Following on from our first session providing context to the new Crisis and Resilience Fund now being distributed across English local authorities, this second session will focus on two key elements outlined in the fund’s guidance: taking a cash first but not cash only approach to crisis support as well as supporting people to build financial resilience through local community networks of support. We'll hear from several speakers with a range of perspectives and will facilitate time and space to discuss themes and questions in smaller groups.

Effective crisis support comes hand in hand with a cash first but not cash only approach. The CRF guidance requires local authorities to prioritise cash-first crisis support but acknowledges the importance of a needs-based, person-centred approach allowing for the provision of alternative forms of support such as essential furniture and appliances should cash payments not best suit an individual. Alongside effective crisis support, local authorities are asked to bolster local community networks of support to help individuals build financial resilience through resilience services.

In this session we will hear from speakers including Katy Ricks of Portsmouth City Council, Chantelle Norton of Food In Community based in Devon, Kylie Page of Citizens Advice Somerset, and Matt Earnshaw of the Financial Inclusion Centre who will share examples of effective cash-first crisis support, financial resilience-building, and what building local community networks of support with no ‘wrong doors’ looks like in practice. Attendees will hear about effective cash-first crisis support looks like in practice, what resilience services are in terms of the CRF guidance, what financial resilience-building looks like in practice, and about various ways that the CRF’s three main outcomes can be achieved. 

Please find the recording of the online session as well as the slides shared by contributors:

· Connie Kovats, Trussell, Matt Earnshaw, The Financial Inclusion Centre, IFAN/Trussell slides

· Chantelle Norton, Food in Community slides

· Kylie Page and Abigail Light, Citizens Advice Somerset slides

· Katy Ricks, Portsmouth City Council slides

And here are the questions and answers we couldn’t get to during the session.