Agenda item

To consider the following motions:

 

1.  Calling on the government to end child food poverty

2.  End our cladding, external wall fire review form EWS1 and snagging scandal

3.  Care full pay campaign

4.  The future of transport in Southwark

5.  Campaign to join a trade union in light of Covid-19

6.  Misogyny as a Hate Crime

7.  Supporting the Albrighton Community Fridge

MOTION 1: Calling on the government to end child food poverty

 

This motion was considered prior to the guillotine having fallen.

 

Councillor Karl Eastham, seconded by Councillor Margy Newens, moved the motion.

 

There was one amendment to the motion.  Amendment B was moved by Councillor Victor Chamberlain, and seconded by Councillor Anood Al-Samerai.

 

Following debate (Councillors Jasmine Ali, Sunny Lambe, William Houngbo, James McAsh, Dora Dixon-Fyle, Humaira Ali, Vikki Mills and Jason Ochere), Amendment B was put to the vote and declared to be lost.

 

The motion was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

Note: This motion will be referred as a recommendation to the cabinet for consideration.

 

1.  Council Assembly notes that:

 

a.  10% of children in the UK are reported by UNICEF to be living in households affected by severe food insecurity.

 

b.  Southwark Council was one of the first councils to extend Free School Meals into the October half term in order to combat holiday hunger, after a parliamentary vote where Conservative MPs decided against funding them.

 

c.  As of 8 November 2020 the Government has now reversed their previous position on Free School Meals and agreed to fund them for Easter, Summer and Christmas in 2021 as part of their Holiday Activities and Food programme, after the #endchildfoodpoverty campaign led by Marcus Rashford and the Child Food Poverty Taskforce.

 

d.  Free School Meals has been a flagship Southwark Labour policy for 10 years, despite opposition from local Liberal Democrat councillors.

 

2.  Council Assembly thanks:

 

a.  Marcus Rashford and the Child Food Poverty Taskforce for highlighting this important issue and working to #endchildfoodpoverty, at a time of rising job insecurity and financial worry due to Covid-19.

 

b.  The fellow local authorities, businesses and community groups that have stepped up to provide meals over the October half term.

 

3.  Council Assembly calls on Cabinet to:

 

a.  Lobby government to ensure that local authorities have sufficient funding to provide Free School Meals to all children who need them in the school holidays.

 

b.  Join forces with Marcus Rashford, the Child Food Poverty Taskforce, and other local authorities to request that the government expand free school meals to all under-16s where a parent or guardian is in receipt of Universal Credit or equivalent benefit.

c.  Call on government to bring forward and implement the planned long term strategy to combat child food poverty, following the welcome short term decisions set out on 8 November 2020. 

 

MOTION 2:End our cladding, EWS1 and snagging scandal

 

This motion was considered prior to the guillotine having fallen.

 

Councillor Humaira Ali, seconded by Councillor Graham Neale, moved the motion.

 

There was one amendment to the motion.  Amendment C was moved by Councillor Tom Flynn, and seconded by Councillor Sarah King.

 

Following debate (Councillors Richard Livingstone, Victor Chamberlain and Andy Simmons), Amendment C was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

The motion was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

Note: This motion will be referred as a recommendation to the cabinet for consideration.

 

1.  Council Assembly notes that:

 

a.  Following the human tragedy of the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire taking 72 lives, which is attributed to Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding, this has rightfully led to a focus on fire safety in buildings across the country.

 

b.  The Government banned the use of all combustible materials on the walls of new high rises in November 2018^[1] meaning the problem has now extended beyond ACM cladding to buildings decorated with other materials that could be flammable - including balconies, and wooden panels.  However, it did not legislate for building owners to take action or provide sufficient compensation funds to cover all situations.

 

c.  In parallel, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the UK Council of Mortgage Lenders agreed the industry External Wall System fire review and certification process resulting in what is known as an EWS1 form. Only circa 300 professional fire safety engineers nationally are qualified to issue these whilst demand is high - creating a bottleneck across the country including in Southwark.

 

d.  Without an EWS1 form, many lenders are now refusing to provide mortgages and many leaseholders are having to battle with owners to obtain one. Remediation costs are also skyrocketing in the £100,000s and many owners are forcing this back on leaseholders via financially ruinous service charges – including for those in shared ownership.

 

e.  Subsequently, residents and leaseholders through no fault of their own are being left in potentially ruinous limbo unable to mortgage properties, re-mortgage and therefore unable to buy and sell. Additionally residents are living in fear in homes with no idea if they are safe.  This is fundamentally holding up people’s lives, costing our residents money they shouldn’t have to pay and leaving a huge mental health impact.

 

f.  Previous to 21 November 2020, the ESW1 form was intended for use with high rises (18m or higher), yet Southwark saw an increasing demand of this being requested for almost all types of buildings, regardless of height or construction type.

 

2.  Council Assembly also notes that:

 

a.  The cladding issue is symptomatic of a wider problem of lack of national legislature for snagging in new build blocks -- snagging meaning the process of checking a new building for faults that need to be rectified -- a process that has been deregulated by a Conservative government. Snagging is largely left to the responsibility of the residents to take up with the developer post purchase.

 

b.  Snagging of new build buildings (both the private and shared areas) can cause much angst for private and affordable housing leaseholders.  Even when financially covered by new build insurance schemes such as the National Housing Building Council (NHBC) certification, leaseholders and residents associations often suffer poor response and cycles of poor quality repairs without solving underlying problems. 

 

c.  Councillor casework regularly contains issues around build quality along with a lack of accountability with the house builders. There are signs of much misery and impact on health and well-being for Southwark residents living with issues due to snagging.

 

3.  Council Assembly asserts that:

 

a.  The combination of this cladding, EWS1 and snagging scandal is having an impact on many Southwark residents. In order to tackle this, the Council has created a Building Safety Board (BSB) Chaired by Michael Scorer, Strategic Director of Housing, and including the LFB Borough Commander of Southwark. The Board’s remit is to provide residents of Southwark with guidance on the EWS1 process, a progress tracker of private and social housing blocks in the borough, as well as an opportunity for residents to log complaints for the Building Safety Board to pick up and action.

 

b.  Southwark has currently employed one Fire Engineer to look at a pilot of 5 buildings who have enquired about EWS1 forms (out of a total 40 current enquiries). Unfortunately due to the large fees which can be offered by the private sector to prioritise their buildings, recruitment and retainment of staff in the public sector has been difficult. 

 

c.  The current industry EWS1 process and public funding of remediation works is not fit for purpose and needs rapid attention to unblock the mortgage process. The Government has largely adopted a ‘hands-off’ approach and insisted that making properties safe is the responsibility of building owners.

 

d.  The Cabinet have taken significant steps to lobbying government in this area; Leader of the Council Cllr Kieron Williams has met with the Minister for Building Safety and Communities to discuss cladding, and with the London Councils Lead for Housing Cllr Darren Rodwell to facilitate exchanging and sharing of intelligence to support the Council’s lobbying commitment on this issue.

 

e.  Cllr Kieron Williams has also written to Christopher Pincher MP, the Housing Minister, and the RICS setting out Southwark’s concerns about EWS1 surveys and asking for a better deal for Southwark leaseholders.

 

f.  Southwark has updated the Council Plan to reflect the important work the council is doing on this issue and will continue to do over the coming months.

 

g.  The council has signed up to the cross-party End Our Cladding Scandal campaign, registering our support and signing the related petition.

 

h.  That as a result of sustained lobbying, as of the 21st November the government has announced that only buildings with cladding will require an EWS1 form, which is expected to significantly reduce the number of buildings in Southwark requiring a survey.

 

4.  Council Assembly therefore calls on Cabinet to:

 

a.  Commit to working with MHCLG and LFB to ensure any non-compliant non council owned buildings in the borough are dealt with in accordance with our enforcement powers. Southwark has already appointed a Lead Officer for All Buildings in the Borough to lead on this. 

 

b.  Commit to the creation of a web based cladding FAQ and reporting platform in the New Year to provide assistance to Southwark residents so they are able to lodge complaints to the council for consideration.

 

c.  Work with the government, in light of their announcement of nearly £700,000  to train more assessors, to speed up the valuation process for homeowners in cases where an EWS1 form is required. According to government this training will be delivered by RICS from January and will  mean up to 200 additional  assessors will be qualified to carry out the EWS1 assessment within a month, 900 within three months, and 2,000 within six months.

 

d.  Lobby all private building owners and Housing Associations in Southwark to act immediately in rectifying issues and achieve EWS1 certification when required – noting that some of these owners may not be the original developer and therefore will need the Council’s assistance to engage and trace such developers or other routes to remedy to avoid any cost to their Leaseholders.

 

e.  Lobby and work with the MPs, MHCLG and the Mayor of London to:

 

·  Devolve powers to Southwark Council in order to have jurisdiction over enforcing remediation of housing of all tenures and to obtain local control over the relevant compensation funds from the Government for Southwark so the Council can actively support affected residents in Southwark of all tenures.

·  Grant additional government funding to support additional powers and further speed up remedial cladding works across the country.

·  Adopt the sensible recommendations of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee that the EWS1 process could be reformed to urgently revise and implement a process (at no cost to leaseholders) that offers clarity to lenders, insurers and peace of mind for homeowners and buyers to re-instate re-mortgaging and property sales provided there is no immediate danger.

·  Adopt the 10 asks of the End Our Cladding Scandal campaign.

 

MOTION 3:Care full pay campaign

 

The guillotine having fallen, the motion was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

Note: This motion will be referred as a recommendation to the cabinet for consideration.

 

1.  Council Assembly notes:

 

a.  That Southwark Council was one of the first local authorities to sign up to Unison’s Ethical Care Charter, ensuring better working conditions for home care workers and a better quality of care for residents. The Charter ensures that:

·  Care workers are paid travel time between appointments.

·  Every home care worker is given the opportunity to take up a guaranteed hours contract.

·  Care workers are always paid at least the independently calculated London Living Wage.

·  Care visits are long enough that care workers are able to carry out their duties with compassion.

 

b.  That Southwark Council plans to build on the Ethical Care Charter through development of a Residential Care Charter and is currently consulting care home staff, residents and carers on this proposal.

 

c.  The GMB union has now launched its Care Full Pay campaign calling for full occupational sick pay for residential social care staff with the aim of persuading care providers and Government that full sick pay is one of the most effective forms of infection prevention in care homes.  The main objectives being

·  Full occupational sick pay for those working in residential social care. 

·  Covid-19 full sick pay as a step to full sick pay. 

·  Promote full sick pay as an infection control measure.

 

d.  The UK has one of the lowest levels of Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) in Europe. Over time, the value of the payment has been eroded, and it now equates to around a fifth of median earnings. The April 2020 SSP rate is £95.85 per week.

 

e.  According to the 2020 Vivaldi study, 77 per cent of care home workers received SSP-only (and a further 7 per cent did not receive any sick pay coverage).

 

2.  This council understands that:

 

a.  A strong body of emerging evidence links inadequate sickness pay to higher infection rates, and a reluctance to return to work including:

·  The initial findings of the Vivaldi study include tentative evidence that ‘in care homes where staff receive sick pay, there are lower levels of infection in residents.

·  A recent survey of furloughed and non-furloughed workers found that ‘workers without employer-provided sick pay have a significantly lower willingness to pay to return to work,’ and also that ‘workers without additional sick pay are significantly more likely to continue to work even with mild coronavirus symptoms.’

·  In Spain, a reduction in the generosity of sick pay arrangements was associated with ‘huge increases in both the proportion of relapses and working accidents rates.’

 

b.  A GMB survey of nearly 1000 social care workers found that:

·  77 per cent of care workers said they would be inclined to return to work before they were ready if they were on SSP.

·  80 per cent of respondents said they would be forced to borrow off family or friends to make ends meet if they were put on SSP.

c.  There are significant long-term challenges for the care workforce. There are an estimated 120,000 vacancies in the sector, and 800,000 frontline care workers are receiving less than the real living wage.

 

3.  This council resolves to:

 

a.  Express its public support for GMB union’s Care Full Pay campaign.

 

b.  To continue to call on its care home providers to pay full occupational sick pay to its social care workforce and use allocated funds from the Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund to do this as a priority in the first instance.

 

c.  To continue to investigate how the Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund granted to the council in May and July 2020 was spent by care providers to ensure it has been spent on ensuring social care workers have full occupational sick pay, and ensure any funds not already spent are prioritised for ensuring full occupational sick pay. 

 

d.  To ensure all future funds allocated and administered through this council as part of the Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund encourage full sick pay as a priority.

 

e.  Raise this issue with our local MPs and encourage them to call on the government to strengthen guidance around ensuring full occupational sick pay is paid to social care workers that have to self-isolate, or have suspected symptoms of Covid-19 or awaiting a test.

 

f.  To encourage signatories on the GMB's Care Full Pay petition to Care Minister, Helen Whatley MP, available at www.gmb.org.uk/care-pay

 

g.  To move forward with development of the Council’s own Residential Care Charter to ensure that there is a long-term plan to support and strengthen our care workforce.

 

MOTION 4: The future of transport in Southwark

 

The guillotine having fallen, Amendment D was put to the vote and declared carried.  

 

The motion was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

Note: This motion will be referred as a recommendation to the cabinet for consideration.

 

1.  Council Assembly notes that:

 

a.  In April 2019, the Council published its ‘Movement Plan’ which marked a shift in focus towards transport as ‘movement’, renewing the emphasis on active travel and prioritising the most sustainable methods of transport. Southwark is now currently significantly above the national average for the percentage of residents who regularly walk and cycle, with 60% of residents choosing to do so 3 times a week or more, and 51% of residents 5 times a week or more.

 

b.  Fortunately, Southwark has benefited from many improvements in public transport infrastructure over the past 20 years which have helped residents travel more sustainably - including the complete transformation of London Bridge station, two additional tube stations for the Jubilee line at Bermondsey and Southwark, commissioning of the London Overground, Thameslink upgrades, transformation of Blackfriars station and improvements to Denmark Hill and Peckham Rye stations and extension of bus routes.

 

c.  Opportunities for cycling and walking have been improved by the Millennium Bridge and the creation and expansion of the cycle hire scheme, and the council has worked with TfL to deliver new cycling infrastructure such as Cycle Route 4.

 

d.  A key recommendation of Southwark’s Environment Scrutiny Air Quality report is to ‘Drive down total private vehicle usage over time so that by 2030 only a limited number of EV [electric] vehicles are in common use on Southwark roads’. In order to achieve this the Council has introduced 251 electric vehicle chargers in the borough, a step towards ensuring that every resident is within walking distance of a charging point.

 

e.  Southwark has also introduced a 20mph speed limit on all council-owned roads, created 20 School Streets and widened pavements for increased walking space; all measures which initiate behaviour change and encourage residents to reconsider their transport choices.

 

f.  Linked to this, the Council is currently developing the Low Traffic Southwark strategy which aims to radically reduce car travel, and therefore emissions, in the borough and enable a modal shift to walking and cycling. 

 

g.  Air quality throughout London continues to be a major issue, impacting on both residents’ immediate health and wider climate change. On a local level, Southwark has introduced engine idling fines, school air quality audits, and invested in many tree planting initiatives in an effort to improve air quality for all residents.

 

2.  Council Assembly also notes that:

 

a.  Public infrastructure improvements such as the Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf Bridge and the Bakerloo Line extension will support Southwark to reach air quality, road traffic, and active travel targets.

 

b.  The Canada Water master plan for the Rotherhithe peninsula - one of the largest regeneration programmes ever undertaken in Southwark would benefit from investment in public transport infrastructure such as the Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf bridge,  and increased capacity on the London Underground Jubilee line.

 

c.  The Old Kent Road area action plan also sets out an ambitious programme for housing, with 20,000 new homes (including at least 35% affordable homes). The Bakerloo Line Extension will support the delivery of over 10,000 of those new homes to be built (of which at least 2,500 will be social homes), and delivered more quickly.

 

3.  Council Assembly recognises:

 

a.  The huge budget challenge that TfL is facing, as one of the only city transport networks in the world which does not receive government funding to cover its operating costs. Ticket sales make up 70% of its income (compared to under 40% in other cities such as Paris and New York) and during the pandemic TfL has taken a large financial hit with stations closing, journeys falling by 90% and advertising revenue lost.

 

b.  That the government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda for the UK and its transport networks is welcomed, but should not be code for underinvesting in London transport.

 

c.  An efficient and properly funded London transport network is essential to ensure that the capital continues to contribute much more to the UK economy than it takes out – circa £30bn annually before Covid-19 – which in turn is redistributed for infrastructure projects in other regions.

 

d.  Southwark welcomes and will champion any transport infrastructure proposals which fit with the Council’s values and would provide environmental advantages.

 

e.  Therefore, Southwark is concerned at proposals  to ‘pause’ work on  Rotherhithe Bridge and the delay in seeking funding for the Bakerloo Line Extension; projects that would both improve life for Southwark residents and reap wider benefits.

 

f.  As part of a sustained campaign advocating for the Bakerloo Line Extension, the Leader of the Council Cllr Kieron Williams, Cabinet Members and local Councillors have written to Heidi Alexander (the Deputy Mayor of London for Transport) raising Southwark’s concerns about deprioritising the project, and will be meeting herself and Deputy Mayor Pipe at the GLA Growth Partnership board to update and discuss steps forward.

 

g.  Southwark Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors have raised objections to the Silvertown Tunnel proposal -- a proposal which would encourage road traffic and would therefore be at odds with Southwark, London, and national strategies to reduce road traffic for environmental reasons and encourage active travel.

 

4.  Council Assembly therefore calls on Cabinet to:

 

a.  Continue to lobby the Mayor of London and TfL leadership to de-prioritise the Silvertown tunnel project and instead prioritise the Bakerloo line extension and the Rotherhithe bridge.

 

b.  Lobby government, with the help of Southwark’s MPs, to provide adequate funding to TfL for the Bakerloo Line Extension, allowing South East London to ‘level up’ their transport infrastructure with the rest of London.

 

c.  Continue to act within their power to reduce road traffic, improve air quality and encourage active transport through the initiatives listed in the 2011 Transport Plan and the 2019 Movement Plan, and in particular to continue to commit fully to Low Traffic Southwark as a radical and transformative plan of action for Southwark’s streets.

 

d.  Continue to work with TfL, Councillors and communities across Southwark to work to improve public transport infrastructure across the borough in line with Southwark’s Movement Plan.

 

e.  Commit to working with neighbouring councils and strategic partnerships such as London Councils and Central London Forward to advocate for just investment in London transport networks which will support the capital, and therefore Southwark, to reach its sustainability goals.

 

MOTION 5: Campaign to join a trade union in light of Covid-19

 

The guillotine having fallen, the motion was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

Note: This motion will be referred as a recommendation to the cabinet for consideration.

 

1.  Council Assembly notes:

 

a.  That workplaces are the most common site of infection for Covid-19.

b.  According to the Resolution Foundation, over 1 in 3 (35%) of workers are concerned about Covid-19 transmission whilst doing their job.

c.  People on lower paid jobs are less likely to be able to work from home, increasing their risk of exposure to the virus.

 

2.  Council Assembly further notes:

 

a.  Research by the TUC shows that:

·  Workplaces with trade unions are safer: they have fewer cases of work-related illness, injury and fatalities.

·  Recognised trade unions have special rights to health and safety representatives, access to information from employers and involvement in the risk assessment processes.

·  Union members are likely to have better sick pay, which is vital for ensuring that staff self-isolate if they test positive.

·  Union members are likely to have a more secure job.

·  Union members are more likely to have control over their working hours, which makes it easier to juggle care responsibilities.

·  Workers in unionised workplaces get paid around 6.5% more than workers in similar non-unionised workplaces.

·  Unionised workplaces have smaller pay gaps between men and women.

 

3.  Council Assembly believes:

 

a.  That workers who are members of a trade union have greater protection from both Covid-19 and from its associated economic damage.

b.  Workers who are members of a trade union have greater employment rights beyond the pandemic.

 

4.  Council Assembly calls on the cabinet to:

 

a.  raise awareness of the support trade unions can offer in the workplace.

 

MOTION 6: Misogyny as a Hate Crime

 

The guillotine having fallen, Amendment E was put to the vote and declared lost.  

 

The motion was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

Note: This motion will be referred as a recommendation to the cabinet for consideration.

 

1.  Council Assembly notes: 

 

a.  That the Law Commission is currently reviewing all current hate crime legislation to consider whether any additional characteristics, including misogyny, should be granted legal protection, and is due to report back to Parliament in 2020. Misogyny is not currently recorded as a hate crime by the vast majority of police forces in the UK, outside of a handful of trial areas.

 

b.  That, like women and girls across the country, residents of Southwark suffer harassment and abuse every single day. A YouGov national survey in 2016 showed that 85% of women aged 18-24 were subjected to sexual harassment in public.

 

c.  The adoption of misogyny as a hate crime was successfully implemented in Nottingham, where analysis showed an increase in reporting as well as an increase in the use of wider services. It also showed the vast majority of local people wanted the scheme to continue.

 

d.  Studies have shown that the intersectional nature of discrimination means that women with additional protected characteristics, such as those who are BAME, disabled or LGBT+, are even more likely to experience harassment, discrimination and abuse.

 

2.  Council Assembly thanks:

 

a.  Campaigners across the country including Citizens UK, Hope Not Hate, Southall Black Sisters, Tell MAMA UK, the Fawcett Society and Stella Creasy MP who have worked hard to further this campaign.

 

3.  Council Assembly further notes:

 

a.  That Southwark Council has previously passed a cross-party motion on Promoting Equality and Valuing Diversity, which includes recognition of misogyny as a hate crime and looks to promote equality through school education and the launching of an updated equality and diversity standard (which we are currently in the process of doing).

 

b.  That has part of the Hate Crime Strategy, the Council has committed to petitioning the government to change the law to introduce ‘gender’ as a new category of protected characteristic, and to make misogyny a form of hate-crime.

 

c.  That London’s Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan has also backed calls for misogyny to be considered a hate crime.

 

4.  Council Assembly calls on Cabinet to:

 

a.  Make a submission to the Law Commission’s Consultation at the earliest opportunity in favour of strengthening hate crime legislation and making misogyny a hate crime, now that the commission has opened.

 

b.  Continue to call on the Government to:

·  listen to the lived experience of women and girls across our country and to urgently act on any recommendations the commission makes to strengthen the law on hate crime, and to reform legislation around harassment to recognise as an offence a ‘course of conduct’ which targets women and girls in their community.

·  provide the resources and funding for police forces across the UK to effectively tackle harassment, misogyny and domestic abuse.

 

c.  Call on the Metropolitan Police to record harassment of women as a hate crime, following successful trials in Nottingham and elsewhere.

 

MOTION 7: Supporting Southwark food banks into the next decade

 

The guillotine having fallen, Amendment F was put to the vote and declared carried.  

 

The motion was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

Note: This motion will be referred as a recommendation to the cabinet for consideration.

 

1.  Council Assembly notes, congratulates and thanks:

 

a.  Southwark’s food banks and their partners who are an essential part of provision of support to the most vulnerable in our community - whether independently run by volunteers, tenants and residents associations, as well as those supported by the Council’s recent Community Hub programme.

 

b.  The excellent work of all Southwark Building Services staff, Southwark Food banks and their partners throughout the Covid-19 pandemic who have delivered more than 25,000 meals to those in need.

 

c.  The Community hub’s eight incredible organisations Pecan, Pembroke House, Albrighton Community Centre, Central Southwark Community Hub, St George the Martyr, Time and Talents, Paxton Green and Lewington. 

 

d.  The efforts of regional charities such as the London Food Alliance supporting access to surplus food and fridges, as well as local businesses Fooditude, Bermondsey Employment Skills and Training and London based environmental charity Hubbub who have pivoted to provide access to equipment or cooked meals to supplement food parcels.

 

e.  The particular work of the Albrighton Community Fridge, run by volunteers from the Albrighton Community Centre in Champion Hill ward.

 

2.  Council Assembly further notes:

 

a.  The massive increase in the numbers of those who have applied to Southwark’s food banks across the borough for support since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, and the ongoing need for food support services which are provided to so many Southwark residents.

 

b.  Under this Conservative Government, poverty is expected to continue to rise in Southwark as the impact of Brexit hits on top of the devastation to our community from the Covid-19 pandemic, and continued issues for those with no recourse to public funds.

 

3.  Council Assembly calls upon Cabinet to:

 

a.  Continue implementing the 16 recommendations regarding the future of the Southwark Community Hub as per its October 2020 Cabinet report^[2] to transform it into the Southwark Community Support Alliance, not just as an offer of emergency support, but also to achieve a long-term step change in the way we support those most in need in our community together.  

 

b.  Recommit to the recommendations in its September 2020 Cabinet report^[3] regarding scaling up more “Community run low cost food projects” where it noted that “Partners in Southwark share a long-term aim to end food insecurity and poverty and the need for foodbanks” and the “strong interest in collaborating to develop more affordable community run food options” and to build on the range of initiatives already happening across the borough – working through the Southwark Food Action Alliance to develop options for affordable food provision that support people’s dignity and independence (including community supermarkets, pantries etc), linked to the review of the food security plan.

 

c.  Continue to work with organisations like the Albrighton Community Fridge, other food banks and similar support services and to provide as much financial and “in kind” support as practically possible to enable them to support Southwark residents and those in our borough with no recourse to public funds facing financial hardship at this time.

 

d.  Continue to lobby government for increased funding for Southwark food banks as part of any future submission on the financial needs of Southwark Council for the remainder of this financial year, 2021/22 and as needed into the next decade.