Voice of the families
The Voice of Families is an ongoing project to design services to meet the needs of our communities ensuring that those directly affected by poverty had a say in the new services being designed. This was done using existing relationships with local people and established a working group in all localities of interested parties.
This gave local people the opportunity to discuss poverty related issues which then helped to inform and implement positive strategies for improvement. From this work a key challenge was raised from a local parent. The parent was unhappy about being asked to make financial contributions for events at the school e.g. dress down days.
Parent A disclosed her partner had left without warning one day and did not return. They have three children aged 16, 8 and 3 and she was struggling to pay the bills and buy food. The parent was in financial crisis; was very emotional and at “breaking point”.
Due to lack of finance they had to choose between buying food or the child a Christmas present, they did not have enough money to do both. The school request for financial contributions from families made them feel that the child was “missing out” as they did not have a £1 to give or a Christmas jumper to put on him. The parent was embarrassed and humiliated by the way the school had offered (well-intended) support to the family (which included access to the Christmas Toy appeal and School Foodbank).
The member of staff dealing with the complaint was able to give the parent opportunity to discuss her worries and signposted to the agencies listed below:
- Food bank – a food package was delivered.
- Parental Employability Support Team – Contacted the parent the same day and held an initial discussion re how employment support could be offered.
- Signposted to the Welfare Rights benefits checker.
- Membership to the Social Supermarket was used to access £20 pay it forward vouchers to offer affordable food in a non-stigmatised way.
- The parent was informed of the £100 per child winter hardship payment provided by Scottish Government.
- Direct payments were made to provide lunch payments for the period of school holiday closure.
Immediate feedback from the parent from this support included:
“Having this call from The Parental Employability Team this afternoon I am full of hope for 2021 - I keep repeating the word you have said to me “it’s not a handout but a hand up. The problem is my mindset and possibly others too that stops us asking for or seeking help when so much in need…. If I now look at it from how you describe I do not feel so much shame as I know that if and when I am able I will be able to help keep others up along with me… Together we are stronger and alone we struggle.”
After Christmas the parent had agreed to be contacted to follow up on the progress in employability and assess impact of winter hardship payment and school meal direct payment. The direct payment had allowed them to go shopping for their child’s Christmas, it made a huge difference. Additional funding really took the pressure off and they had a lovely Christmas as a result. Other feedback from the group included:
“Thank you for taking the time to listen to me…no one ever does that”
“There is a fine line between sympathetic and condescending”
“Every mother wants to provide for her children, it’s a basic human instinct”
“I think staff need to know how to speak to people properly – dignity in collection”
How do you think it makes you feel having to ask for help with something which you should be able to provide yourself…?
Free Period Angus: Re-useable Products Campaign
Period poverty is set to be eradicated within Angus by the end of 2021, despite the challenges of COVID-19,
Within this reporting period ‘Free Period Angus’, part of the Scottish Government’s Period Poverty Campaign, has provided over 70,000 free products to girls and women throughout the area.
One in ten people in the UK cannot afford basic menstrual hygiene products and, in Angus, two/three in ten girls and women advised they were not attending school or work due to a lack of period products.
Having already distributed free period products to almost 200 community collection points across Angus, from sports centres and GP surgeries to shops and charities, the project team was forced to consider new and innovative ways to continue the momentum when COVID struck.
As a result, Angus Community Planning Partnership was one of the first in the UK to team up with ‘Hey Girls’ who post three months’ worth of products, including environmentally friendly reusable pads and cups, on behalf of Free Period Angus.
Free Period Angus is a true community led local project with regular sessions and surveys going out to local people to gauge demand and ask what would make the difference to them.
Period products are expensive. At up to £18 per month, they’re just another financial burden and, for many, one they simply cannot afford. Similarly, with disposable products a significant blight on the environment, reusable products are a brilliant alternative and really growing in popularity. Whether collecting them in town or ordering them online, anyone living in Angus can now get their period products for free.
With the project funded until at least the end of 2022, the team is on track to eradicate period poverty before the year is out. Free Period Angus has also teamed up with community group Sustainable Kirriemuir. This year alone, this collaboration has prompted requests from an additional 2,500 people throughout Angus for free, reusable products.
Having access to products delivered direct to me is a god send
I couldn’t afford cloth pads so this is a real help and I wouldn’t go back to disposables now
I was so ashamed that I couldn’t afford products, but I had to feed my child as a priority
I have missed work in the past and so glad this won’t be an issue - I was so embarrassed
Next: Income from Social Security Benefits and Benefits in Kind