Southwark Financial Inclusion Forum

Strategy

2010

Introduction

The forum was launched in November 2007 in response to the need to tackle problems of poverty and debt in the Borough, which are increasing due to the current recession.

The forum won a Government Office for London Compact award in 2009 as an example of effective partnership working between the voluntary and statutory sector.

The forum is facilitated by Southwark Legal Advice Network (SLAN) which builds on the existing Southwark Community Legal Services Partnership. SLAN aims to link more effectively with statutory services and ensure that the wider community sector is able to make effective referrals to legal advice providers.

Southwark Citizens Advice Bureaux Service is the lead partner and employs a development manager and a part time administrator who co-ordinate the work of the Southwark Financial Inclusion Forum.

Contact

Or Sally Causer SLAN Development Manager on 07958749241

Financial Inclusion Forum Partners include: The DWP Financial Inclusion Champion, representatives from the Financial Service Authority, Blackfriars Advice Centre, Southwark CAB Service, Contact a Family, representatives from Housing Associations, representatives from Southwark Council departments, including, Housing Options, Community Engagement, Revenue and Benefits, Policy , Council Tax, Home Ownership and Trading Standards, and Southwark Credit Union.

The key aims of the Southwark Financial Inclusion Forum are:

·  To ensure that local residents have access to high quality debt and welfare benefits advice

·  To ensure residents have access to affordable credit and banking services

·  To promote savings, and the ability to cope with unexpected expenses.

·  To develop financial education to help local residents avoid financial crisis, and help to remove barriers to returning to education, training and employment

·  To work with other appropriate agencies in the Borough to tackle unemployment

·  To share experiences and resources such as lessons learnt about effective delivery models and training materials

·  To support and encourage agencies) to engage with this area of work and initiate/extend financial advice/ capability programmes

·  To form new financial inclusion partnerships

·  To make effective linkages to developing areas of policy and local delivery in the regions – such as that relating to the Treasury’s Financial Inclusion Fund, local authority Community Strategies or the work of Local Strategic Partnerships.

·  To contribute to local policy including demonstrating the importance of financial inclusion to meeting national indicators

The forum meets on a bi monthly basis and the meetings are open to all organisations in the community who are involved in providing, or funding financial advice and education services, or who are interested in developing these areas of work.

The first phase of the SLAN website www.southwarkadvice.org.uk went live in 2010 This provides up to date information about advice services in the Borough and links to a range of self help information such as Moneymadeclear, Adviceguide and directgov.

It is envisaged that phase 2 of the website, the area for advisers and community agencies will be developed by September 2010. This will include on line forums, social policy area and information about meetings and events. The website will be updated on a monthly basis, with a full review every 6 months.

The Treasury Definition of Financial inclusion

Ensuring that everyone has access to appropriate financial services and products and that they have the skills and confidence to choose them and use them, enabling them to manage their money , plan for the future , cope with financial pressure and deal effectively with financial distress.

Financial Exclusion in Southwark

The DWP report on areas of financial exclusion ranks census wards upon the overall levels of financial exclusion likely to prevail. Indicators include: income, outstanding borrowing and proportion of household income spent on fuel. Wards are ranked between 1 and 7, with 7 being the most excluded. On this basis 17 wards in Southwark score 5 or over.

The role of the DWP Financial Inclusion Champion

The DWP Financial Inclusion Champion for South East London, Debbie Morey is based at Blackfriars Advice Centre, and works closely with the forum. The key aims of the 2 year Champions project which ends in March 2011 are to drive forward the Government’s Financial Inclusion objectives and to leave a lasting legacy of Financial Inclusion.

Objective / National and local initiatives / Future Action / Review October 2010
To avoid repossessionfor rent arrears / Referral protocol developed between VS debt providers and Housing Options
Blackfriars Advice Centre provide outreach advice sessions with Housing Options
CAB setting up outreach debt advice sessions with Hyde and Peabody Housing Associations
Information about advice agencies goes to all Southwark Tenants in rent arrears with the second letter / Closer links to be developed with other Housing Associations
Training on basic debt advice and referrals to advice agencies to be provided for services such as Housing Options, and the one Stop Shops.
SLAN website to be promoted with community agencies
Develop website links
Develop closer links with Housing Benefit department
To assist homeowners including leaseholders to avoid losing their homes due to mortgage or service charge arrears / Mortgage rescue schemes run by Housing Options in partnership with Blackfriars Advice Centre
CAB Advice for leaseholders
Southwark Home Ownership Unit attend Forum / Ensure that information about the mortgage rescue schemes are widely available for the public and for community organisations.
Pilot scheme to assist Aylesbury leaseholders in financial difficulty
To alleviate some of the problems of fuel poverty / Blackfriars have fuel poverty worker providing information on benefits and grants available
A Keep Warm keep Well Partnership has been formed jointly co-ordinated by Southwark Energy Strategy Department and SLAN
Funding has been received from Scottish Power to raise awareness of debt advice and help with fuel costs particularly with BAMER communities
Southwark Energy Strategy team overseeing home visits to approximately 800 households in Bermondsey. Southwark Advice Network provided information about referrals to advice agencies for debt and benefit advice and basic benefit entitlement information
OFGEM have developed a toolkit Energy Best Deal aimed at advising people how they might shop around for the best deal and ensuring they are aware of schemes to help with difficulties in paying fuel bills / Events are planned for the period October 2010- March 2011
Develop a range of material in community languages.
Review the effectiveness of the home visits
To reduce levels of Council tax debt and enforcement proceedings in the Borough / Council Tax department attend Forum / The CAB are piloting Council Tax advice clinics working with pro bono Solicitors May- July 2010
Work with Southwark Council to develop best practice protocols for collection of council tax
To ensure that financial inclusion is embedded in the main council strategies including the LAA, and regeneration agendas. / Funding for advice & legal services.
SLAN Advice Strategy to include issues of Financial Inclusion
Tackling Child Poverty
Contact a Family attend the forum
Southwark Works – reducing unemployment
Joint Team benefit maximisation for people aged 60+
Southwark Health Inequalities Strategy produced / Ensure that SLAN responds to local consultations and raises issues of financial inclusion
Launch strategy July 2010
BAC providing Financial Capability sessions in Children’s centres
Work with appropriate statutory bodies to ensure that initiatives to reduce Child Poverty are commissioned
Representative of Children’s Services to be invited to the forum
Develop closer relations between advice providers and Southwark works and Job Centre +
Ensure representatives are invited to forum meetings.
Ensure that people are aware of changes in the provision of welfare benefits advice in the Borough and the personalisation of care.
To work with the health sector to ensure that objectives in the strategy are met.
Promote access to Affordable credit – local provision of alternatives to high cost lending – / The forum has provided an opportunity for closer partnership working between the CU and advice agencies including more effective referrals
Trading Standards Illegal Money lending project has launched / Funding has been secured from the DWP Now Lets Talk Money project. Events will be held to publicise the services provided by Southwark Credit Union
June 1010- March 2011
Ensure this service is publicised locally and that regular information is provided to members about the project
To promote savings / Savings Gateway launches 2010 / Events to be held June 2010 – March 2011 to promote the Credit Union services.
Ensure information about this is available locally and that the scheme is promoted.
To ensure access to money / debt advice & financial capability support, particularly targeted at disadvantaged groups / Consumer Financial Education Body (formally FSA) Money Made Clear programme sessions are being held at BAC, Peckham CAB and in the Libraries.
Local Leaflet ‘You and Your Money produced / To help publicise the sessions, review the effectiveness of sessions and be aware of developments in Money Guidance.
To be updated by September 2010
Explore additional funding for debt advice to work with victims of domestic violence, and people attending magistrates court hearings. Review groups we should be targeting, and membership of the forum by October 2010

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