{"id":167,"date":"2024-02-28T21:10:25","date_gmt":"2024-02-28T21:10:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyblue.org.uk\/foodinsecurity\/?page_id=167"},"modified":"2024-04-09T08:17:04","modified_gmt":"2024-04-09T08:17:04","slug":"communities-of-practice-cash-first","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.skyblue.org.uk\/foodinsecurity\/communities-of-practice-cash-first\/","title":{"rendered":"Community of Practice &#8211; Cash (Income)First Approaches"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>This community of practice (CoP) was hosted and filmed on the 15th of February 2024. It was organised to meet the demand from many Food Summit (21st September 2023) participants to learn more about \u2018cash first\u2019. It didn\u2019t disappoint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"NYY Community of Practice  Cash First Approaches 20240215 122723 Meeting Recording 1\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9vkVHh-tK7E?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/www.skyblue.org.uk\/foodinsecurity\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Cash-First-Presentation-Trussell-Trust-for-North-Yorkshire-and-York-Feb-2024-300x169.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-168\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.skyblue.org.uk\/foodinsecurity\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Cash-First-Presentation-Trussell-Trust-for-North-Yorkshire-and-York-Feb-2024-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.skyblue.org.uk\/foodinsecurity\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Cash-First-Presentation-Trussell-Trust-for-North-Yorkshire-and-York-Feb-2024.png 720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-file\"><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-7fb158d2-9d5a-4281-aef6-28836a03a2ce\" href=\"https:\/\/www.skyblue.org.uk\/foodinsecurity\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Cash-First-Presentation-Trussell-Trust-for-North-Yorkshire-and-York-Feb-2024.pptx\">Download Cash First Presentation &#8211; Trussell Trust for North Yorkshire and York &#8211; Feb 2024<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Description<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>This community of practice explores one of the key recommendations of the Food Insecurity Project launched at the Food Summit in September 2023, which encourages consideration of piloting cash first approaches in York and North Yorkshire. Research suggests that cash first approaches offer a different, more dignified, emergency response option compared to alternatives as they put money directly back into people\u2019s pockets, or bank accounts at a time when they need it the most \u2013 without conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the recording you will hear from our inspiring guest expert speaker, Laura Chalmers, The Trussell Trust\u2019s Area Manager for Yorkshire &amp; Humberside. Laura\u2019s presentation is also available here for download.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\"><em>\u201cWe are far busier than even during COVID.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As well as revealing some jaw-dropping statistics about the amount of food parcels and food aid support being provided before, during and since the pandemic, Laura also outlined a compelling vision for a UK without the need for food banks. Using data from The Trussell Trust, Laura was able to point to evidence that:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\"><em>\u201cWhen we put cash in people\u2019s pockets they don\u2019t go to foodbanks, but it\u2019s a short term respite rather than long term change to income to afford the essentials.\u201d&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The solution? It\u2019s a mix of complementary forces coming into play at once. An adequate national social security system; \u2018good\u2019 well paid employment so everyone can afford the essentials; complemented by a local safety net, where long-term funded crisis support has been agreed with local authorities by central government \u2013 so that food banks and food aid providers should be last resort.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\"><em>\u201cPeople come to Food Banks because they don\u2019t have enough income not because they don\u2019t have enough food.\u201d&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Laura pointed to the importance of recognising that in of itself cash first, or as she reflected might be more accurate to refer to as \u2018income first\u2019 approaches, do not address the root causes of poverty including food insecurity. This is why having wrap around support and advice is so crucial; but even if you manage to organise advisors in a food aid provision, whilst it can have tangible results for individuals that engage, it is still arguably not soon enough, it\u2019s reactive rather than preventative.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>But there is some cause for hope.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Laura\u2019s own experience of supporting Food Banks in the Yorkshire &amp; Humberside region with financial inclusion activity, whereby an advisor is in situ at the venue has helped individuals such that they don\u2019t need to keep coming back. She references the national picture:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\"><em>\u201cLast year (2023) we had \u00a319 billion of unclaimed benefits so as a first step let\u2019s ensure people get what they are entitled to right?\u201d&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moreover, looking at average visits to Food Banks in her region, Laura shared a less-heard statistic that should perhaps calm the nerves of those worried about creating dependencies rather than the conditions for individual resilience. She explained that the average was 1.7 visits per person.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\"><em>\u201cThe dependency is a tiny minority I would say. One of the helpful things we\u2019ve found is working with CAB who can help in the first visit: getting \u00a33,500-4,000 k back into their pockets through benefits entitlement.\u201c&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moreover, a pilot between The Trussell Trust and Leeds City Council over an 18 month period has been evaluated and has shown sufficient promise for that local authority to embed \u2018cash first\u2019 further in the future.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our thanks to Laura for a fascinating presentation and to all participants who asked wonderful questions, clearly demonstrating a curiosity for this topic. Please see the recording for more detailed insights captured from this CoP.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Want more inspiration?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is the Trussell Trust\u2019s podcast around the cash first work being done in Scotland between the council, food bank and citizens advice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/cash-first-approaches\/id1736023337?mc_cid=5d2da21ee7&amp;mc_eid=6cd5ccca0a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cash First Approaches on Apple Podcasts<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If you would like to explore the idea of piloting a cash-first \/ income-first approach with others in your area or want to find out more about this topic please contact&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:Adele.Wilson-Hope@northyorks.gov.uk\">Adele.Wilson-Hope@northyorks.gov.uk<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This community of practice (CoP) was hosted and filmed on the 15th of February 2024. It was organised to meet the demand from many Food Summit (21st September 2023) participants to learn more about \u2018cash first\u2019. It didn\u2019t disappoint. Description This community of practice explores one of the key recommendations of the Food Insecurity Project [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-167","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skyblue.org.uk\/foodinsecurity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skyblue.org.uk\/foodinsecurity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skyblue.org.uk\/foodinsecurity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skyblue.org.uk\/foodinsecurity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skyblue.org.uk\/foodinsecurity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=167"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.skyblue.org.uk\/foodinsecurity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/167\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":209,"href":"https:\/\/www.skyblue.org.uk\/foodinsecurity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/167\/revisions\/209"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skyblue.org.uk\/foodinsecurity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}