Holiday Hunger Scheme to be Extended

[steveL]

HBC are planning to extend its holiday hunger scheme next year but this time, the one-third of the total money which was allocated to the food banks last year has been scrapped and the money re-allocated to community groups like OFCA who look set to serve even more 'nutritious' Pot Noodles, Crisps and Mars Bars from its OFCA Farm site in direct contravention of Health and Safety Guidelines covering E. coli infections at community farms. 

[DRiddle]

Obviously I have no problem with the principle of feeding economically deprived kids. Free school meals (FSM)  is one of the best pieces of 'compensatory education' social policy there is. No political party, even the Tories, would ever dare take it away.

Free school meals is also THE single biggest indicator of the likelihood of education under achievement there is.

So in that respect, I FULLY support the idea of continuing to try to feed children who qualify for FSMs in the holidays.

But . . . And it's a huge but, from what I understand last year this scheme was very ad hoc. It was a scattergun approach to targeting these kids by throwing money at a few organisations across town. These were organisations where it was assumed these kids would magically appear at the the holidays.

This could be implemented SO much better than it was. Every single child in Hartlepool who gets FSM is on a list. The council and schools have access to that list. We know SPECIFICALLY who those kids are and where exactly they live.

Here's an alternative way of doing this Christopher, you can have this one on me.

In the run up to the holidays get the headteachers of all our schools to send a letter to the parents of every single child in the town on free school meals. Inside, with the letter are 'vouchers' which are dated for each of the 'Monday - Friday' dates of the holidays. Also in the letter is a list of all of the places the kids can take their voucher to swap it for a meal (either in the form of a packed lunch or a hot meal if the facilities are in place to do it.

The list the kids can take their voucher to could include a range of cafes, shops, businesses even large chain stores if they're will to get involved.

Get a bit of coroporate branding behind it even. Tescos for example would likely be willing to throw a bit of money behind the scheme for the PR alone.

Imagine if you were a young kid from a poor background in the holidays and every day you took your voucher somewhere in exchange for a butty, or  a sausage roll and a drink, some fruit or whatever.

All the businesses who provide the food have to do is save up all of the vouchers the kids have given them and the council reimburses them the money. The actual 'worth' of the voucher would need to be about £2 per day in line with the schools FSM amount.

If all of the businesses sign up in advance you could ask them the show you what they intend to give the kids as a meal and check (a) it's value for money and (b) it ticks the right boxes for healthy eating.

That's what I would do if I GENUINELY wanted to feed our towns most socially deprived children in the holidays.

However, if my main aim was really just to bung a favoured community group a few quid so they could give crisps to whichever kid rocked up for a ride on a horse, I'd do what happened last year.

[craig finton]

At the very least, I would expect whatever meals were provided would be consistent. The council employs enough health professionals for them to be able to stipulate exactly what constitutes a nutritious and appropriate meal and they should be the ones to decide exactly what is provided. Just handing over money to people like Cranney is just asking for trouble and for money to be skimmed off for other reasons.

[Johnny Bongo]

Mr Riddle, what an excellent idea you have there.  Would it be possible to take this to HBC and see what they think?  It would certainly stop any 'community' groups from abusing this scheme.....although some councillors may get slightly upset if this was implemented!  Are there any successful schemes in other parts of the UK, with a similar model to your idea? 

[Johnny Bongo]

HBC are planning to extend its holiday hunger scheme next year but this time, the one-third of the total money which was allocated to the food banks last year has been scrapped and the money re-allocated to community groups like OFCA who look set to serve even more 'nutritious' Pot Noodles, Crisps and Mars Bars from its OFCA Farm site in direct contravention of Health and Safety Guidelines covering E. coli infections at community farms.

Stevel...do you know if the OFCA 'farm' has any toilet and washing facilities, ie, hot water.  I understand that in order to get a grant from, say, The Lottery fund, there has to be certain hygiene requirements.  Maybe HBC has the same requirements when giving out grants .  Also, how often is OFCA inspected for health and safety and by whom?

[steveL]

It has no running water (a stipulation of the regulations covering community farms that children have access to), no appropriate washing facilities and no electric. Cows, horses and sheep/goats have to be kept behind fences and not be able to roam freely where children walk and from what I've been told, it's concept of H&S goes no further than knowing the 999 number.

I wrote to the Environmental Health Office at the council last year to ask when they last carried out an inspection - I got no reply. Officers know that it doesn't do to upset the Cabal - which reminds me that the current CE thinks the council's bullying procedure is in need of review. I can only assume that she doesn't think there's enough of it.

Fortunately, I didn't hear of any E. coli outbreaks at the OFCA Farm following last years Holiday Hunger Scheme. I guess even the E. coli 0157 bug draws the line at Pot Noodles.

[fred c]

OFCA community farm is only a 10 minute walk from me, I might pop along sometime this week & take some photographs, then email the Environmental Officer & The Editor of the Mail & ask a few pertinent questions.......ie. washing & toilet facilities, messing facilities, first aid facilities, health & safety qualifications of the staff etc etc etc....

From what I saw on a previous stroll around, there wasn't much in the way of facilities of any sort, several semi derelict shipping containers & a number of derelict horse boxes & not much else.

[seaton]

Couple of examples of people and children becoming ill after visiting farms,
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2618669/Investigation-launched-four-children-hospitalised-catching-E-coli-lambs-PETTING-FARM.html

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2009/sep/14/ecoli-outbreak-godstone-farm-children.

And it could cost the Council millions if there was an outbreak of E-Coli,


http://www.standard.co.uk/news/health/ecoli-outbreak-leaves-godstone-farm-facing-bill-for-millions-8516342.html

[fred c]

HBC are planning to extend its holiday hunger scheme next year but this time, the one-third of the total money which was allocated to the food banks last year has been scrapped and the money re-allocated to community groups like OFCA who look set to serve even more 'nutritious' Pot Noodles, Crisps and Mars Bars from its OFCA Farm site in direct contravention of Health and Safety Guidelines covering E. coli infections at community farms.

Stevel...do you know if the OFCA 'farm' has any toilet and washing facilities, ie, hot water.  I understand that in order to get a grant from, say, The Lottery fund, there has to be certain hygiene requirements.  Maybe HBC has the same requirements when giving out grants .  Also, how often is OFCA inspected for health and safety and by whom?

As someone who was involved in health & safety whilst working in the construction industry I am well aware of the general every day problems that can arise concerning health, safety & welfare of both individuals & groups of people, the mitigating factors in most incidents / accidents are usually the apparent minor issues that, by and large can pass unnoticed, a case of familiarity breeds contempt attitude can lead to serious consequences.

With that in mind & given the rundown appearance of the Community Farm facilities, could you assure me that the facilities & services are inspected on a regular basis, I have listed below a number of points that I feel are pertinent to the operation of an facility that deals with members of the public, especially children & young adults.

1) Are there adequate segregated m/f toilet facilities with running hot & cold water

2) Are there adequate messing facilities with the facility to clean utensils, plates, cups etc etc

3) Are there adequate first aid requirements on site ie, first aid box, defibrillator etc etc

4) Are there adequate First Aid facilities with a trained first aider on site whilst children & adults are on site

5) Are staff adequately trained & certified to deal with children, young adults

6) Are staff adequately trained & certified in animal husbandry

7) Are staff adequately trained & certified to the required standard in Health & Safety matters

8 ) Are staff adequately trained & certified in the statuary COSHH regulations

9) Is there a current Health & Safety plan in place for the facility

I look forward to your opinions on the points I have raised in relation to the OFCA Community Farm,

I hope that circumstances in the future don't have reason to catch up with the council & bite them in the a**e

[Johnny Bongo]

Good stuff there, fred...I was just looking for info also...just typed in 'national guidelines for hygiene at childrens petting farms' on google.  Lots of interesting info.  Wonder if Mr Cranney has looked at it!

[Hartlepudlion]

I wonder how well the  'ubs in the town meet these criteria listed by Fredc?

[akarjl]

Google legionella ....i've had issues with that on ships because line were not flushed / run adequately . I bet they have no legionella management plan,operations manuals or risk assessments either.

[not4me]

I would wonder if enhanced CRB checks have been carried out

[Alnwickist]

Fred C, I would say that 100% of what you have mentioned re- elf n saffty at either OFCA or Utland Rd will excist, or anyone to carry out any of those requirements.

[steveL]

I would wonder if enhanced CRB checks have been carried out

I remember this same question being asked in council with regards to Manor Residents but it was parried away as being the sole responsibility of 'the management of Manor Residents'. Strictly speaking, this was probably true but, given the cloud that was already building up around MR, it was the lack of curiosity that was most obvious. It would have been no big deal for someone at the council to ask the question - another case of some rocks are best left unturned. Given what we know now, does anyone seriously believe that Wilcox would have spent money obtaining CRB checks?