Ways to take action – August policy update
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“You give bread to a hungry person; but it would be better if none were hungry, so that you would have no need to give it away.”
St Augustine
Our charity’s vision is for an equal and just society, where the voices of people experiencing poverty, homelessness, discrimination and disadvantage are heard, valued and acted upon. Therefore, we’re committed to calling for meaningful change which will help them as they transform their lives with dignity.
We publish regular updates like this to raise awareness, keep you informed about campaigns and activities, and to let you know how you might be able to get involved.
Hopefully you’ll be inspired to actively participate and make a difference in your community. We’d love to hear from you if you do, so get in touch and let us know what you’ve been up to.
Welcoming Lord Khan of Burnley
Last month, we were delighted to welcome Lord Khan of Burnley, Minister for Faith, Communities and Resettlement to visit our charity and learn more about our work.
Lord Khan’s visit provided us with an opportunity to demonstrate how we, as a faith-based organisation, welcome and support people of all backgrounds at our services.
He met with one of our English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students who has gone on to volunteer with us, as well as speaking to people experiencing and at risk of homelessness visiting our Cornerstone centre.
A key part of our policy and advocacy work is highlighting to decision-makers the changes that are needed to help people experiencing poverty, homelessness, disadvantage and displacement, and sharing insights from our work in these areas.
As such, we were pleased to have the opportunity to discuss with Lord Khan how vital ESOL is for positive integration into communities, including as preparation for further education and employment, and how the demand currently outweighs the provision in Greater Manchester.
We shared our recommendations for increased funding for high-quality provision so that more people can gain the language, skills and confidence to move forward with their lives here.
Read more about the visit here, and learn more about the changes we are calling for through our policy and advocacy work here.
Calling for free school meals for all
We are signed up to the National Education Union’s ‘No Child Left Behind’ coalition, calling for free school meals for all across the country. As part of this, we attended their recent conference to learn more about the campaign and meet with other like-minded organisations.
Across London, Wales and Scotland, all primary-aged children are provided with free school meals, but children across the rest of England, including Greater Manchester and Lancashire, are currently left behind, and too many children experiencing poverty are going to school hungry and unable to concentrate in class.
At the conference, we heard from academics who have evaluated London’s universal free school meals roll out and a London headteacher who reported numerous benefits of the policy change. He said that pupils can now engage with learning in the afternoon having had a nutritious meal, and it has addressed the stigma that comes with experiencing poverty, as the children don’t know who had previously been eligible for free school meals.
We will continue to add our voice to the call for universal free school meals as part of a wider solution to address poverty. As families struggle to make ends meet, it is crucial that every child has access to a healthy, hot meal at school and has the opportunity to thrive.
Both our charity and Bishop John Arnold on behalf of the Diocese of Salford have signed an open letter calling on the Prime Minister to extend free school meals. If you are part of an organisation, including a faith organisation or school, please consider joining us: Free School Meals for All.
Restoring dignity in social security
One of the ways to effectively tackle poverty is by ensuring that people have access to sufficient income for a decent standard of living. As well as good employment options and access to public services that we all rely on, it is essential to have a social security system that acts as a safety net when people need it.
We believe that all people should be treated with dignity and given the opportunity to flourish, but sadly the social security system too often fails to treat people with compassion and dignity.
However, there is no legally defined minimum amount of social security that a person should receive, leaving people vulnerable to cuts and deductions. The two-child limit on Universal Credit is an example of a policy which does not ensure that people have sufficient income for a decent standard of living, and it pulls more children and families into poverty every day
We are still awaiting the Government’s Child Poverty Strategy which, to have any meaningful impact in tackling poverty, must abolish the two-child limit, so we will continue to campaign for the policy to be scrapped in order that more people can live with the dignity they deserve.
Find out more about our latest child poverty campaign and how you can get involved.
Racism in the homelessness system
Recent reports have shone a spotlight on racism and discrimination in the housing sector which further exacerbate housing insecurity for people in Black and Minority Ethnic communities.
The Institute for Social Policy, Housing and Equalities Research has found that instead of compensating for existing inequalities, the homelessness system can “reinforce them through poor outcomes and discriminatory treatment”.
The research also revealed that, shockingly, black people are almost four times as likely to experience homelessness as white people, and black families are less than half as likely to gain social housing as white families.
Shelter also published similar findings last month and highlighted how racism in the housing system today is more subtle and covert than it may have been previously. One interviewee said when reflecting on their experiences of the system: “The way you’re treated, the way you’re responded to…the looks, the whispers, the movement, everything. You just sense it when there’s a negative energy around.”
This month, we would encourage you to reflect on racism and discrimination in your communities and consider how we can all contribute to recognising the inherent worth of every person by calling for an end to racism. To help you with this, take a look at some resources and ideas.
To find out more about our policy and advocacy work and ways you can get involved, visit https://www.caritassalford.org.uk/about/policy-and-advocacy/