This year, ACVO worked in partnership with community groups and public sector bodies across the city, to design and secure a 2 year project focussed on improving the financial situation of individuals through direct cash payments as an alternative to emergency food in addition to wrap around support including financial advice.
Known as a Cash First approach, the project is well underway and forms part of the Scottish Government’s response to financial hardship and their stated aim of reducing the need for food banks in Scotland.
In addition, the network of local organisations are looking at existing referral pathways between support services across the third sector and the public sector with the aim of removing barriers which currently prevent people getting the right help at the right time. There is also ongoing work on pathways to additional support mechanisms for people experiencing crisis through addiction and other issues such as poor mental health.
This pilot project is a ‘test of change’ and includes a Flexible Crisis Fund aimed at single males between the age of 18 and 45 who are in receipt of Universal Credit who present at food banks in crisis.
We are often asked why.
Designing this project required narrow parameters given the funds available, the short time to complete the project and the requirement to provide strong evidence of impact within these limited resources. The project partners who operate food banks in the city identified that the chosen demographic was the most frequent users of emergency food provision within the city.
Additionally, many single males who are in receipt of Universal Credit are classed as destitute as they are on the lowest level of income and are the hardest demographic to support out of poverty due to the deep-rooted nature of issues often as a result of failure to succeed with early intervention approaches.
Young, single men are often seen as a notoriously difficult demographic to support because of several barriers including gender-based pride, stigma and societal attitudes. Many funding and wrap-around support services focus on ‘easier to reach’ groups, leaving a gap in the availability of funding and support opportunities to this demographic.
For this test of change, the partnership chose to try and reduce the depth and longevity of poverty for this demographic who are persistently known not to engage well with early-intervention support opportunities. If successful the programme could be expanded if funding becomes available. Valuable lessons are already being learned and new ways of working being developed.
