Partnership has long been central to addressing poverty and inequality in Leeds. The council has set up a city-wide welfare board to link delivery partners across the public and voluntary sectors. Jo Rowlands, Financial Inclusion Manager, said:
“There is so much good work going on across many organisations. We, as a council, know there is a limit to what we can do, so we work with others who may be better placed to reach people.”
This can include the council facilitating networks and meetings, and actively attending groups facilitated by others. For example, there is a longstanding Leeds Food Aid Network which the council attends and supports but does not lead.
As the cost of living pressures took hold, the financial inclusion team conducted 18 one-to-one meetings with council services and external partners, including advice services, to take stock of their work and ask what was important to them. The result was a long list of shared themes and initiatives – at a time with no additional funding and reducing budgets. Amy Porter, Senior Policy Development Officer, said: “There are things we were doing that other services weren’t aware of, and vice versa. A huge part of the breakthrough project is about taking stock of what we’ve already got and really looking objectively at how to coordinate, collaborate and share knowledge and resources to maximum effect.”
Leeds City Council works with the Leeds Poverty Truth Commission and other local partners to ensure that views and learning from those with lived experience of poverty is incorporated. The financial inclusion team is keen to build on this approach, exploring ways to include a wide range of experiences – including residents who do not engage with services. Examples include supporting ‘deep poverty’ research by the University of Leeds.
The council is also working with private sector partners. A major electrical supplier based in Leeds offered to donate a regular supply of high-quality fridge freezers – returns that would otherwise be scrapped. An agreement is now in place for up to £52,000 worth of donated fridges to be provided each year, which can then be presented to local welfare support scheme (LWSS) customers and community organisations such as food aid providers.
Jo Rowlands said: “That is a perfect example of our ‘Best City’ ambition, which focuses around health and wellbeing, inclusive growth and moving towards ‘net zero’. It is socially conscious, links with business and the environment, and improves people’s health and wellbeing. We need to do more of that with businesses.”