Cash First
What is the Cash First approach?
“The argument for a cash first approach to food insecurity is that cash, not food, is by far the most dignified and sustainable way to support people struggling to afford food.”
Independent Food Aid Network
The right to adequate food is one of the fundamental social, economic and cultural rights that every citizen of Dundee should be able to enjoy. The Scottish Government has identified the Cash First approach as a key response to this human right, improving urgent local access to cash in a crisis which can help to maintain dignity for those supported and reduce the need for emergency food parcels.
Community Guiders
One of the ways that we are embedding Cash First approaches across Dundee is by providing Community Guiders training to volunteers and staff in a variety of different community settings; from food larders, to community craft groups, to statutory services such as Housing. We provide 4 different sessions of training:
Listening Skills, Boundaries & Confidentiality
Mental Health: How to Engage & Self-Care
Substance Use & Stigma
Cash First Signposting, Referring & Resources
Community Guiders training prepares people to be effective signposters across a number of areas while also giving people the confidence and skills to have these difficult conversations in the first place. While there is a substantial focus on directing people to money advice services, people often struggle with their mental health and substance use as accompanying issues that often make it difficult to move forward in resolving a financial crisis. Cash First isn’t cash only.
3-Step Referral
We continue to work alongside Dundee & Angus and Taught by Muhammad Foodbanks to think of ways to reduce the need for foodbank referrals. One such way that we do this is working with referring partners to reinforce the importance of having conversations about the reasons FOR foodbank referrals prior to a referral being made.
Working in partnership with both foodbanks, we have devised the 3-Step Referral process that has been rolled out to referral agencies.
We continue to engage with both old and new Foodbank referral partners to ensure that this process is being followed as widely as possible.
What Do I Do If...? Leaflets
No one should be left in a crisis or without enough money to feed their families. This leaflet has been designed to support someone through a financial crisis to help identify the options available to them and who can help.
The leaflet is also available on the Independent Food Aid Network website, which has a step by step online guide to go through the support options available – www.worryingaboutmoney.co.uk/dundee
