLAF agents, cookery classes, debt counselling |
|
|
|
|
Public sector interventions |
Free school meals |
|
|
Breakfast clubs etc. |
|
|
|
|
Food Infrastructure support |
Grants for storage, premises, equipment (eg freezers), transport, volunteer expenses |
|
|
|
|
Collective community measures |
Local place based food alliances |
|
|
Food networks |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Preventative / Education |
|
|
(some linked to other issues) |
Phunky Foods cooking courses |
|
|
School Improvement - healthy eating measures/recipe cards |
|
|
Lunch Clubs - various across county |
|
|
Community growing/gardening/allotments |
|
|
Community Cafes |