Surrey County Council: Actively directing support to those who need it most

With a population of approximately 1.2 million, Surrey has below-average unemployment and above-average levels of education and earnings, compared to England as a whole. However, this positive picture masks the fact that many residents are struggling as a result of cost of living pressures.

A report to Surrey County Council’s cabinet in January 2022 revealed that child poverty has been steadily increasing across the county in recent years. Local voluntary, community and faith sector (VCFS) providers have reported a huge increase in demand for their services.  

Rhiannon Ford, Principal Policy and Strategy Lead, said: “One of the things we have been up against from the beginning is the assumption that Surrey is a very affluent county and therefore we haven’t been impacted by the cost of living crisis.

“The data we have gathered shows that is not the case. The national trends are apparent – particularly in certain areas of Surrey and within some demographic groups. So we have been trying to raise awareness that this is the context we are working in."

In 2022, Surrey County Council set up a governance structure to align a cost of living response across the council and its partners. There is an internal strategic group, an internal tactical group, and a partnership group – which includes the police, NHS partners, district and borough councils, business (via the Chamber of Commerce), relevant county council teams and VCFS representation.  

This group provides a forum to discuss specific issues or demographic groups and see how the crisis is playing out in local areas, with a view to tailoring a joined-up response that makes the most of collective resources and strengths.

Support for the voluntary sector 

Surrey has created a package of support for residents during cost of living pressures, from a directory of support through every letterbox to the creation of ‘warm and welcoming spaces’ across the county. A key part of its response has been framed through strong partnerships with the VCFS. Saba Hussain, Principal Partnerships Policy & Commissioning Lead, said the sector had found itself under extreme pressure – with some organisations facing existential crisis.

In response the council has supported the VCFS as much as possible, recognising its critical role. This support has included:

• adding an inflationary uplift to grants and contracts wherever possible
• allowing for some flexibility for delivery within contracts
• providing funding to the Community Foundation for Surrey, which was matched, to give grants to VCFS organisations to help with practical support and with organisational and service transformation.  

Household Support Fund

Surrey County Council enlisted the help of the VCFS to distribute the Household Support Fund (HSF), to ensure it reached the most vulnerable communities. As well as distributing funding through a variety of methods (such as vouchers during holiday periods for children on free school meals, Surrey Crisis Fund, and via borough and district councils), the council chose a range of specialist charities to help spread the HSF net as wide as possible.

They included the Surrey Coalition of Disabled People, Surrey Minority Ethnic Forum, Action for Carers, Age UK and Stripey Stork (a countywide baby bank), among others.

Saba Hussain said:

“They represent some broad but strategically chosen charities that we can work with to reach communities we might not reach on our own. It is a robust way of navigating the difficult task of trying to reach those people that are in need. As a result, we feel confident that this funding is making a real difference for the right people.”

Data-driven approach

Surrey’s approach is as insight-led as possible, pulling together national and local datasets to see who is being most affected by the rising cost of living and responding through targeted actions.

Working with the VCFS has made additional data available, including hard and soft evidence of what is happening within communities. Rhiannon Ford said:

“Getting reliable and up-to-date data has been, and remains, challenging, but it is essential to understanding need and designing the most impactful interventions. Working closely with the VCFS has ensured we have lots of sources of information to draw on.” 

For example, a client survey by the Surrey Coalition of Disabled People revealed insightful data around the level of need, and as a result the council directed a larger grant to be distributed to people with disabilities. With the new round of HSF including a focus on carers, Surrey County Council has been working with Action for Carers to understand how they will reach broader carer communities such as young carers.

• Using data to challenge assumptions has been critical to this work, with both internal (council) and external stakeholders.
• Don’t underestimate the strength of the VCFS. Relying on and trusting them to deliver has been an impactful and effective way of working for the council.
• Adopting a wide and diverse variety of distribution methods gives confidence that communities in need are being reached as effectively as possible.