Dumfries And Galloway Council Covid-19 Sub-Committee To Consider Reports On The Financial Implications

Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Covid-19 sub-committee will consider reports on the financial implications of the Covid-19 emergency response, providing free school meals during the crisis, and supporting childcare providers.

The sub-committee will consider a summary of the main financial implications for the Council from its Covid-19 emergency response and an outline of arrangements in place to effectively manage these.

During the emergency, the services that the Council will require to best support the needs of people, communities and businesses will be subject to review and change. So, the position and figures in the report must be considered to be early estimates.

The sub-committee will be asked to note that:
• the arrangements the Council has in place to support periods of unanticipated expenditure;
• while resources are in place to address the initially estimated financial impact of the emergency response, these initial estimates will be subject to significant change during and after the emergency period;
• further updates of the overall financial implications of the Covid-19 response period will be brought to the Covid-19 sub-committee on at least a bi-monthly basis; and
• a fundamental reassessment of the Council’s financial position will be required towards the end of the emergency response period; and that this reassessment will need to be accompanied by a review of how best to support the Council’s priorities, with an increased focus on economic and social recovery.

Council Leader Elaine Murray said: “Our Council has a strong financial management framework, underpinned by budget setting principles and budgetary control arrangements. As a result, our Council is in a strong position to deal with instances of unexpected expenditure. However, the current circumstances represent an exceptional challenge and the financial implications are very significant.”

Depute Leader Rob Davidson said: “We expect that the significant additional expenditure on the likes of business support and rates relief, reduced council tax, social welfare and social care services will be funded fully by the Scottish Government. But, it will be vital that we monitor and manage the application of the amounts to ensure that the agreed criteria are accurately applied.”

The sub-committee will see details of arrangements the Council has put in place to provide free school meals for children and young people during the Covid-19 crisis and consider proposals for an enhanced model.

The sub-committee will be asked to
• note current arrangements for delivering free school meals during Covid-19;
• agree to a model, giving families 3 options for free school meals; and
• agree to evaluate the model to shape future arrangements for tackling poverty and inequalities and free school meals

Council Leader Elaine Murray said: “From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Council has been focussed on supporting our communities and citizens, particularly our most vulnerable, in line with our Council priorities. A key element of our response has been to ensure that our children and young people receive access to food 7 days a week. Following the decision by the Scottish Government to close schools, we implemented a model of delivery to ensure that families had access to high quality food and our regions children and young people would be fed throughout the pandemic until schools re-opened. This was important to ensure that we did not have children and young people experiencing food poverty.”

Depute Leader Rob Davidson said: “The feedback from families receiving Free School Meals has been very positive and our staff have shown great commitment to ensuring that our delivery model was swiftly put in place to support our children and young people. Adding a direct payment option fits with recommendations of The Scottish Child Poverty Action Group and our Council’s commitment to tackle poverty and inequalities. Giving families additional choice in how they receive access to free school meals would deliver greater flexibility to choose the option that best suits their needs. ”

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, one of the main research bodies on poverty describe putting cash direct to families as ‘one of single biggest leavers for addressing child poverty’.

Feedback from families includes:
• “I would like to thank everybody involved in the whole process of making and delivering these parcels”.

• “I received a parcel just a short while ago and the wife and I were emotionally overcome by the gesture, but more so by the fact that other people are risking their lives for the benefit of others. I know no suitable words to express our feelings at this time, overwhelmed is not sufficient. So, please pass our thanks and appreciation to all concerned.”

• “I wanted to thank you all involved in the provision of the school meals for my little boy. I have been so impressed by this service and the food provided. My wee boy was so excited to see some of his favourite meals and food from school. Thank you for making a difficult time more bearable.”

• “I just wanted to say how amazing the free school meal boxes were and how great it was to get delivered. I’m currently a student nurse who relies on a bursary and with my ex-husband not currently able to help out with any maintenance money, this is such a stress relief!! Thank you to all staff “

As a result of ongoing review of free school meals provision, It is now proposed that an enhanced approach retains the current two options of home delivery or collection of food packages from a school childcare hub and includes a further option of a direct payment to families:
Option 1 Home Delivery of Food Pack twice per week
Option 2 Collection of Food Pack from School Childcare Hub
Option 3 Direct payment to family of £17.50 per week (£2.50 per day)

The sub-committee will consider a report outlining the Council’s arrangements to support Childcare providers, both those who remain open and those who have closed.

The sub-committee will be asked to:
• note the Scottish Government position taken to ensure financial to support Early Learning and Childcare providers who closed their businesses; and
• agree the approach to support Early Learning and Childcare providers who have remained open to provide childcare for key workers

Council Leader Elaine Murray said: “The private providers and childminders who chose to remain open are playing an extremely important role in delivering flexibility in providing care for the children of key workers in Dumfries and Galloway, which is a crucial element of the region’s overall response to the Covid-19 emergency. These businesses have worked closely with the Council to ensure childcare for those providing front line roles, allowing parents to attend work, and deliver key roles in care, health, food production, and infrastructure, safe in the knowledge that their children are being cared for.”

Depute Leader Rob Davidson said: “While private providers and childminders will already be in receipt of term 4 payments for funded hours, it is important to recognise that these providers/childminders would have received these payments even if they had closed. It is, therefore, considered appropriate to offer an additional payment to recognise the important role played by the providers/childminders who continue to operate and who have played such a vital and valuable role during our emergency response to Covid-19.”