The Fairer Falkirk team is working to develop a strategic action plan to ensure that they are doing everything possible to help households in Falkirk District’s communities claim all of the benefits and in kind support they are entitled to.

As part of this, they want to ensure that those who support people in local communities have readily available tools and resources, to help them provide simple and easy to understand guidance and support. Fairer Falkirk wants to ensure that people know about the services which can support them in maximising their income, and what they can offer.

The new strategic plan will be based around 4 key areas of work:

Improving knowledge among staff and those in the third sector who directly work with households and communities.
Developing simple, easy to use tools and resources which support the delivery of easy to understand guidance and support, and empower households to check their own eligibility for benefits and in kind support.
Using data effectively as a resource to allow Fairer Falkirk and their partners to proactively identify and target support to households most in need of it.
Improving Fairer Falkirk’s communication to ensure it is timely, reaches the right audience, and is clear and action-focused.

They want to hear from third sector groups and organisations across the Falkirk District area about:

the work they are already doing to help people claim benefits and in kind support
how they get information about available benefits and in kind support at present
how they feel Fairer Falkirk could make it easier for groups, and the people they work with, to find out about available benefits and in kind support
some of the barriers groups face in talking to people about their finances, and how these could be overcome
how Fairer Falkirk can make existing information more accessible, and encourage more people to use it
any additional tools or resources groups and organisations think would be useful for themselves, and those they support, to help identify all of the benefits and support households may be entitled to

To submit your response, or for further information, please contact Richard McFarlane, Fairer Falkirk Co-ordinator, by email: richard.mcfarlane@falkirk.gov.uk