|
Council launches cash card
AN INNOVATIVE new council scheme is to make it easier for vulnerable people in Liverpool to get emergency cash. Proposals are in the pipeline for a new a 'council cash card' for residents in need of urgent financial help. It would be the first local authority cash card for vulnerable people in the UK.
The card will allow people in need to get access to funds instantly, even if they don't have a bank account. And it would cut down on red tape and paperwork, saving taxpayers £350,000 a year.
The city council's executive member for community, equality and values, Councillor Marilyn Fielding, said:- "It's vital that the city's most vulnerable people can get access to emergency funds as quickly as possible. It could be money for an electricity card, to care for foster children, to help children leaving care to move into their own home, or provide clothes and bedding for a family in an emergency. The council cash card scheme would cut down on red tape and costs and make sure that people in desperate need of money can get it quickly and conveniently."
The council has a legal duty to provide help to the city's most vulnerable people, including:-
Payments to prevent children from having to go into care - which has now been incorporated into the Children's Act 1989.
Payments to children who are leaving care.
Payments to foster carers who take on emergency placements.
Payments to asylum seekers who are in a destitute state, under the National Assistance Act.
Currently, customers have to collect their money by visiting the city centre One Stop Shop. If customers do not have transport, social services staff have to arrange transport to get them there, or collect and deliver the money personally.
And the paperwork involved with the current system means up to six council staff can be involved in each transaction, from start to finish.
The new cash card means customers will no longer face delays. Once approved, they would be issued with a cash card at any of the city's 12 community One Stop Shops. The card would be programmed with the relevant amount of cash and a unique pin number.
And instead of having to come into the city centre to collect their money, customers will be able to use any cash machine in the country. By cutting down on administration and staffing processes, the card would drastically reduce the costs of administering the funds.
The city council's Executive Member for Supported Living, Councillor Flo Clucas, said:-
"The council's cash card is all about providing a high-quality, convenient service for some of Liverpool's most vulnerable people. The cash card will speed up the administering of funds, give people the freedom to get their cash at a time and location that suits them, and save the council time and money. It's a great idea."
The city council is working in partnership with Link Interchange Network to develop the project.
The proposals will go before the city council's executive board on Friday 24 June. It is part of the council's drive to improve cash handling processes across supported living.
|
Usdaw
says retailers need to keep their cool
RETAIL union Usdaw says Britain's retailers need to keep their employees cool after the first hot spell of the summer left many shopworkers feeling hot under the collar in the blistering heat.
Usdaw has already lobbied the Government for a change in the law to introduce a legally enforceable maximum working temperature after scores of union members complained about soaring summer heat.
"Our members are telling us that temperatures on the shopfloor in some stores can be unbearable for workers and shoppers alike. The fact there is not a legally enforceable upper limit makes it very confusing for responsible employers and allows bad employers to ignore serious health and safety concerns. We are particularly concerned about pregnant women and the elderly who are at serious risk from high temperatures and a failure to act early during a heatwave has led to fatalities in parts of Europe over recent years. We want the upper limit set at around 27 degrees centigrade as anything above will lead to a serious risk of heat exhaustion."
Usdaw is calling on employers to follow a few simple guidelines that will make life more bearable for staff and shoppers before heat exhaustion sets in leading to significant loss of concentration, increased accidents and a slump in productivity.
The simplest legal requirement is that there are enough thermometers in store for staff to know what temperature they're working in so they can complain to managers well before the mercury climbs above 27 degrees centigrade.
Usdaw members have also worked with management in many stores to improve ventilation, including installing additional extractors in hot kitchen areas and placing extra fans around stores.
The provision of cold drinks for staff will significantly reduce the risk of dehydration as workers in hot areas can lose up to 2 pints of water an hour through sweating. Managers are also encouraged to relax restrictive dress codes like ties that may contribute to excess body heat and offer regular refreshment breaks to staff who might be overheating.
Employers could remove or shield any heat sources in the work place to bring air temperature down including monitoring huge refrigerator units, which ironically are a big heat source in stores.
"Employers should watch out for obvious symptoms including irritability, dizziness, headaches, nausea and
fainting.
We believe that temperatures above 27 degrees centigrade are unreasonably warm leading to heat stroke which is extremely dangerous and if employers work with our members following these simple guidelines then serious illness or even fatalities can be avoided. The good news is that the Government has agreed to create a national website offering advice on how to protect staff in extremely hot weather after pressure from Usdaw which is a step forward."
John Hannett says.
Usdaw has also produced an easy to follow leaflet called 'Keep Your Cool' with handy tips to tackle heat stress at work and details of how to obtain a copy can be found on their award winning website
www.usdaw.org.uk.
|
