A Valleys council has revealed the plans it has to keep foodbanks stocked if donations drop off due to uncertainty around Brexit.
Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) council has laid out how it is preparing for the possibility of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union on October 31, potentially without a deal.
The council says that as foodbanks are heavily reliant on donations from individuals and uncertainties over the impact Brexit could result in a short-term drop in donations .
The council has worked with local foodbanks to see if they have any specific concerns and if the council can help them.
The council has said it will put money towards buying some supplies and this is being supported and matched by local housing associations.
The Welsh Government has announced that a grant will be available to support short-term interventions such as buying additional stock of key commodities on behalf of foodbanks and distributing them.
The money could also be used to improve the infrastructure in place at foodbanks such as providing improved storage and facilities like fridges and freezers.
A meeting has taken place with the local foodbanks that operate in RCT and the council has confirmed it will apply for this grant funding with the aim of supporting them over the coming months.
But what other preparations are the council making for a potential no deal?
Meals
The council has carried out a review of a number of the many front-line services it provides.
For school meals, meals on wheels and council care homes, alternative menus are being drawn up to take into account any potential shortages of goods.
The council says it has an appropriate level of cleaning and janitorial supplies, sanitary provision such as hand soap, toilet paper, male and female sanitary products and food for care homes to cover any any short-term disruption to supplies.
Suppliers
The council has been in touch with its suppliers to ask for statements on how prepared they are for Brexit.
The council has also reminded suppliers of the importance of reviewing their workforces in order to implement the European Union Settled Status scheme where they need to.
The council says that there are no significant issues from the responses received so far but some suppliers have stated that due to the uncertainties around what Brexit could mean to them they are not in a position to provide absolute assurance at the moment.
Where an issue is found, this is fed back to the relevant council department and the continuity plans are changed as needed.
For example, if there is a shortage of some fresh produce, then contingency menus in place have been designed to accommodate this.
Council vehicles
In terms of keeping council vehicles moving, the council says forecasting what parts may be needed could be difficult and those that have to be sourced from abroad may take longer to obtain and could cost more.
Failure to obtain the required spares in time will mean that the council would have to seek support from hire companies until the parts arrive.
The council has a fuel plan in place which will be mobilised in the event of a national fuel shortage.
The aim of the fuel plan is to ensure that prioritised council vehicles have the appropriate fuel that could be used to deliver services, and also to transport key staff to and from their workplaces.
Should a national fuel shortage happen, the council will also work in partnership with health services to ensure that those residents that require specific appointments to be honoured, such as dialysis patients, are picked up and dropped back home.
European
Union Settled Status (EUSS)
The latest figures show there are around 1,500 EU nationals living in RCT.
The council has used data that it holds and has mapped the communities across RCT where EU nationals reside.
A small team of community cohesion officers covering Cwm Taf will use the data to help raise awareness of the EUSS scheme as well as keeping tabs on any sign of underlying unrest in RCT’s communities.
South Wales Police say that at this stage they are aware of no underlying tensions associated with Brexit within RCT.
The council’s registrars service has gained approval to scan and verify the required documentation for the EUSS, and this service went live on October 1.
Raising awareness
The council has updated its website to included a preparing for Brexit page and it has started a social media campaign on the issues.
It has also provided guidance to local businesses and a payslip insert has been provided for staff with more information.
The council says that the uncertainties of when and in what form the UK leaves the EU do not allow its planning to be as fully informed as it would like but the work taking place aims to assist the council in preparing for the UK leaving the EU as best as it possibly can do.
The council’s overview and scrutiny committee will look at the Brexit plans at a meeting on Thursday, October 24.
