What is the vision of your Organisation?
Our aim is to be a Mole Valley which is fairer, greener and provides opportunity for all.
Why has your Organisation signed the ‘End Poverty Pledge’?
‘Everyone in Mole Valley deserves the chance to lead a safe, healthy, and fulfilling life. We’re proud to be the first district council in Surrey to sign the End Poverty Pledge – a meaningful step in recognising the challenges many residents face. This marks a renewed focus on tackling poverty and ensuring our services reflect our values of care, respect, and fairness. We remain committed to working with partners and the community to help everyone in Mole Valley thrive.’ (Councillor Bridget Kendrick, Leader of Mole Valley District Council)
What examples can you give of your Organisation putting the ‘End Poverty Pledge’ into practice?
The Council’s values include ‘we listen’, ‘we care’ and ‘we respect’. The Council Strategy contains a Priority of Fairness “Supporting individuals and communities to lead safe, healthy and fulfilling lives.”
MVDC is a living wage employer offering flexible hours and hybrid working, we actively encourage skills development including apprenticeships.
MVDC has been an active participant in both Poverty Truth Commissions that have taken place in Surrey. We actively work with our community and voluntary sector to support and signpost residents to get additional support.
Many of our fees and charges contain ‘concessionary rates’ for those in receipt of benefits of one kind or another. This includes Mole Valley Life Services, Dorking Halls etc. Payment plans can be arranged in certain circumstances to enable take up of services or payment of money owed.
Our services, including housing, benefits, council tax, community safety and partnerships, environmental health etc provide support and guidance as well as signpost or refer to advice services for additional support.
MVDC has worked with Community and Voluntary sector partners since 2021 to distribute over £900,000 of Household Support Funding directly to over 14,500 households in Mole Valley suffering from food or fuel poverty or who were struggling with basic household goods.
Free holiday activities have been provided for young people over the last few years to reduce the burden of cost for families in school holiday periods.
Implementation of the Breathing Space Scheme which puts a ‘pause’ on recovery of payments from residents who have been referred to MVDC on the scheme.
Face to face meetings have always been held for individuals and families needing to see our housing team. All through covid face to face appointments were provided. It is considered to be a much more effective way of engaging with these residents to gain the information needed and to build relationships.
A Member of the Strategic Leadership team worked with health partners and the Leatherhead Community Hub to highlight poverty and the work of the hub in supporting the community of North Leatherhead for a multi-agency health conference held last year.
Use of discretionary hardship powers in relation to Council Tax and Housing payments are regularly arranged to enable residents to manage debt.
What would you hope to be able to do more of in the longer term?
Include ‘poverty’ as a criteria in our Equality Impact Assessments which are completed for all new policies and services.
Provide Poverty Awareness training to staff, like Equality and Safeguarding Training either as part of Induction or specifically for teams most likely to be dealing with customers who are in poverty.
Continue to develop the Community pages on the Council’s website to provide more links to community organisations and support for those in poverty – whether financial, food, fuel or loneliness.