New funding for supermarket vouchers at Quids in! drop-in enables people to take stock of options amid low standard of living concerns
From May, the Quids in! Money Guidance programme in Bath & North East Somerset will offer supermarket vouchers to householders in financial crisis. Funded by the UK Government through the Household Support Fund (HSF), the aim is to improve sustained financial outcomes for struggling families. The vouchers will offer temporary alleviation to people on low income while money coaching provides the means to shore up their options, setting them up for long-term success.
Quids in! Is the money guidance programme delivered by Clean Slate Training & Employment, a community interest company based in Bath.
Anna Dietrich, Clean Slate’s Regional Lead for the West of England, said: “So many people we support are in crisis, living from hand to mouth, and have no time or capacity to engage with our money guidance. Being able to distribute HSF money in the form of supermarket vouchers to our clients would allow them a little breather and time to focus on our programme, which can help them save hundreds of pounds along the way, lifting them out of crisis long term”.
Residents across Bath and North East Somerset who feel unable to meet the cost of living can access the support a number of ways.
They can call the B&NES Community Wellbeing Hub on 0300 247 0050 and ask for the Quids in! Money Guidance service from Clean Slate. They can contact the Clean Slate team direct: Web – https://www.cleanslateltd.co.uk/contact; Email – [email protected]; Phone – 01225 302200. Support agencies can also refer their clients to the service.
Participants will be guided through a Money Health Check (MHC) by professional money coaches. Those in crisis can then access an emergency issue of supermarket vouchers. Questions asked during the MHC give individuals a snapshot of what’s going on with their money.Coaches then provide guidance on the next steps individuals can take and help identify the most suitable services. Across all Clean Slate services in 2023, MHC participants were on average £1,244 better off.
Clients local to the Weston Hub on Penn Hill Rd can also access additional support to get online with Quids in! Digipods. (Open Mondays 12pm-2pm.) Funded by the Good Things Foundation, digipods are set up to help people get online and gain confidence with their digital skills. An IT support worker is available to answer any questions and direct clients to free training services, such as the platform Learn My Way.
“Clean Slate is a vital and integral part of the Weston Welcome Café,” said the Café’s coordinator, Peter Heywood. “Local people can talk with our Clean Slate team, who are able to help them in so many ways. This includes helping with benefits, accessing vouchers, help with digital skills, advice on housing and grants, signposting to other services, and generally being there for people, showing that they matter and that there is a way forward for them, helping them to overcome their problems. Our guests are so reassured, and our volunteers love the fact that they can guide people to Clean Slate whenever they want.”
Image: Maddie Red / Shutterstock
