Ways to take action – March policy update

“As far as the Church is concerned, the social message of the Gospel must not be considered a theory, but above all else a basis for motivation for action.” St John Paul II  

Our charity is proud to work to drive and influence tangible and sustainable change for people in Greater Manchester and Lancashire, by advocating and campaigning for changes to policies, systems and attitudes, and working to raise awareness and understanding of the issues and the change that is needed.  

These monthly policy updates will keep you informed about what we’re doing to call for change and will let you know about ways you might be able to join us and take action. 

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.  

Free training session – Parishes tackling poverty: hope through action 

A key aspect of our work tackling poverty and influencing change involves helping to equip parishes across the Diocese of Salford to engage with their local communities. As part of this, we’re holding a free, bespoke training session in partnership with Resolve Poverty.  

The session is primarily for people in parishes who are likely to encounter people experiencing poverty as part of their role, those who are involved in supporting people experiencing poverty, and those who would like to be. It’ll help attendees to understand how they can offer support to people in their parish and wider community, equipping them with practical tools and knowledge of best practice. 

So, if you’re looking to develop further as a missionary parish in this Jubilee year, join us on Saturday 29th March, 10am-12pm at St John’s Church Hall in Burnley. 

Find more information and sign up now here: Parishes Tackling Poverty- Hope Through Action.

If you have any questions, please contact Matt Yates at m.yates@caritassalford.org.uk 

We’ll also be running a session for parishes in Greater Manchester, so watch this space for further details soon…. 

Influencing change at Westminster 

Our work influencing change involves engaging with decision makers to advocate for changes to the policies and systems which affect those in need in our communities. As part of this, in February, we had the opportunity to attend two events in the Houses of Parliament to represent the work of our charity.  

We were pleased to be able to hear more about the work of Homeless Link, a membership organisation we are part of which works to end homelessness, and join together with other organisations from the sector to call on policymakers to reform the system, in order to create long-term solutions to homelessness. 

Afterwards, we joined with other members of Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN) to recognise the impact of the work of the network’s 51 member organisations who are committed to social justice efforts across England and Wales. It was also an opportunity to encourage MPs in attendance to engage with Catholic organisations in their constituencies, and to reiterate calls for policy changes such as an end to the two-child limit. 

You can read more about the day from our director, Patrick O’Dowd, here, and visit our policy and advocacy page to learn more about the changes we are calling for. 

The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill 

The Government’s new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill has had two readings in Parliament so far. While we welcome aspects of the Bill such as the scrapping of the Rwanda plan, we’re concerned that some provisions may result in people being penalised for seeking asylum, without creating safe routes for people to seek refuge in this country. 

In our work, we call for an end to the hostile anti-refugee narrative which is so prevalent in today’s society, and we advocate for a fair asylum system where all people are treated with compassion and dignity. Therefore, we’re disappointed that this new legislation does not take the necessary steps to reform the processes and systems which would afford people seeking asylum the dignity they deserve. 

As the Bill continues to be debated at Committee Stage in the House of Commons, we will keep advocating for narratives of welcome and compassion, and opportunities for positive integration into communities for people seeking to rebuild their lives in this country.  

If you or someone you know would benefit from accessing one of our many services available to refugees and migrants, you can find more information here.

Poor standards of service for claimants of disability benefits 

A recent report has found that claimants of disability benefits receive an unacceptably poor level of service from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).  

The Public Accounts Committee holds the Government to account for the efficiency and effectiveness of public spending, and their recent inquiry into the experiences of people claiming disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) has revealed that the DWP’s customer service is falling short of the expected standards. 

The report raises concerns about the DWP’s understanding of claimants who may be vulnerable, issues of communication not being appropriate for the needs of individuals, and high rates of underpayments for people claiming disability benefits. 

Accessibility is central to our work, and we seek to remove barriers and ensure that our projects and services are accessible to all. Accessibility is also a thread running through our policy and advocacy priorities, and we call for changes to policies, systems and attitudes which will encourage participation in all aspects of society and break down barriers people may face.  

Raising awareness of homelessness in our communities  

Another part of our policy and advocacy work is raising awareness and understanding in our communities of the issues facing people we work with and the changes that are needed to help them transform their lives.

A recent survey about the general public’s understanding of homelessness has highlighted areas in which more awareness is needed, as well as how important they consider the issue to be. 

The survey found that 83% of people think that homelessness is a serious problem in the UK, and 70% think that, as a society, we don’t pay enough attention to it. Through our services and our policy work, we see every day the scale of the problem and the impact homelessness has on people’s lives, so we’re encouraged that the need to address the issue is also recognised by the public. 

However, the research also revealed that more education is needed in people’s understanding of the forms homelessness can take. ‘Hidden homelessness’ such as sofa surfing is more prevalent than rough sleeping in this country, but only a small minority of the public are aware of this.  

Furthermore, public support for services which help to prevent homelessness is lower than that for services for people already experiencing homelessness. However, we know through our work just how critical preventative services are in order that more people are protected from sleeping rough and all the dangers it brings. 

You can help us continue to raise awareness – this month, why not have a think about who in your community you might be able to have a conversation with about the issue of homelessness and the work Caritas is doing to help address it.

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/