Introduction

It is estimated that 20% of the population in Fermanagh and Omagh are living in relative poverty. Given the extent of poverty in our district, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council has developed a draft Anti-Poverty Strategy - Pathways out of Poverty. The draft strategy has been co-produced with a number of the organisations working locally to support our people, and demonstrates the Council’s commitment, together with statutory, community and voluntary sector partners in the district, to tackle poverty and disadvantage in Fermanagh and Omagh. Our collective mission is to work in partnership, over the next 10 years, to improve the lives and wellbeing of our communities and provide Pathways out of Poverty.

It is important we hear your views. We want to know what you agree or disagree with and if we have missed something. This is your opportunity to get involved as a resident, business owner or community stakeholder.

The survey should take around 10 minutes to complete in full.

Please note Questions 22 to 32 relate to equality monitoring information. You do not have to complete these questions in order to submit a response to this survey. However, we welcome this information as the Council is committed to achieving fairness and equality. The information provided will be used by the Council to assist us in complying with our statutory duty under the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

In accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018, the Council has a duty to protect any information we hold on you. The personal information you provide on this form will only be used in the development of the Fermanagh and Omagh Anti-Poverty Strategy 2024 - 2034 - Pathways out of Poverty, and will not be shared with any third party unless law or regulation compels such a disclosure.

For further guidance on how we hold your information please visit the Privacy section at www.fermanaghomagh.com/your-council/privacy-statement.

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* 1. Are you responding to this consultation on behalf of an organisation, or in a personal capacity?

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* 2. Do you agree with the collective mission "to work in partnership to improve the lives and wellbeing of our communities and provide Pathways out of Poverty"?

Through our work to date, a number of themes have emerged to direct our work in tackling poverty. We propose to continue to Mitigate the effects of Poverty, whilst working to Prevent & Reduce Poverty. We will Design and Deliver Services and Supports in a way that will best meet the needs of our residents most at risk of poverty and we will use our influence collectively to affect change at a local, regional and national level.

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* 3. Do you agree with the themes that have emerged?

  Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree/Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
Theme 1: Mitigating the Effects for People experiencing Poverty
Theme 2: Prevention & Reduction of Poverty
Theme 3: Design & Delivery of Services and Supports
Theme 1 - Mitigate the Effects for People experiencing Poverty

In the short to medium term, we will continue to work collectively to mitigate the effects of poverty for those who find themselves struggling.
Under this theme, priorities have been identified around provision of information and advice, effective communication about available support, signposting and referral to existing support, implementation of targeted interventions to ensure basic needs are met, and meaningful support for the Community and Voluntary sector in their work to support those most in need.

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* 4. Do you agree that in order to Mitigate the Effects for People Experiencing Poverty, the following areas should be prioritised?

  Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree/Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
Information, Advice & Communication
Signposting and referrals
Supporting households in meeting their basic needs

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* 5. To address the priority "Information, Advice and Communication", a number of high level actions are proposed. Do you agree with these?

  Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree/Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
We will continue to develop a central source of up to date, reliable information regarding the support available locally and regionally for residents impacted by poverty, incorporating online and other resources developed or endorsed by the Money and Pensions Service Money Helper programme.
We will continue to invest in high quality, impartial and independent advice provision in the district.
We will use a blend of traditional and social media to ensure residents are aware of the sources of support in the district.

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* 6. To address the priority "Signposting and Referrals" the following high level action is proposed. Do you agree with this?

  Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree/Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
We will convene a forum of support providers in the district to share information and best practice, and to develop a simple mechanism to facilitate seamless signposting and referrals among those providers.

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* 7. To address the priority "Supporting households in meeting their basic needs", a number of high level actions are proposed. Do you agree with these?

  Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree/Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
We will continue to source and utilise any available hardship funding to support residents in financial crisis.
We will continue to work in partnership with local support providers to develop and deliver a programme of targeted interventions aimed at ensuring those most in need have access to basic needs including food, fuel, housing, health, transport, digital services and a good quality of life.
Theme 2 - Prevention & Reduction of Poverty

In the medium to longer term, we will work to prevent people falling into poverty and to provide pathways out of poverty.
Under this theme, priorities have been identified around recognising those most at risk of falling into poverty in order to intervene early, maximising household incomes and reducing household expenses, education around financial wellbeing and resilience, and ensuring that how we do our business in the district does not stigmatise or adversely affect those at socio-economic disadvantage.

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* 8. Do you agree that in order to Prevent & Reduce Poverty, the following areas should be prioritised?

  Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree/Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
Identifying people at risk and providing support
Income Maximisation through better paid and more secure employment
Income Maximisation through Benefits and other Financial and In Kind Support
Reducing Household Costs and other Outgoings including Debt
Education
Consider how we carry out our business within the district

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* 9. To address the priority "Identifying people at risk and providing support", the following high level action is proposed. Do you agree with this?

  Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree/Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
We will use all available data and information to identify those most at risk of falling into poverty, and work in partnership with Community Planning partners and other local statutory, community and voluntary partners to provide early intervention support.

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* 10. To address the priority "Income Maximisation through better paid and more secure employment", a number of high level actions are proposed. Do you agree with these?

  Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree/Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
Through the Labour Market Partnership we will seek to address the drivers of economic inactivity.
We will work with partners to implement an Inclusive Economy Action Plan, supporting new and existing businesses to thrive through advancements in innovation, productivity and sustainability, hence creating an environment for better paid and more secure employment.
We will seek to address the barriers to employment, including issues relating to the cost and availability of childcare.
As responsible employers, we will consider the viability of working towards recognising and adopting the “Real Living Wage” set by the Living Wage Foundation as best practice in terms of fair remuneration in employment across all sectors.

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* 11. To address the priority "Income Maximisation through Benefits and other Financial and In Kind Support", the following high level action is proposed. Do you agree with this?

  Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree/Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
We will work with the Department for Communities, the independent advice sector and all other statutory, community and voluntary sector partners to encourage the uptake of social security benefits and other support, such as Universal Credit (including the Universal Credit Contingency Fund), Discretionary Support Fund, Free School Meal entitlement, existing childcare financial support schemes, Discretionary Housing Payment, Healthy Start initiative, Help to Save etc.

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* 12. To address the priority "Reducing Household Costs and other Outgoings including Debt", a number of high level actions are proposed. Do you agree with these?

  Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree/Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
We will work in partnership to help households implement changes to reduce key household costs such as fuel, food and utility costs and raise awareness of social tariffs currently available to low income households, for example reduced broadband fees.
We will work with the Education Authority, schools and others to consider how the cost of the school day can be reduced.
We will undertake an exercise to identify the nature and extent of the debt crisis in the district and work with stakeholders such as the Department for Communities, Credit Unions and independent debt advice providers etc., to develop a plan to address this growing concern.

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* 13. To address the priority "Education", the following high level action is proposed. Do you agree with this?

  Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree/Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
We will work as a corporate partner with the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) in their implementation of the Northern Ireland Financial Wellbeing Action Plan, including the facilitation of training for our staff and local support partners through the Money Guider Programme.

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* 14. To address the priority "Consider how we carry out our business within the district", a number of high level actions are proposed. Do you agree with these?

  Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree/Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
Within Council, we will carry out a review of business areas, including touchpoints where our staff come into contact with the public, to identify if we are doing all we can to identify and support residents impacted by poverty, and to ensure that how we carry out our business impacts positively on those at socio-economic disadvantage.
We will develop and deliver training to strengthen our awareness and ability to identify and address poverty, its causes and potential solutions, in a prioritised and evidence led basis, recognising the centrality and dignity of the individual.
We will consider how decisions made within our organisations impact on inequalities that result from socio-economic disadvantage (poverty proofing).
We will consider how sponsorship and grant programmes, or other funding streams offered by the organisations within the district can include an element of socio-economic duty as part of their criteria.
We will identify anchor organisations in Fermanagh and Omagh and consider how we might collectively develop a culture of Community Wealth Building in the district.
Theme 3 - Design & Delivery of Services and Supports

On and ongoing basis, we will reconsider how we design and deliver services and support for those experiencing or at risk of falling into poverty.
Under this theme, the priorities that have been identified include reducing the stigma associated with poverty, ensuring communities are part of the decision making process to break the cycle of poverty, sustainable funding and resourcing of services, growing and diversifying the local economy, utilising local data and intelligence more effectively, and importantly using our collective influence to call for local, regional and national change.

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* 15. Do you agree that in order to Design & Deliver appropriate Services and Supports, the following areas should be prioritised?

  Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree/Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
Change the narrative around poverty
Incorporate lived experience of poverty
Using Data to identify and target those most in need
Funding and resourcing of service delivery
Using our influence

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* 16. To address the priority "Change the narrative around poverty", the following high level action is proposed. Do you agree with this?

  Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree/Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
We will develop and deliver a comprehensive communication campaign to work towards reducing the stigma associated with poverty and empower people to seek support and help when required.

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* 17. To address the priority "Incorporate lived experience of poverty", the following high level action is proposed. Do you agree with this?

  Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree/Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
We will create the environment and opportunities for those impacted by poverty to share their experiences and to contribute meaningfully to the development of services and support.

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* 18. To address the priority "Using data to identify and target those most in need", a number of high level actions are proposed. Do you agree with these?

  Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree/Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
We will seek to pool and share the relevant local data gathered by the statutory, community and voluntary organisations in the district and regionally, identify the key deficiencies, and embark on a programme of data development to address those gaps.
We will use all available information to identify and target those most at risk of poverty, including those with specific vulnerabilities, for example people with disabilities, children and young people, carers, people with mental health conditions, single private renters; and those living in areas of disadvantage (including rural dwellers).

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* 19. To address the priority "Funding and Resourcing of service delivery", the following high level action is proposed. Do you agree with this?

  Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree/Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
We will seek out alternative sources of more sustainable funding to meet the requirement for crisis interventions, and put in place practical partnership arrangements to allow for the delivery of services and supports in response to need.

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* 20. To address the priority "Using Our Influence", a number of high level actions are proposed. Do you agree with these?

  Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree/Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
The Fermanagh and Omagh Anti-Poverty Network will campaign along with the Northern Ireland Anti-Poverty Network (NIAPN) and other groups and organisations calling for the urgent need to implement the Northern Ireland Anti-Poverty Strategy.
We will use our civic, official and political influence to lobby central government to make those changes widely acknowledged as being required within the social security system, for example the “5 week wait” in Universal Credit, the 2 child limit for benefit payments etc.
We will support ongoing national and regional campaigns for changes to policies that perpetrate the cycle of poverty, for example the joint Trussell Trust and Joseph Rowntree Foundation “Guarantee Our Essentials” campaign.
Through the Community Planning partnership, we will continue to advocate for investment in Childcare Provision through the introduction and delivery of the NI Childcare Strategy.

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* 21. Do you have any additional comments or suggestion in relation to the draft Anti-Poverty Strategy for Fermanagh and Omagh 2024 - 2034 "Pathways out of Poverty?

Equality Monitoring

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* 22. Religious Belief
Please indicate your religious belief.

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* 23. Political Option
How would you describe your political opinion?

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* 24. Racial Group
To which of these racial groups do you consider you belong?

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* 25. Age

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* 26. Marital Status

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* 27. Sexual Orientation
How would you describe your sexual orientation?

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* 28. Gender

Disability

Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, a disabled person is defined as a person with “a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term effect on his/her ability to carry out normal day to day activities”.

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* 29. Do you consider that you meet this definition of disability?

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* 30. If you answered 'Yes' to the previous question, please state the type(s) of disability.

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* 31. Dependants
We are asking you to tell us something about your caring responsibilities. By that we mean looking after a child, whether as a parent, guardian or foster parent, or helping an adult carry out their daily routine. This might mean providing assistance to an adult relative or friend who is disabled or has a long-term illness.

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* 32. If you answered in the previous question that you have dependents, please indicate how often you undertake caring responsibilities:

Thank you for your consideration and valued input to Pathways out of Poverty, the Fermanagh and Omagh Anti-Poverty Strategy 2024 - 2034

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